Patience

Patience I. Definitions. A. patience: The suffering or enduring (of pain, trouble, or evil) with calmness and composure; the quality or capacity of so suffering or enduring. c. The calm abiding of the issue of time, processes, etc.; quiet and self-possessed waiting for something; the quality of expecting long without rage or discontent. B. patient: Bearing or enduring (pain, affliction, trouble, or evil of any kind) with composure, without discontent or complaint; having the quality or capacity of so bearing; exercising or possessing patience. C. long-suffering: Patient endurance of provocation or trial; longanimity. D. longanimity: Long-suffering; forbearance or patience (e.g. under provocation). II. Discipleship in general demands patience. A. Our fast-paced culture has become accustomed to immediate gratification of desires. 1. Technology and industry have greatly reduced the time it takes for travel or communication. 2. A few generations' prosperity has generated an entitlement mentality that demands the long-term attainments of parents without their pain and sacrifices. 3. Believers can be affected by such forces to where they find fault with God or brethren for not answering quickly, delivering quickly, healing quickly, etc. B. An honest, good heart does not demand immediate or trouble-free results from effort expended. LUK 8:15 c/w GAL 6:9. C. God will suffer us to do without things presently to test our resolve. DEU 8:2-3. D. We do well to remember that we are on God's timetable, not our own. 1. Sarah's impatience set the course of troubled history. GEN 16:1-4, 11-12. 2. Israel's impatience with Moses and God led them to sin and judgment. EXO 32:1; NUM 16:14. 3. Saul's impatience cost him the kingdom. 1SAM 13:8-14. III. We are particularly called to bear affliction patiently. HEB 10:32-39. A. True Christianity is rife with difficulties. PHIL 1:29-30; JOH 16:33; 2TI 3:12. B. Obstacles and troubles are meant to develop patience in us to bring praise to Christ. ROM 5:3; JAM 1:3; 1PE 1:6-7. 1. trial: The action of testing or putting to the proof the fitness, truth, strength, or other quality of anything; test, probation. 2. Remember that the stony-ground hearer only endures until the time of trouble, not through it. MAR 4:16-17 ct/w 2TI 3:10-11. C. There is a glory in suffering patiently for well-doing, but not for faults. ROM 2:6-7; 1PE 2:18-20. 1. This glory may be reserved unto the coming of Christ, per 1PE 1:6-7. 2. This glory may be present in that other believers may glory in the patient faith one demonstrates in the face of troubles. 2TH 1:4 c/w PHIL 1:14. D. One of the perplexities of Christian experience is seeing how wicked men seem to get away with wickedness and prosper in so doing. 1. We are called here to patience also: patient continuance in well-doing and patient waiting for God to deal with the wicked. PSA 37:1-11. 2. The psalmist overcame his perplexity in this regard by worship and faith. Patience 6-12-11 Page 1 of 3PSA 73:12-28. E. In the face of expected persecution, Jesus told the disciples, “In your patience possess ye your souls” (LUK 21:19). 1. In this context, possess means “To keep, maintain (oneself, one's mind or soul) in a state or condition (of patience, quiet, etc.)...” 2. God has provided scriptures which set forth excellent instruction and examples of patience through sufferings. ROM 15:4 c/w JAM 5:10-11. 3. An excellent expression of this patience is ROM 8:18-19. F. As in all things, Christ is the supreme example of patient endurance in view of a future reward. HEB 12:1-3. IV. Patience speaks of work and waiting. A. Believers are told to let patience have her perfect work for their fullness. JAM 1:4. 1. Patience is here personified as a woman working in someone a positive trait. 2. Husbands, take note! COL 3:19. B. Christian duty is complemented by patience. REV 2:2-3, 19; 14:12. C. Patience means continuing in duty though the results are not immediate. HEB 6:10-15. 1. Blessed results come through a work ethic that isn't defeated by circumstances or the prospect of adversity. ECC 11:4-6 c/w MAR 4:14; 2TI 2:6 c/w JAM 5:7. 2. Mind the warnings against slothfulness. Patience is not laziness. PRO 20:4; 26:13-14; 13:4. D. Abraham is an excellent example of faith, duty and patience. 1. He faithfully waited for twenty-five years for the promised child. ROM 4:18-21. 2. He patiently endured the trial on Mount Moriah and so obtained God's promise. HEB 6:13-15. V. Patience is a critical part of successful church fellowship. 1TH 5:14. A. Ministers must strive to be patient with those under their care. 1TI 3:3; 2TI 2:24; 2CO 6:4. B. Paul exhorted and prayed that saints would be patient with others. 1TH 5:14; ROM 15:5; COL 1:11. 1. This is especially important when it comes to showing mercy to a humbled offender. MAT 18:22-35. 2. Recalling that patience involves forbearance, Paul said, “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (COL 3:13). 3. The love of Christ constrains us (2CO 5:14), which means “to force, compel, oblige.” See love compel patience in 1CO 13:4, 7. a. The Holy Spirit shows us by comparative study that there is a connection between love and patience. ISA 64:4 c/w 1CO 2:9. b. An excellent application of this is the pledge of the “True Love Waits” purity movement: “Believing that true love waits, I make a commitment to God, myself, my family, my friends, my future mate, and my future children to a lifetime of purity including sexual abstinence from this day until the day I enter a biblical marriage relationship.” 4. The love of Christ also constrains us in the sense that we should remember how patiently he has dealt with us. ROM 2:4; 2PE 3:9. Patience 6-12-11 Page 2 of 3VI. The hope of the believer demands our patient waiting. ROM 8:23-25 c/w 1TH 1:9-10. A. Vain unbelief scoffs at the long awaited coming of the Lord. 2PE 3:3-4. B. It is not for us to know the times and seasons relative to the day of the Lord. 1TH 5:1-2. C. It is enough for us to know that Christ has promised to return; hence, we look continually, patiently. LUK 12:34-37; HEB 9:28. VII. The crown is secure to those who hold fast, persevering patiently unto the coming of the Lord. JAM 1:12; 1PE 5:4; 2TI 4:7-8. VIII. And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (2TH 3:5). Patience 6-12-11 Page 3 of 3