The Patience of God
We
tend to think of patience as a human virtue, generally
expressing a disposition towards some thing or some expected event
that we cannot change… which encompasses a lot because we human
beings have very limited power over the universe, time, or other
people. However, like most good things we understand patience
through knowledge of God, the patience of Jesus Christ and the Father
are the source… and pattern for your patience.
Goal:
Why Should We Seek To Understand and To Practice Patience?
Our Outline:
DefinitionExamplesMeaning
and Purpose
What does the word Patience mean?
Patience
– there are 2 words that are translated “patience” in the KJV
and NKJV…
-
mak-roth-oo-meh'-o – slow to anger, willingness to delay judgment
-
hoop-om-on-ay' – courageous and hopeful endurance/perseverence in expectation of God’s action
The
NIV and most other more modern translations render makrothoomio
as patience and hoopomonay as perseverance or endurance –
more in keeping with the actual meaning of the word and how it is
used in scripture.
Examples of Patience (categories)
-
mak-roth-oo-meh'-o – the patience of God
-
mak-roth-oo-meh'-o – the patience of Mankind
-
hoop-om-on-ay' – the endurance of the Saints in persecution
-
hoop-om-on-ay' – perseverance in doing good (not growing weary)
The Patience of God
An
attribute or quality of God that is repeated over and over through
the OT like the chorus of a pop song: “God is merciful and
gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and
faithfulness”
Numbers
14:18 Joel 2:12-13
(Israel)
Jonah
3:5-4:2 Nahum 1:3
(Gentiles)
God’s
patience or “slowness to anger” does not dismiss His
judgment or the execution of punishment, His patience delays
His wrath… His patience provides opportunity for, or calling to,
repentance. It is very important not to misuse this display of
patience on His part.
The
FOOL says: “there are no consequences to what I have done” (no
lightning from the sky, so what I have done either doesn’t matter
or is OK)… the WISE MAN recognizes the opportunity to repent and
seeks reconciliation with God while there is still time.
OT
phrase “slow to anger” was often translated
mak-roth-oo-meh'-o in Spetuagint which is the translation of God’s
word used by the early church.
II
Peter 3:9-15 (consistent approach in NT)
God’s Patience Is A Pattern For Us to Follow
Matt
18:23-35 Parable of Unforgiving Servant… (v24) the King (God)
does not give up His right to call the servant (you) to a
reckoning (v32-35). He has merely given him time to
repent.
Your
responsibility for righteousness is not set aside… the fact that
God does not smack you down immediately when you go astray is not
because He does not care… likewise for those who might have done
you wrong… God’s mak-roth-oo-meh'-o allows time for
repentance… and even though He is “slow to anger” the
day will come… and it won’t be pretty.
I
Timothy 1:16 – Christ is patient toward Paul, giving Him the
opportunity to repent
II
Timothy 3:10 – Paul in turn becomes an example of patience to
others, instructing them to practice great patience
II
Tim 4:2 – even here patience (slow to anger) provides
opportunity for repentance/change
Patience of Mankind (Christians)
Gal
5:22 – a fruit of the spirit / an element of God’s mind and
character
Galatians
5:24 patience is something you are “obligated” to put on…
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of
God”
Note:
H.S. does not “make” you patient… rather it strengthens you so
that you can put on patience. For example: the H.S. helps you to
understand the truth, to see the big picture of the plan of God both
for you and all of mankind… BIG PICTURE thinking is an essential
element of patience…
Example: you don’t fire an employee after one mess up
because you and see the long-term benefit they will bring to the
organization once they learn what they are doing
Godly
patience, mak-roth-oo-meh'-o, slowness to anger, helps
you deal with the irritations, upsets, disappointments coming at you
every day… because you keep the big picture in mind with the longer
term goals that come from the mind of God
Col
1:11 – comes when one is strengthened by the power of God
Patience
affects how you treat others… helps you deal with
others in a way that is more:
Loving – I
Cor 13:4 patience is the first thing said about the workings of
love
You
are more focused on their long term success that the short term
pleasure of passing judgment on them, getting revenge, vengeance
belongs to the Lord.
Humble –
Col 3:12 (repeats the exhortation to “put this on”)
Placing
their long-term welfare above the pleasure of exerting your will over
them – it pleases a parent when a child begins to figure out doing
good for themselves
I
Thess 5:14-15 Godly patience, mak-roth-oo-meh'-o delays
judgment and anger, it does not repay “evil for evil” /” wrong
for wrong”… does not mean tolerance for evil, or dismissal of
laws…
Key
verbs: warn / encourage / give them time
Mankind
(You) Must Be Patient toward God’s Promises…
Where
is God and what’s taking Him so long?
-
Discuss the example of Abraham… this is taking too long, I am wasting my life Heb 6:15
Already
touched on this in II Peter 3:9… passing judgment on God, He
doesn’t care, He’s not coming… result, let’s eat drink and be
merry for tomorrow we die!
-
Example of farmer sewing a crop, waiting for the yield… James 5:7-10
The Endurance & Perseverance of the Saints
The
word used is hupomone – also translated patience in the KJV
and NKJV but is really a different word. Modern translations usually
translate hupomone as:
-
Endurance in face of trials, tribulations, persecutions and
-
Perseverance in doing good (not growing weary through loss of hope)
Courageous
endurance during trials and tribulations is obviously more a part of
the human condition rather than a Godly prerogative set forth as a
model for us to emulate. God being all “powerful” is not affected
by trials. He can do what He wants, when he wants, where he wants
etc.
Jesus Experienced Suffering, Endurance & Perseverance
The
member of the God family known as the Word/Logos has experienced
trials and tribulations by coming in human form… Jesus Christ! And
having done so is better able to understand and relate to the
suffering, trials & weariness that are part of the human
experience… “in order that he might become a merciful and
faithful high priest in service to God”
In
the same way that makrothumio is especially related love, hupomone is
related to hope
Endurance… based on your hope and confidence in God’s promises
-
Romans 5:3-4
-
Romans 8:18-25 we wait with eager longing… not apathy or fatalism (we inherit universe)
-
Roman 12:12
Endurance When Persecuted for the Word of God
Rev
1:9; 2:2-3 – loss of friends, loss of opportunities etc.
Perseverence… not growing weary in doing good
Romans
2:7 persistence in doing good… even when you don’t feel
like it,
-
Obedience to God’s commandments,
-
Seeking your reward… generosity, serving others, forgiveness, humility, self-control, leading others to repentance, enduring persecution, prayer, fasting, earnestly seeking God
-
Walking in the spirit… love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
Psalm
37:1-13
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