This is all about the fruit of the Holy Spirit called patience or long suffering. It covers the issue of suffering as a virtue.

1. THE HOLY SPIRIT FRUIT OF PATIENCE 2
Edited by GLENN PEASE
Galatians 5:22 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,faith,
In what way is patience a fruit of the Holy Spirit?
The Greek wordfor "patience" usedin Galatians 5:22 is makrothumia, which
means "forbearance" or"longsuffering." The Greek wordis a compound of
two words meaning "long" and "temper." Makrothumia is the equivalent of
our English idiom "having a long fuse";a patient person cantake a lot of
provocationbefore reacting. Patience is one aspectof the fruit of the Spirit. As
the phrase "fruit of the Spirit" implies, we can only have patience when the
Holy Spirit works through us.
Job is often put forward as the personificationof patience, and rightly so. He
endured the loss of his possessions, his children, his health, and his wife's
support, but he took it patiently. When Job's wife told him to "Curse Godand
die," Jobresponded, "You speak as one of the foolish womenwould speak.
Shall we receive goodfrom God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:9-10).
Job knew God had controlover his situation and his suffering. He had the
patience to wait for the unfolding of God's plan, going so far as to say,
"Thoughhe slayme, I will hope in him" (Job 13:15).
Jeremiahis another great example of patience. He prophesied to the nation of
Judah for forty years, and no one listened. Instead of giving up, he wept over
the foolishpeople who refusedto turn from their sin. God forbade Jeremiah

2. to marry (Jeremiah16:2), Jeremiah's friends abandonedhim, and his
messageso riled the people that they threw him into a cistern (Jeremiah38:1-
13).
Then there's Moses.He had the job of gathering a few million slaves, teaching
them a new religion, and forming them into a greatnation. At every turn, the
Israelites did their best to frustrate Moses, complaining about the food,
threatening to return to Egypt, and challenging Moses'authority. It reached
the point that God offeredMoses a deal: He would destroythe rebellious
Israelites and make Moses the father of a greatnation. But Moses interceded
for the unruly rebels. He replied, "O LORD, why does your wrath burn hot
againstyour people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with
greatpower and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians say, 'With
evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to
consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning angerand
relent from this disasteragainstyour people" (Exodus 32:11-12). Talk about
patience!Moses had it. Moses hadhis lapses, ofcourse (Exodus 32:19;
Numbers 20:8-11), but for forty years he led an obstinate people and delivered
them safelyto the border of the PromisedLand. And he did it all for no
earthly reward.
The greatestexample of patience, however, is God Himself.
God's patience leads us to repentance:"Or do you presume on the riches of
his kindness and forbearance andpatience, not knowing that God's kindness
is meant to lead you to repentance?" (Romans 2:4).
God's patience saves us from judgment: "Whatif God, desiring to show his
wrath and to make knownhis power, has endured with much patience vessels
of wrath prepared for destruction?" (Romans 9:22).

3. God's patience completely changes lives:"The saying is trustworthy and
deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I receivedmercy for this reason, that
in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an
example to those who were to believe in him for eternallife" (1 Timothy 1:15-
16).
God's patience gives us salvation:"And count the patience of our Lord as
salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the
wisdom given him" (2 Peter 3:15).
Without God's patience, none of us would live long enough to come to a saving
relationship with Jesus. His patience has a purpose; it is to delay judgment so
that we can seek Him and escapejudgment. The prophets reflectedthis
patience, and we should, too. Judgment is coming, but even now "The Lord is
. . . patient towardyou, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should
reachrepentance" (2 Peter3:9). Through the Spirit's power, we can display
the same patience to others. https://www.compellingtruth.org/patience-fruit-
Spirit.html
Question:"The Fruit of the Holy Spirit – What is patience?"
Answer: There are two Greek words translatedas "patience" in the New
Testament. Hupomonē means "a remaining under," as when one bears up
under a burden. It refers to steadfastnessin difficult circumstances.
Makrothumia, which is used in Galatians 5:22, is a compound formed by
makros (“long”)and thumos (“passion” or “temper”). “Patience”in Galatians

4. 5:22 literally means “long temper,” in the sense of“the ability to hold one’s
temper for a long time.” The KJV translates it “longsuffering.” A patient
person is able to endure much pain and suffering without complaining. A
patient personis slow to angeras he waits for God to provide comfort and
punish wrongdoing. Since it is a fruit of the Spirit, we can only possess
makrothumia through the power and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Patience comes from a position of power. A person may have the ability to
take revenge or cause trouble, but patience brings self-restraintand careful
thinking. Losing patience is a sign of weakness. We are patient through trying
situations out of hope for a coming deliverance;we are patient with a trying
person out of compassion. We choose to love that person and want what's best
for him.
As the Spirit produces patience in us, He is making us more Christlike.
SecondThessalonians 3:5 speaks ofthe “patience of Christ” (ASV). Christ is
even now patiently awaiting the completion of the Father’s plan: after Jesus
“had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he satdown at the right hand of
God. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool”
(Hebrews 10:12-13). We should be patient, even as He is patient.
God is patient with sinners. Romans 2:4 says that God's patience leads to our
repentance. Romans 9:22 points out that only God's patience prevents Him
from destroying “the objects of his wrath.” Paul glorifies the Lord for His
“unlimited patience” that savedhim, “the worstof sinners” (1 Timothy 1:16).
Peterhighlights the patience of Godin 1 Peter3:20, pointing out that God had
immense patience with the evil people of Noah's day, delaying judgment as
long as possible (Genesis 6). Today, “our Lord's patience gives people time to
be saved” (2 Peter3:15, NLT).

5. James urges believers to be patient and not to complain as we wait for Jesus to
return. James holds up the prophets as models of patience (James 5:7-11). The
Old Testamentprophets ceaselesslyspoke God's Wordto unheeding and
abusive audiences. Jeremiahwas thrown into a cistern(Jeremiah 38:1-16),
Elijah was so worn out from his fight with Jezebelthat he wanted to die (1
Kings 19:1-8), and Danielwas thrown into the lion's den—by a king who was
his friend (Daniel 6:16-28). While God delayed judgment, Noahprophesied of
the coming destruction, and in 120 years did not have a single convert (2 Peter
2:5).
The opposite of patience is agitation, discouragement, and a desire for
revenge. Goddoes not want His children to live in agitationbut in peace (John
14:27). He wants to dispel discouragementand replace it with hope and praise
(Psalm 42:5). We are not to avenge ourselves; rather, we are to love others
(Romans 12:19; Leviticus 19:18).
God is patient, and His Spirit produces the fruit of patience in us. When we
are patient, we leave room for God to work in our hearts and in our
relationships. We lay down our schedule and trust in God’s. We thank the
Lord for what and whom He’s brought into our lives. We let God be God.
https://www.gotquestions.org/fruit-Holy-Spirit-patience.html
The Fruits of the Holy Spirit – Part Four – Patience
By MichaelK. Farrar, O.D.
© God’s Breath Publications
In part one of this series we learnedthat Paul encouragedChristians to let the
Word of Christ dwell richly within them (Colossians 3:16-17). He also

6. encouragedfollowers ofChrist to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians
5:18-20). Paul also taught that as believers obeyed the Word, followedthe
example of Christ and were filled with the Spirit they would manifest the fruit
of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-25
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness andself-control. Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its
passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keepin step with the
Spirit.”
This bearing of fruit is God’s will for our lives and it brings Him greatglory.
John 15:8
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to
be my disciples.”
So as we allow God’s Spirit to live in and through us, the Spirit produces a set
of Christ-like qualities or virtues within us, the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit of
the Spirit is manifested in relationships, in our relationship with God as well
as with other followers of Christ. While we might think that the fruit of the
Spirit are personalattributes and private virtues, they are more importantly
interpersonal qualities, virtues that are a result of people loving and
ministering to one another as they let the Word of Christ dwell in them, as
they are filled with the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is manifested as we grow
spiritually and this fruit is a nine-fold visible attribute of a true Christian life.
This fruit is not a list of individual “fruits” from which we pick and choose.
Rather, the fruit of the Spirit is one nine-fold “fruit” that characterizesall

7. who truly walk in the Holy Spirit. Collectively, this is the fruit that all
Christians should be producing in their new lives in Jesus Christ. In other
words, the fruit of the Spirit is a physical manifestation of a Christian’s
transformed life. In our last segments we learned about love, joy and peace.
Now we study patience.
Patience is a quality of wise controlled restraint that prevents believers from
speaking or acting hastily when facedwith a situation of disagreement,
opposition, or persecution.
The Greek wordfor patience is “makrothumia” (pronounced: mah-krow-
thew-me-ah). It can also be translated “endurance,” perseverance,”or
“longsuffering.”
We see that Jesus was very patient with sinners and those that followedHim
as their teacherand Lord. His patience demonstrated He was led by the Holy
Spirit as He followedthe will of His Heavenly Father. Even when He took
active steps to confront the Pharisees and money-changers in the temple His
actions were influenced by His patience. This takes powerfrom God to
confront people who are self-righteousness, selfishand prideful with godly,
loving patience. Paul shares how greatthe patience of Jesus was in dealing
with him.
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I [Paul] am the
worst. But for that very reasonI was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of
sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for
those who would believe on him and receive eternallife.”
1 Timothy 1:15–16

8. Paul describedsuch patience as “unlimited.” We too canhave this patience as
we respond to the Word of God, are filled with the Spirit of God and let the
fruit of the Spirit demonstrate our love for God and others.
Patience almostalways involves waiting in some form or another, waiting for
the Spirit to guide you in a situation, waiting for circumstances to change for
the better, waiting for someone to change their actions and thoughts or
waiting for your own attitude and perceptions to accommodate to what is
taking place in your life.
“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits
for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn
and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s
coming is near.”
James 5:7–8
Patience is manifesting wisdom in a heated or tense situation. This takes
reliance upon the powerof the Holy Spirit built upon a foundation of God’s
Word. We canall muster up a certain amount of patience with our flesh, but
it takes spiritually empoweredpatience from the fruit of the Spirit to deal
with most heated confrontations we face in relationships.
“A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.”
Proverbs 15:18
“A patient man has greatunderstanding, but a quick-tempered man displays
folly.”
Proverbs 14:29

9. Becauseministry always involves other people, it requires greatpatience.
Relationships are a source of magnificent blessing, but they can also be the
source of much tension and conflict. Fulfilling the call to love others because
of how God loved us is not always easy. This is where the fruit of the Spirit in
the form of patience is so helpful as we relate and minister to others.
“Preachthe Word; be prepared in seasonandout of season;correct, rebuke
and encourage withgreatpatience and careful instruction….But keepyour
head in all situations, endure hardship.”
2 Timothy 4:2, 5
“And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid,
help the weak, be patient with everyone.”
1 Thessalonians 5:14
Another word used to describe patience is “longsuffering.”
“Thatye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in
every goodwork, and increasing in the knowledge ofGod; strengthened with
all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering
with joyfulness.”
Colossians 1:10-11
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseechyou that ye walk worthy of the
vocationwherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with

10. longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keepthe unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Ephesians 4:2
The patience of the Holy Spirit can be demonstrated in our lives as we let the
Word instruct and guide us and as we are filled with the Holy Spirit. While
the first three types of the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, and peace canbe very
conceptualand abstract. The fourth fruit; patience is consistentlyneeded each
and every day as we go about the business of interacting with people and
situations. We face schedules we can’t always accomplish. We deal with
people that test our patience. We encounter obstaclesin life that cause us
stress and discomfort. All of these are situations the require us to seek the
powerof the Holy Spirit to live as Christ would, to be patient in all things and
with all people.
Longsuffering canalso mean “slow to become angry.” Of all the words for
patience in the original language, this one is the most passive;it often
describeda gentle resignationto a situation or another person that is not
likely to change. This same word is often used to describe God’s patience with
us. This longsuffering or patience is found in, Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:18,
Nehemiah 9:17, Psalms 86:15, 103:8, 145:8, Joel2:13, Jonah4:2, Nahum 1:3.
It is God’s natural ability to be patient and longsuffering with us and this
reflects His love for us.
Since God can patiently wait for us, it is possible for us to be patient and
longsuffering with eachother, as wellas to be patient in the midst of stressful
uncomfortable situations. We cando this as we let the fruit of the Spirit, of
which patience is a part, manifest itself in our lives. While patience can be
passive in a sense, it’s also purposeful. It might be called“redemptive
waiting.” We are waiting for the relationship or the situation to be redeemed
by the Lord as we wait upon Him to use us, to change the situation, to change

11. the other person, or even to change us. Patience is allowing Godto work in
ways that we can’t always foresee orunderstand. It can be hard, but it is
always much easierif we rest in the power of the Holy Spirit and let His fruit
manifest itself in our heart, mind and soul.
The fruit of patience which comes from the Holy Spirit is grounded on you
being willing to be humble before the Lord. God will teachyou how to be
patient through His Word. Scripture is filled with examples of how patient
people redeemedsituations and changedthe lives of others. It is also filled
with examples of how impatient people were ruined and harmed others with
their inability to be patient. Jesus serves as anexample for us in how to live a
life of patience with others and with circumstances. Manypeople, especially
the apostle Peter, oftenput Jesus in situations that required greatpatience.
Jesus neverdisplayed unrighteous anger or impatience. He always dealt
wiselyand patiently with people, even when He had to confront them. The
Holy Spirit will also work with us to developthe fruit of patience in our lives,
but this requires us making time for Him. We must clearaway the “busy
noise” in our lives so that He can change us from the inside out. This requires
a spiritual intimacy with Him. It includes a deep honesty and vulnerability
with God so that as we are truthful with Him we grow closerto the Lord.
Patience shownto others often comes as we become realisticallypatient with
ourselves. We sometimes beatourselves up because we are not growing
spiritually as we think we should. God is the best judge of our spiritual growth
and we must understand that spiritual maturity takes time to develop. Francis
de Sales a Jesuit theologianstated, “Be patient with everyone, but above all
with yourself.”
But a word of caution: Patience is not about allowing yourself to be a victim of
abuse or enabling sinful behavior. Wisdom and patience always work
together, to help us judge when and how to actin a dangerous situation. They
will also work togetherto show us how and when to confront sin in the lives of
others and ourselves.

12. Colossians 3:12
“Therefore, as God’s chosenpeople, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves
with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”
Remember, “The keyto everything is patience. You get the chickenby
hatching the egg, not by smashing it.” – Arnold Glasow
The Fruit of the Spirit:
Patience
by John W. Ritenbaugh
Forerunner, "Personal," June 1998
Topics
Affliction
Anger
Blessing Others
Complaining
Endurance
Forgiving Others
Fruit of the Spirit
More...
Related

13. I Want Patience - and I Want It Now!
Longsuffering
How Can We DevelopTrue Patience?
Forbearance
The Longsuffering of Our Lord Is Salvation
Principled Living (Part 7): Enduring to the End
The Beatitudes, Part8: BlessedAre the Persecuted
More...
Series
The Fruit of the Spirit series:
The Fruit of the Spirit
The Fruit of the Spirit: Love
The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy
The Fruit of the Spirit: Peace
The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness
The Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness
More...
When the apostle Paul penned the nine qualities we call "the fruit of the
Spirit," he neatly divided them into three generalgroups, though some
overlapping of application occurs betweenthem. The first group—love, joy
and peace—portrays a Christian's mind in its most generalform, with special
emphasis on his relationship with God. The secondgroup, beginning with
patience ("longsuffering" in the KJV and NKJV), contains socialvirtues

14. relating to our thoughts and actions towardfellow man and our attitude
during trials.
The quality of patience evokes imagesof stoicism, tolerance and passivity in
most people's mind. Though some of these elements are contained within the
scope ofwhat the Bible reveals of this very important charactertrait, it is far
too rich in meaning to be limited to them.
We all know people who are easily irritated. They invariably let others know
it, either by a steady stream of grumbling, carping and griping accompanied
by a face painted with the pain of having to suffer the fools surrounding them,
or they "blow up" in red-facedfury, shouting a torrent of invective intended
to let everyone within hearing distance know they have been put upon and
have "had it." The greatbulk of us are in between. We may not show much
agitationon the outside, but inwardly we are churning with varying degrees of
stress, wishing that people would "just geton with it" so we can do our thing.
Jesus and Persecution
Undoubtedly, other qualities—or their lack—playinto these situations, but
would Jesus ever actor reactlike this? He certainly became justifiably angry
on occasion, but the Bible never illustrates Him even remotely losing
control—evenwhile under intense pressure from blinded and stubborn fools,
some of whom were intentionally baiting Him. Nor does the Bible ever
indicate He fell into a self-pitying pout to draw attention to His irritation.
God clearly holds Jesus up to us as the example we must strive to follow.
For what credit is it if, when you are beatenfor your faults, you take it
patiently? But when you do goodand suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this
is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:"Who
committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth"; who, when He was
reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but
committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (I Peter2:20-24)
Here we see patience in direct connectionto our calling! Can patience possibly
be that important? It is when we understand it in light of Christ's suffering

15. for us, leaving us an example of how we are to live. We, too, are calledto
suffer for righteousness'sake, thoughPeterdoes not limit our calling to
suffering patiently.
The issue revolves around the answerto the question, "Whatdid Christ's
patient suffering produce?" Does it not follow that if Christ's life produced
goodthings because He lived this way, our lives will too? Did not Christ finish
what God gave Him to do and glorify God in the wayHe did it? Does God
ever counselor command anything that does not show love and produce
good?
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous," the psalmist writes (Psalm34:19).
Petersupplies a partial answerto this, as does Paul's statementin II Timothy
3:12: "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer
persecution." The psalmist, Peterand Paul are all saying that persecutionis a
common lot—a calling—ofall who strive to serve Christ faithfully.
The essenceofpersecutionlies in subjecting the Christian to injury or
disadvantage because ofhis beliefs. Persecutionmay take many forms, but it
is more than someone merely presenting counter-arguments to the Christian's
convictions. It is inflicting some injury on him, putting him to some
disadvantage or placing him in unfavorable circumstances.
Persecutioncantake on many forms within these broad areas. The injury can
be to the Christian's feelings or to his family, reputation, property, liberty or
influence. It may deprive him of an office or position he held or prevent him
from obtaining one for which he is qualified. He could be subjectedto a fine,
imprisonment, banishment, torture or death.
It follows, then, that both Peterand Paul warn us that we who make a
professionof Christianity must be prepared for persecution. It "goes withthe
territory." We are not to shrink to avoid it, but bear it patiently as Christ did.
God as Our Example
None of us has ever come close to exhibiting patience like God. Although one
could not saywe persecute Him as men persecute eachother, yet in our own
way we do bring a form of persecutionon Him by our attitudes and wayof

16. life. We often live without care for His feelings about us and His creation,
behaving as much of this world does, as though neither He nor His law exists.
The Bible reveals God's patience as a quality of His characterthat deters Him
for long periods from retaliating againstthose who sin againstHim. This fits
neatly with what Peter says regarding Christ's example:
Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did
not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (I Peter
2:23)
As a man, Christ did not strike back, but wiselyand patiently left any
retaliation due in the matter to God's judgment. This is also an example to us.
Exodus 32 contains the story of the Israelites worshipping the infamous
golden calfshortly after entering into the Old Covenant with God. Soon
thereafter, Moses metwith God in the tent of meeting outside the camp, where
he appealed to God to show him His glory. He wanted to see Godwith his
eyes. Instead, God replied that He would make His goodness pass before him
and proclaim His name.
In Exodus 34:6, when God passes before Moses,He preaches him a sermon on
His attributes, fulfilling the proclamationof His name:
And the Lord passedbefore him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord God,
merciful and gracious, longsuffering [patient], and abounding in goodnessand
truth."
Patience is a major characteristic ofour God, and that should fill us with
gratitude.
God's patience delays His wrath, allowing time for goodto occur. Jonah 4:2
expresses this:
So he prayed to the Lord, and said, "Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I
was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish;for I know
that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to angerand abundant in
lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm."

17. We should also note the other qualities patience is combined with in these last
two references.In combination with patience, the qualities of grace, mercy,
lovingkindness, goodnessand truth allow God to work with people so they can
remain alive and eventually transform into His image. If God struck out at
people just as short-fused humans frequently do, no one would be alive today.
Jonah, in a typically human reaction, wanted God to wipe the sinners of
Nineveh, Israel's enemy, off the face of the earth!
Nineveh was undoubtedly just as full of sinners as Israel. But God, bearing
patiently with them in their ignorance, sentJonahto proclaim His warning
messageto them: Destructionwould fall on them in forty days. They,
however, believed the message,proclaimeda fast, prayed mightily to God,
repented and turned from their evil ways. Their repentance may not have
been Davidic, but under the circumstances Godwas pleased. So Jonah3:10
records,
Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God
relented from the disasterthat He had said He would bring upon them, and
He did not do it.
II Peter3:9 affirms that Godstill operates in the same manner:
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is
longsuffering towardus, not willing that any should perish but that all should
come to repentance.
Romans 2:3-6 discusses the same theme on a more personalbasis, warning us
that we should not abuse God's patience by viewing it as inattention,
indulgence or mere tolerance:
And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things,
and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you
despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, andlongsuffering, not
knowing that the goodnessofGod leads you to repentance? But in accordance
with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for
yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of
God, who "will render to eachone according to his deeds."

18. Solomonwarns of the same perversity of nature that reveals itselfin those
lacking faith:
Becausethe sentence againstan evil work is not executed speedily, therefore
the heart of the sons of men is fully setin them to do evil. Though a sinner
does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that
it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him. But it will not be
well with the wicked;nor will he prolong his days, which are as a shadow;
because he does not fear before God. (Ecclesiastes8:11-13)
Clearly, God's patience is exercisedso He can work on the situation and
produce repentance. All too frequently, though, His goodness andpatience are
abused through stubbornness or neglect. Be assured, Godis aware, and there
comes a time when His patience is exhausted and His judgment falls if the
change God expecteddoes not occur.
An Unbroken Link
In the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Jesus gives an interesting twist to
the importance of God's patience by connecting it to our forgiveness.
The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, "Master, have patience
with me, and I will pay you all." Then the master of that servant was moved
with compassion, releasedhim, and forgave him the debt. But that servant
went out and found one of his fellow servants who owedhim a hundred
denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, "Pay
me what you owe!" So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and beggedhim,
saying, "Have patience with me and I will pay you all." And he would not, but
went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow
servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told
their master all that had been done. Then his master, after he had calledhim,
said to him, "You wickedservant! I forgave you all that debt because you
beggedme. Should you not also have had compassiononyour fellow servant,
just as I had pity on you?" And his masterwas angry, and delivered him to
the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. So My heavenly
Father also will do to you if eachof you, from his heart, does not forgive his
brother his trespasses. (Matthew 18:26-34)

19. We desire others—especiallyGod—to be patient and forgiving toward us in
our faults, but do we practice the same attitude and conduct toward those
whose faults offend us? Patience is a two-waystreet, and God clearlydemands
reciprocity. He expects us to pass His patience and forgiveness towardus on to
others even as Christ did.
I Timothy 1:12-16 vividly shows Christ's example:
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted
me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a
blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because
I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace ofour Lord was exceedingly
abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptance,that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reasonI obtained mercy,
that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those
who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Paul uses himself to exemplify the greatmagnitude of Christ's patience
toward us. "Longsuffering" stronglyimplies forbearance under greatduress.
As Paul describes it, he had not just sinned in blaspheming and inflicting
injury on the saints, but he had done his deeds with a proud, haughty,
arrogantand insolent spirit. He actedin a wicked, malicious, violent way—a
spirit of tyranny that greatly aggravatedthe wrong he did. Other translations
render insolent as "insulter," "insolentfoe," "oppressor,""wanton
aggressor," "doerofoutrage" and "wantonoutrage."
Paul's aim is to magnify Christ's patience and forgiveness as an example to
himself and his audience. The apostle followedChrist's example by in turn
exercising patience towardthe church. Considering his own circumstance, he
undoubtedly felt strongly about this because Christ's forbearance with him
opened salvationto him. In response, he passes it on to Timothy and so to us.
In II Timothy 4:2-3, Paul exhorts the evangelistto use this virtue that means
so much to our salvation:

20. Preachthe word! Be ready in seasonand out of season. Convince, rebuke,
exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. Forthe time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because
they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;and they will
turn their ears awayfrom the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
In II Corinthians 6:3-6, the apostle carries this thought into action, as he
reflects upon his ministry and those with him.
We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in
all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in
tribulations, in needs, in distresses, instripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in
labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;by purity, by knowledge,by longsuffering,
by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love.
Twice in this listing he mentions forms of patience exercisedfor Christ and
His people. Paul's travelling companions may very well have included
Timothy, as Paul mentions him in close connectionwith the Corinthian
church (I Corinthians 4:17; 16:10; II Corinthians 1:1, 19).
In II Timothy 3:10 he reminds Timothy,
But you have carefully followedmy doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith,
longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, whichhappened to
me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—whatpersecutions I endured. And out
of them all the Lord delivered me.
Notice that Timothy carefully followedPaul's example of patience. In
Philippians 2:19-20 Paul says of him,
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may
be encouragedwhen I know your state. ForI have no man like-minded, who
will sincerelycare for your state.
Paul knew Timothy would regardthe Philippians' interests with the same
sincere tenderness and patient concernas Paul would if he were there.
Timothy followedPaul's example, Paul followed Christ's example, and Christ
was One with the Father in His example. An unbroken chain of patience

21. appears, beginning with the Father, continuing through His agent, Christ
Jesus, then to His agent, the apostle Paul, and finally to his agent, Timothy.
How are we doing in continuing the chain unbroken in our relationships with
others?
Arek Appayim, Makrothumia and Hupomone
Three words are most frequently translated as either "longsuffering,"
"endurance," "perseverance" or"patience" in modern EnglishBibles: arek
appayim in Hebrew, makrothumia and hupomone in Greek. When the time
came to translate the Old Testamentinto Greek, the translators used
makrothumia as the synonym of the Hebrew arek appayim. Both words mean
essentiallythe same thing: slow to anger.
In writing the New Testament, the apostles addedhupomone. Both Greek
words generally mean the same thing. However, scholars have noted that each
has characteristicsthatsets it apart. Spiros Zodhiates, in The Complete Word
Study Dictionary of the New Testament, p. 939, says,
Makrothumia is patience in respectto persons, while hupomone, endurance, is
putting up with things or circumstances.
The difference does not end there. While both words have positive
connotations, hupomone tends to be decidedly more upbeat. The International
Standard Bible Encyclopedia, p. 690, says, "As makrothumia is especially
related to love, so hupomone is especiallyrelatedto hope." The same volume
also states the distinction betweenhupomone and makrothumia canbest be
seenin their opposites. The opposite of hupomone is cowardice or
despondency, whereas the antonym of makrothumia is wrath or revenge.
Thus, while makrothumia is somewhatmore passive in its implications,
neither word allows us to be apathetic while enduring affliction. Makrothumia
is somewhatmore passive because,since people are usually involved as
persecutors orinstruments of our affliction, we should respond with greater
caution and wisdom.
People, eventhose who persecute us, are not things, and we best representour
Father by not being hasty and rash. "Be wise as serpents and harmless as

22. doves," Jesus says (Matthew 10:16). It is the soft answerthat turns away
wrath (Proverbs 15:1). James writes, "The tongue is a fire, a world of
iniquity" (James 3:6). Jesus left retaliation to the Father.
Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:15,
See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good
both for yourselves and for all.
Two wrongs do not make a right, and in our irritated or angry impatience, we
frequently sayor do something just as bad or worse as was done to us! Then
where are we? Often, our patience does not delay our wrath as God's does.
The obvious meaning of Paul's advice is that we should not take vengeance.In
Romans 12:19, Paul repeats this more plainly:
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is
written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
This, in turn, feeds directly into Jesus'teaching in Matthew 5:39-45:
But I tell you not to resistan evil person. But whoeverslaps you on your right
cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away
your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoevercompels you to go one
mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to
borrow from you do not turn away.
You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your
enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do
goodto those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Fatherin heaven; for He makes
His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the
unjust.
The consistentinstruction is that we not set ourselves againstanevil person
who is injuring us, whether verbally, physically or judicially. Rather, Jesus
teaches us to be willing to give the offender something that might defuse the
immediate situation—and perhaps even provide some small example that will
promote his eternalwelfare. Patience is of greatvalue in this respect.

23. This in no waymeans we are weak, though to them we may at first seemso.
Nor does it mean that we approve of their conduct. Though we may hate their
conduct and suffer keenly when it affects us, Christ tells us to bless them,
meaning we should confer favor upon or give benefits to them. We cando this
by wishing the personwell, speaking kindly of and to him and seeking to do
him good.
Situations like this may be the most difficult test we will ever face. Patiently
deferring retaliation and committing the circumstance to God's judgment is
indispensable to the best possible solution. But the primary point of Jesus'
instruction, however, is not how to resolve these situations, but that we may be
children of our Father. By imitating God's pattern, we will resemble Him and
take a giant stride toward being in His image.
Patience and Her Work
James addresseshis book, "To the twelve tribes which are scatteredabroad."
Since the breadth of this address does not indicate that the people were
enduring any common experience, James is likely giving counselof timeless
and generalapplicationthat is indispensable to growth in godly characterto
all sorts of people under every circumstance. At the very beginning he writes,
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that
the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect
work, that you may be perfectand complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:2-4)
Earlier I asked, "Is patience that important?" How important is it that we
grow to be perfectand entire? James is clearly saying that patience is a vital
ingredient to achieving this. Notice that he does not perceive patience as
passive. It works!The fruit of its work canbe either another virtue it is
producing or in preserving itself, for that, too, is sometimes necessary.
Patience is not merely a fixed determination to hold our place in the teeth of
the wind, but to make actual progress in spite of it. A ship may ride out a
strong wind with a snug anchorand strong chains, yet another may set the
sails to take advantage of the wind to bring it closerto its destination. It is this
latter attitude that James is bidding us have and use.

24. Christ is a goodexample of this. Luke 9:51 says, "He steadfastlysetHis face
to go to Jerusalem." All His life the shadow of His crucifixion hung over Him,
yet without faltering, swerving, or resisting, He took every step of His path
and nothing turned Him aside because He came into the world for that hour.
His resolve never broke. He would not blench from carrying out His duty.
Paul says something to the Ephesian elders that fits this idea:
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so
that I may finish my race with joy. (Acts 20:24)
Paul was embattled on every side, yet his active resolutioncarried him along
whateverpath God determined he should tread. Paul writes in Philippians
3:13-14,
Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those
which are ahead, I press toward the goal.
This is the temper of patience. It enables a person to plod determinedly on. It
may not be spectacular, but such a person will go on toward perfection. This
quality will have to be part of the makeup of the Two Witnesses. Godhas
clearly prophesiedof three-and-a-half years of their lives being filled with
greatconfrontation, persecutionand at its end a shamefully undeserved and
public death!
Running With Patience
Regardlessof how it is stated—whetheras going on to perfection, being entire
or growing to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ—it does not
come without greateffort. Perhaps there are times when we feel"our plate is
too full" or that Christ has given us more than we can bear. But the Scripture
says:
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so greata cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us
run with endurance [patience, KJV] the race that is setbefore us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was setbefore
Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has satdown at the right

25. hand of the throne of God. For considerHim who endured such hostility from
sinners againstHimself, lest you become weary and discouragedin your souls.
You have not yet resistedto bloodshed, striving againstsin. (Hebrews 12:1-4)
We canlearn a great dealabout why patience is so vital by comparing the
process we are going through to an artist sculpting a work from a piece of
marble. Chip by chip over a period of time, an artist uses hammer and chisel
to shape a conceptionfrom a raw slab of rock until the finished figure is
revealed. God is doing much the same with us except we are living raw
material with mind, emotions and the liberty to allow or disallow the Artist to
continue. If we are impatient, not allowing the Creatorto complete His
artistry by our constantyielding to His tools, we will never be perfect and
entire.
It is easyfor us to magnify our burdens. Notice, however, whatgrumbling did
for the Israelites in the wilderness when God finally responded. Would we
rather have our trial or grumble and receive what the Israelites did? We must
begin to cultivate the habit of thinking of life, including all of its trials, as
being God's wayto shape godly characterin us.
James makes whatseems to be a paradoxicalstatement in James 1:2: We
should count our various trials as joy. Why? Because verse 3 says that doing
so produces patience!We need patience so God canmold us into His likeness.
Even God cannot produce godly characterby fiat. James is teaching us that
we should not measure the experiences of life by their ability to please our
ambition or tastes but by their capacityto make us into God's image. If we
have any vision—and a zealous desire to live as God does—we canwelcome
our trials as steps in God's creative process andmeet them with patience and
hope.
Perfectionin this life is to become what God wants us to become. What could
be better than that? If we understand that our lives are in God's hands as He
molds and shapes us, then the meanings—the eventual outcome—ofjoy and
sorrow are the same. God intends the same result whether He gives or takes.
The events of life are merely the scaffolding for shaping us into His image, and

26. we should meet them with patience as He continues His work. This will work
to flatten out the emotionalextremes we tend to experience.
Patience and SecularLife
Proverbs and Ecclesiastesalso address patience, thoughfrom a more secular
perspective. Nevertheless, Solomonshowsit to be a very valuable attribute
that brings us success in endeavors and favor in other's eyes. We should not
dismiss patience's value because ofthis more secularperspective becauseit
has definite, overlapping spiritual value as well.
Solomon's approachis not with God in mind as our example, but that
patience is prudent in our dealings with others and events. For instance,
The end of a thing is better than its beginning; and the patient in spirit is
better than the proud in spirit. (Ecclesiastes7:8)
It is interesting that Solomonconnects impatience to pride. He observes that
the impatient haughtily seize on something before its conclusionis worked
out, while the patient see a thing to its end and are rewarded. Does this
principle not apply to God working with us?
Proverbs 14:29 holds a similar thought: "He who is slow to wrath has great
understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly." Patience grows from a
combination of faith, hope, love and self-control. As these two proverbs and
many more reveal, we should cultivate patience because it shows
understanding and because it is wise. Wisdomproduces success,and being
successfulin glorifying God is what life is all about.
The Source of Patience
It is not difficult to trace the source ofbiblical patience in God's children. I
Corinthians 13:4 states, "Love suffers long and is kind." As noted above,
patience is directly associatedwith love and hope. Here in the "love chapter,"
Paul lists patience first among love's works. Romans 5:5 adds that "the love of
God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit."
This makes it evident that God's patience stands behind His children's
patience as its source and pattern and as a link in a chain. Becausethe Bible

27. lists it with the fruit of the Spirit, it is less a virtue achieved than a gift
received. It comes with the gift of the Holy Spirit, and we reproduce it.
However, since we are beings of free choice, we are still obligated to God to
activate it, exercise it and use it as a witness that God lives in us. To this end,
Paul writes,
Therefore, as the electof God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness,longsuffering;bearing with one
another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against
another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. (Colossians3:12-13)
"Put on" is literally a dressing term. Used as an idiom, it can also mean to
assume the office, manner, character, dispositionor perspective of another.
We must "put on" Christ, meaning we must conduct our lives as closelyto the
way He would were He in our position. We are to practice His way of life
because it is eternal life—the way God lives His life. It will help prepare us for
His Kingdom, and it enables us to glorify Him here and now.
Patience is a vital part of the process thatenables God to work over a long
span of time, if needed, to produce in us other important aspects ofHis image
so that we "may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." God is the Source,
and His Spirit the means of this very valuable
fruit.https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Library.sr/CT/PERSONAL/k/
266/The-Fruit-of-Spirit-Patience.htm
The Fruit of the Spirit 5: Patience
Article by John Webster November2015
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Parts one, two, three and four of this series canbe found here, here, here and
here ~ Mark McDowell, the Editor

28. I
As he unfolds the ways in which the Spirit renews and animates our lives, the
apostle has spokenof love of God and our fellows, the fountain of the other
virtues; of joy, the pleasure which believers take in the presence of the good
things which are promised to us in our new condition; and of peace, the settled
state which accompanies life well-ordered in relation to God and to others.
Yet in our presentstate, this side of the heavenly consummation of God's
entire remaking of us, love, joy and peace are never unmixed; even as they
begin to provide the shape of our lives, we find them opposed by the
persistence ofsin and disorder in ourselves and in all that surrounds us.
Reconciledto God by the Son, made alive and active by the Spirit, marked out
by Christian baptism as members of the communion of saints, nevertheless we
remain incomplete. Our incompleteness does notindicate the fragility or
uncertainty of our present state, so much as the fact that we exist in a
condition of promise rather than full possession. Christianlife and experience
now is always accompaniedby the reality that those lovely things of God of
which we are assuredand of which we have conviction are hoped for, not seen
(Heb. 11.1).
In this state, we are required to exercise a virtue which enables us to face
affliction in a steady and collectedway, that is, the virtue of patience. How
does the gospelinstruct us as we seek to think about and fulfil the command:
'Be patient' (Jas. 5.7)?
II
Christian patience is an excellence ofregenerate human nature. Knowing
that we are chosen, called, justified and sanctified by God, and that day by
day we are preservedand sustainedby his goodness as we move to an

29. inheritance of greatglory, patient Christian people tolerate difficulties and
encounter presentobstacles with equanimity and steadiness ofpurpose. Our
unfinished condition means labour and a certain lack of fulfilment; patience is
the composure and readiness to wait which does not allow the goodthings of
God to slip from our grasp.
Patience appears routinely in apostolic moraland spiritual instruction. By it,
believers are enabled to endure the present interval before the return of
Christ and the end of history, and to face the afflictions which fill the present.
'Be patient ... until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the
precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early rain
and the late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming
of the Lord is at hand.' (Jas. 5.7f.) 'May you be strengthenedwith all power,
according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.' (Col.
1.11)
These exhortations to patience assume that there is a distinctively Christian
patience, 'the patience of the saints' (Rev. 13.10,14.12). EarlyChristian
theologians, thoughthey were not unaware of the overlaps of their moral
world and that of paganism, often laid some emphasis on the singularity of
patience in its Christian modulation. Cyprian, for example, writing in
Carthage in the middle of the third century, says:'Philosophers also profess
that they pursue this virtue; but in their case the patience is as false as their
wisdom is also. Forwhence canhe be either wise or patient, who has known
neither the wisdom nor the patience of God?' True patience, on the other
hand, is for Cyprian to be found only in the 'servants and worshippers of
God'; it is 'the patience which we learn from heavenly teachings'. Cyprian's
point is not just doggedreluctance to admit that there are anticipations of
Christian virtue outside the church. It is, rather, a perception that for those
who serve and worship God and receive divine instruction, the world is a
different place, and, because it is different, a place which both requires and
makes possible a distinct manner of life, of which Christian patience forms a

30. part. And, as with all the fruits of the Spirit, to describe the distinctive form
of Christian patience, we must talk of God.
Patience is a property of God's nature and of his outer works. 'Where God
is,' says Tertullian, 'there too is ... patience.' In its outward operation, God's
patience is an enactmentof his infinite sovereigntyand goodness in relation to
createdthings. The goodpurpose of God for all that he has made will be
brought to complete fruition; no disruption or opposition, no accidental
happening, can intervene to inhibit or imperil the love with which God orders
all things to fulfilment. The creaturelygoodthat God wills, will be. And so
there is in Godno anxious, fretful interval betweenwill and effect, no
insecurity of purpose, and so no occasionforimpatience. God's patience is his
entire unhurried composure as Lord of all things in heavenand earth.
God's patience in his dealings with his creatures takes the form of long-
suffering. In his wisdom as creator, Godhas assignedto creatures a temporal
nature. Creatures are not complete in an instant, but rather attain
completeness overtime. Having bestowedthis nature on his creatures, God
exercises his patience by allowing them to enacttheir lives and fulfil their
natures temporally. He gives them opportunities and possibilities, allows
them their sphere of life and their historical course, and so 'waits' for them.
This waiting is long-suffering, not suffering. In giving time to creatures, God
does not relinquish his purpose, passively observing creatures and
occasionally, perhaps, reacting to some initiative of theirs: such a quiescent
god cuts a poor and gracelessfigure. Rather, God's patience is his enduring
exercise ofgovernment, his unceasing direction of the lives of his creatures to
their goodwhich does not violate but guide and complete their unfolding
nature in accordancewith his benevolent purpose.
This divine purpose is supremely manifest in God's saving dealings with his
creatures afterthe fall. Sin is impatient: it refuses to tolerate divine

31. government, or to let that government take its course and bring us to our
appointed fulfilment. Instead, sin invents, grasps and defends some desired
end which must be enjoyednow, and so cuts short the steady unfolding of our
nature within the goodorder of God. Sin compounds this offence, moreover,
by 'presuming upon the riches of [God's]kindness and forbearance and
patience'(Rom. 2.4). Sin seizes on God's patience as a suspensionof
judgement and an opportunity for uncheckedwrongdoing.
Among creatures, suchprovocationwould spell the end of patience and the
beginning of retribution. Not so with the gospel's God. In the saving work of
the Son, God's patience demonstrates a specialkind of endurance, a suffering
of sin and guilt which - because it is the endurance of the eternal Sonof God
in fulfilment of his Father's will - brings about the overthrow of all that
opposes the purpose of God for his creatures. In the supreme work of
patience, God ensures that creatures will not destroy themselves but will,
instead, be brought to fulfilment.
This divine work of constant, forbearing love remakes the situation of the
believer, and in this new condition patience assumes a particular character.
By the patience of God, believers enter into a new, though still unfinished,
history, which we may call the history of regeneration. Becauseit is willed
and governedby God, this history has a goal, which is the perfectionof our
nature in fellowshipwith God. But this history is incomplete, and part of its
incompleteness is its coexistence withthe old history of sin, setaside and
defeatedbut not yet wholly eradicated. Believers existin a mixed condition,
awaiting the perfectionof the new nature given to them, and so are required
to exercise long-suffering, endurance and forbearance. Thesevirtues are
supplied by Godthe Holy Spirit: the fruit of the Spirit is patience. What may
be said of this divine gift, which is part of the renovation of our nature in
anticipation of its heavenly completion?

32. III
The patience which the Spirit gives has two forms: endurance of difficulties of
circumstance, and forbearance in our relations with others. Of the many
kinds of difficulties which require the exercise ofendurance, two may be
isolated. There is, first, the distress and dejectionwhich believers experience
when facedwith the lingering presence of fallenness and the incompleteness of
the new reality of regeneration. This distress is made all the more sharp by
the goodnessofwhat God promises, the ardour with which believers desire
these goodthings, and their present elusiveness. Second, there is the distress
which is generatedby the hostility of the unregenerate world. This opposition
may take the form of active persecution;or it may be a matter of public or
private contempt, of dismissiveness, ofamused and ironic tolerance offaith as
a matter of no account. Believers rarelyenjoy the honour of the world; often
they are called to suffer a measure of disgrace forthe sake ofChrist and the
gospel. How does Christian patience conduct itself in the face of these causes
of anguish?
It does so, first, in knowledge ofand reliance upon the fact that, though
patience is not innate, it is given by the Spirit's grace. Christianpatience is
what Augustine calls 'the patience of the poor', receivedfrom the 'Rich One'.
Like all the virtues of Christian living, patience owes its origin and exercise to
the working of God the Holy Spirit, who makes creatures new and moves
them to bring their new nature into effect. The Christian life depends upon
the eternaldeity of the Spirit: only because he is God in himself is he infinitely
able and determined to make creatures flourish. Patience is a fruit of the
Spirit, and therefore of God's grace.
Second, Christian patience keeps before itself the example of Christ. 'May the
Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastnessofChrist',
the apostle prays (2 Thess.3.5). The Sonof God is both cause and exemplar of

33. patience. He is the cause ofpatience because it is only by virtue of his
resolutenessin discharging his office as saviour that there arises the new
reality of regenerationin which Christian patience is possible. He is the
exemplar of patience because he is 'perfect through suffering' (Heb. 2.10) -
that is, because he filled out his human life by bearing the nature and
condition which he took to himself. He sethimself in our midst as our
brother, partaking of our nature (Heb. 2.11-14), bothto renew and to
exemplify its proper course. '[I]f when you do right and suffer for it you take
it patiently, you have God's approval. Forto this you have been called,
because Christalso suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should
follow in his steps. He committed no sin; no guile was found on his lips.
When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not
threaten; by the trusted to him who judged justly.' (1 Pet. 2.20-23).
Third, Christian patience reads affliction in a distinctive way. Troubles
produce sorrow, and sorrow often persuades us that adversity is an eruption
of disorder or malign fortune. Patience is certainly no strangerto sorrow, but
it understands that the afflictions which give rise to sorrow are contained
within God's providential and saving dealings with us. Afflictions do not
separate us from the love of God; they are occasionsfor divine goodness,
instruction, correctionand consolation. Becausethis is so, Christian patience
is not dull resignationto inevitable and inexplicable calamity, because
calamity is not a Christian category. Christianpatience is composure in
adversity, the endurance of faith which derives from knowing and trusting
ourselves to God's goodorder and protection.
Fourth, therefore, Christian patience endures. Patience is long-suffering in
face of the deferral of the things we love and long for. 'If we hope for what we
do not see, we wait for it with patience.'(Rom. 2.7). In order to wait in this
way and to temper our longing for fulfilment in the present, Christian
patience keeps in mind the specific end of patience. Its goalis a gooddeal
more than mere preservation of equanimity in difficult circumstances.

34. Patience directs itself to the future cessationoftribulation and the completion
of our nature - that is, to the reality of heaven. It arises from knowledge of
and trust in unsurpassable future happiness, secure but not yet fully enjoyed.
In theologicalterms: Christian patience is a moral-practicalextension of
Christian eschatology. In the language ofapostolic exhortation: 'We desire
eachof you to show the same earnestnessin realizing the full assuranceof
hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggishbut imitators of those who
through faith and patience inherit the promises.'(Heb. 6.11f.)
IV
Christian patience also has the form of forbearance. Ittakes this form in face
of the disappointments and troubles which arise from the socialcondition of
the Christian believer. The Christian is setin the fellowshipof Christ's
people; yet expectations that this regenerate societywill be supernaturally and
consistentlyloving are quickly dashed by the persistence ofenmity, strife,
jealousy, anger, selfishness andthe like. How do believers meet this situation
with forbearance?
Here is the apostle's injunction: 'I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you
to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all
lowliness and meekness,with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager
to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and
one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Fatherof us all, who is above
all and through all and in all.' (Eph. 4.1-6). As forbearance, patience has its
origin in an affirmation that the communion of the saints is to be defined, not
in terms of whateverconflicts and dissensions, smalland large, it may contain,
but in terms of the singular realities on which it rests and which relativize any
human divisions: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all. These realities exceedall the oppositions

35. - the bitterness and wrath and angerand clamour (Eph. 4.31) - which occurin
the church, and they establish'the unity of the Spirit' (Eph. 4.4). Because this
is so, then eachfellow believer is to be judged and treated, not in terms of the
surface performance of their lives, but in terms of the identity and calling
given by the one sharedreality to which all have been gathered. Our fellow
believers, like we ourselves, may present all manner of obstacles and
hindrances, all sorts of irritation and disruption to common life. On
occasions,these will require the exercise ofexhortation and discipline. But in
all this, believers are to actwith patience and forbearance, becausepatience
and forbearance are fitting to the given reality of unity in the Spirit. The
Spirit calls and unites disparate, unlovable people; forbearance recognises
that calling, endures conflicts, seeksreconciliation, avoids retribution.
Patience does not allow itself to be distracted into grumbling or harsh
judgement or revenge. It waits, lowly and meek, knowing that makers of
discord are, like us, still on their way to perfection, and knowing, too, that
retaliation produces much sorrow but little sanctification. And acting in this
manner, it follows the way of the Lord: 'Put on then, as God's chosenones,
holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, meekness,and patience, forbearing
one another and, if one has a complaint againstanother, forgiving eachother;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.' (Col. 3.12f.)
V
Patience is a difficult and commonly despisedvirtue in acquisitive cultures
which inflame the desire to possessand count deferral of goodas tragedy or
dishonour. Such cultures are often incapable of enduring affliction with
composure;they are inattentive, restless, excitable, quicklydistracted, lacking
in steadiness ofspirit and longanimity. All the more reasonfor Christians to
think and act differently, and so to witness to goodthings beyond anything we
can imagine. 'In thy forbearance, take me not away.'(Jer. 15.15) In Jesus
Christ Godhas answeredthat prayer, and in sending his Spirit has taught and

36. enabled us to wait. Such waiting is not the leastpart of Christian witness to
God's gift of human happiness.
John Websteris ProfessorofDivinity at the University of St Andrews. His
books include Holiness and Domain of the Word; a two-volume work God
Without Measure will be published in the Fall
PATIENCE – Fruit of the Spirit
Thu Oct 2012 Holy Spirit
Galatians 5:22 NKJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is … longsuffering
Patience is part of God’s character. It is a characterthat you too canhave
through the Holy Spirit.
The Greek wordfor Patience is “makrothumia (mak-roth-oo-mee’-ah)”. This
Greek word denotes longsuffering, endurance, and fortitude.
We live in an impatient world. Everything needs to be done quickly and at the
touch-of-a-button or else people will easilygive up, give in, complain and
become disappointed.
However, in life, there is a time for everything. God wants us to be patient.
Not everything happens the way we want it and whenever we want it.
Therefore we must always be patient and allow God to do His work in His
own time.
James 1:2-4 NKJV
My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that
the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect
work, that you may be perfectand complete, lacking nothing.

37. The patience that comes from the Holy Spirit has the following attributes
This type of patience is produced by the testing of your faith through the
problems and challenges that you may face in your life.
This type of patience is not just about waiting for something to happen. It is
about being strong in the Lord while you wait.
This type of patience helps to build your characterand your relationship with
God because it is an exercise in maturity, endurance and fortitude.
This type of patience matures you so that you lack nothing. You become
confident in the Lord.
2 Peter3:8-9 NKJV
But, beloved, do not forgetthis one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count slackness,but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
God is patient. God wants YOU to be patient too. And if you want to be
patient then you need the Holy Spirit to teachyou to be patient.
A situation can test your patience;a person cantest your patience;God can
test your patience. Either way, you need to endure and persevere in the midst
of tests and trials because whenyou pass the patience test, you are assuredof
God’s promise.
Have faith in God as you wait on the Lord. Don’t focus on the time frame;
don’t be limited by time. God is not limited by time.
Hebrews 10:36 NKJV
For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God,
you may receive the promise:
TODAY. Allow the Holy Spirit to enable you to be patient.
http://www.inspiredwalk.com/481/patience-fruit-of-the-spirit

38. Patience is a Virtue: 6 Ways to Grow in this Fruit of the Spirit
The origin of the popular saying "patience is a virtue" comes from a poem
around 1360. However, evenbefore then the Bible often mentions patience as
a valuable characterquality.
So what exactly is the meaning of patience?
Well, patience is most commonly defined as the capacityto acceptortolerate
delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. In other words,
patience is essentially"waiting with grace." Partofbeing Christian is the
ability to acceptunfortunate circumstances gracefullywhile having faith that
we will ultimately find resolutionin God.
What is virtue and why is it important?
Virtue is synonymous with having a noble character. It simply means the
quality or practice of moral excellenceand is one of the central tenants of
Christianity. Being virtuous is essentialto enjoying a wholesome life and
building healthy relationships!
In Galatians 5:22, patience is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit. If patience
is a virtue, then waiting is the best(and often most unpleasant) means by
which the Holy Spirit grows patience in us.
But our culture does not value patience in the same way that Goddoes. Why
be patient? Instant gratificationis much more fun! Our increasing ability to
instantly satisfy our wants may be taking awaythe blessing of learning how to
wait well.
What does it mean to “waitwell,” anyway?

39. Here are six ways to let scripture guide you to wait well for your sanity and
sanctification– ultimately for God’s glory:
1. Patience is waiting quietly
In Kate's article, she writes, Lamentations 3:25-26 says, “The Lord is goodto
those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is goodthat one should
wait quietly for the salvationof the Lord.
What does it mean to wait quietly? Without complaint? I’m embarrassedto
admit that my kids have heard me groanwith impatience when the red traffic
light doesn’t turn greenas soonas I’d like. What else do I groanand grumble
about when I don’t want to wait? The long lines at the McDonald’s drive-
thru? The slow teller at the bank? Am I setting an example of waiting quietly,
or do I make sure everybody knows I’m not happy?"
2. Patience is waiting eagerly
Hebrews 9:27-28 says, “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and
after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offeredonce to bear the
sins of many, will appeara secondtime, not to deal with sin but to save those
who are eagerlywaiting for him.”
Kate expounds on this in her article, saying, Am I eagerlywaiting for Him?
Or am I waiting with a begrudging, impatient heart?
According to Romans 8:19, 23, “... the creationwaits with eagerlonging for
the revealing of the sons of God .... And not only the creation, but we
ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait
eagerlyfor adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
Is my life characterizedby an eagernessfor my own redemption? Do other
people see eagernessin my words, my actions, my facialexpressions? Oram I
only waiting eagerlyfor earthly, material things?

40. 3. Patience is waiting until the end
Hebrews 6:15 says, “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham receivedwhat
was promised.” Abraham waitedpatiently for God to lead him to the
PromisedLand – but remember that detour he took regarding the promise of
an heir?
In Genesis 15:5, God told Abram his offspring would be as numerous as the
stars in the sky. At the time, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to
him as righteousness.”(Genesis15:6)
Kate writes, "But maybe as the years past, Abram grew tired of waiting.
Maybe his patience wore thin. The Bible doesn’t tell us what he was thinking,
but when his wife, Sarai, suggestedthat Abram have a child with their slave,
Hagar, Abram agreed.
If you read on in Genesis, you’ll see it didn’t go so well for Abram when he
took things into his own hands rather than waiting for the Lord’s promise to
be fulfilled. Waiting does not automaticallyproduce patience.
“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the
farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the
autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the
Lord’s coming is near.” (James 5:7-8)
4. Patience is waiting expectantly
Maybe you had a legitimate God-givenvision of successlikeAbraham. But life
took a wild turn, and the promise looks like it’s never going to happen.
In Rebecca BarlowJordan's article "3 Simple Ways to "Let Patience Have Its
PerfectWork," she reminds us of OswaldChambers' classic devotionalMy
Utmost for His Highest. Chambers writes, "God gives us a vision, and then He
takes us down to the valley to batter us into the shape of that vision. It is in the
valley that so many of us give up and faint. Every God-given vision will
become real if we will only have patience."

41. We know from Philippians 1:6 that God will finish what he starts. And the
Psalmistencouragesus to keepasking Godfor our request even while we’re
waiting for Him to bring it about.
“In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice;in the morning I lay my requests
before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm5:3)
5. Patience is waiting joyfully
Rebeccaalso says this about patience:
“Considerit pure joy, my brothers and sisters, wheneveryou face trials of
many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces
perseverance.Let perseverancefinish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)
Sometimes our characterhas deep flaws that we can't see right now, but God
can. And He won't ignore them. Gently, persistently, He prods us, helping us
to see our sin. God doesn'tgive up. He's patient with us, even when we're not
patient with Him. Of course, it's easierif we listen and obey the first time, but
God will not stop purifying his people until we reachheaven. This trial of
waiting doesn’t need to be only a painful season. You can be joyful that God is
at work in your life. He is growing some goodfruit in you!
6. Patience is waiting with grace foryourself
This all is much easiersaidthan done, right? Waiting with patience is not
easy, and God knows this. The goodnews is that you don’t have to wait alone.
Romans 8:2-26 says, “Butif we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for
it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.We do not
know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
through wordless groans.”
God not only calls you to patience, but He also helps you in your weakness
and prays for you. We cannotbe patient on our own if we just try harder.

42. Patients is a fruit of the Spirit, not of our flesh. Therefore, we need the Spirit’s
help to grow it in our lives.
The one thing we shouldn’t waitfor
Finally, Kate writes: There are many things worth waiting for, and many
things we should learn to be more patient about – but there is one thing we
should definitely not postpone for another second. That is acknowledging
Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives.
We have no idea when our time here will come to an end, or when Jesus
Christ will return. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. But “everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)
If you haven’t acknowledgedyour need for a Savior and declared Jesus as
Lord of your life, don’t wait another day.
This article was adapted from Kate Motaung's article, "How to Cultivate
Patience in a World of Instant Gratification," and RebeccaBarlow Jordan's
article "3 Simple Ways to "Let Patience Have Its PerfectWork,"'both
originally published on iBelieve.com.
https://www.ibelieve.com/faith/patience-is-a-virtue-6-ways-to-grow-in-this-
fruit-of-the-spirit.html
by
Kelli Mahoney
Updated May 14, 2018
Romans 8:25 - "But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we
must wait patiently and confidently." (NLT)

43. LessonFrom Scripture: The Jews in Exodus 32
The Hebrews were finally free from Egypt, and they were sitting at the foot of
Mount Sinai waiting for Moses to come back down from the mountain.
Severalof the people became restless andwent to Aaron requesting that some
gods be createdfor them to follow. So Aaron took their gold and createda
sculpture of a calf. The people began to celebrate in "paganrevelry." The
celebrationangeredthe Lord, who told Moses thatHe was going to destroy
the people. Moses prayedfor their safety, and the Lord allowedthe people to
live. Yet, Moseswas so angry with their impatience that he ordered that those
not on the Lord's side be killed. The Lord then sent a "greatplague upon the
people because theyhad worshiped the calf Aaron had made."
Life Lessons
Patience is one of the most difficult fruits of the Spirit to possess. While there
are differing degrees ofpatience in different people, it is a virtue most
Christian teens wish they possessedin greateramounts. Mostteens want
things "right now." We live in a societythat promotes instant gratification.
Yet, there is something to the saying, "greatthings come to those who wait."
The wait on things canbe frustrating. After all, you want that guy to ask you
out right now. Or you want that car so you can go to the movies tonight. Or
you want that greatskateboardyou saw in the magazine. Advertising tells us
that the "now" matters. Yet, the Bible tells us that God has His own timing.
We need to wait for that timing or sometimes our blessings getlost.
Eventually, the impatience of those Jews costthem their chance to enter the
PromisedLand. 40 years went by before their descendants were finally given
the land. Sometimes God's timing is the most important because he has other
blessings to bestow. We cannot know all of His ways, so it is important to have

44. trust in the delay. Eventually what will come your waywill be better than you
ever thought it could be, because it will come with God's blessings.
Prayer Focus
Mostlikely you have some things that you want right now. Ask God to
examine your heart and see if you are ready for those things. Also, ask Godin
your prayers this week to help you gain the patience and the strength to wait
for the things He desires for you. Allow Him to work in your heart to provide
you with the patience you need.
AfterVarsity
January 28, 2015ByJessicaFick
The Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
Years ago I heard a preacher saythese words: “Patience is a virtue, and a
virtue can’t hurt you.” That little rhyming phrase has stuck with me for at
leasta decade, especiallywhen I’m prone to be impatient about something.
And there has been a lot to be impatient about in the last decade of my life:
waiting to hear if an offer on a house went through, being pregnant and
waiting for eachof my two sons to arrive, waiting to hear if I got into graduate
school, waiting for my husband, Dave, to fix the hole in the wallthat he
accidentallymade while working on a house project. Less weighty
circumstances also require waiting: waiting for a friend to call me back to
make plans for the weekend, for example, or waiting for a load of clothes to
finish in the dryer, or waiting for the drive to Lake Michiganto be over so
that I canenjoy a day at the beach.

45. Waiting is not easy. But it births something in us that is incredibly difficult
and astoundingly beautiful: patience. It invites us to trust Jesus—andhis
impeccable timing—with our thoughts, our time, our relationships, and our
resources.And it reminds us that we can’t make anything happen on our own.
I can’t make my dryer tumble my laundry more quickly. I couldn’t speedup
the applicationprocess for graduate schoolor the process ofbuying a house. I
just had to sit and wait.
And the truth is that we can’t develop patience any other way than by waiting.
Patience Plus
In some translations of the Bible, the list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians
5:22-23 uses the word forbearance for patience, which has a bit of a deeper
meaning. Forbearancealso includes self-control, restraint, and tolerance,
implying that we have a choice abouthow we respond to God and others in
our times of waiting.
We can, for example, receive patience as a gift that helps us develop restraint
(as in, “I’m not going to obsessivelycheck my phone to see if the company
where I applied for a job has gottenback to me,” or “I’m not going to keep
refreshing my browserto see if my professorhas postedgrades yet”). Or we
can become resentful and anxious, bucking againstthe reality that we have
very little control over our circumstances (as in, “Forgetthis. It’s taking too
long. I’m just going to escapeinto something [video games, eating, drinking,
shopping] so I don’t have to think about it.”).
While giving in to our impatience canfeel goodin the moment, it often sends
us spiraling downwardinto frustration—because evenif we do send that
email to check on the status of a job we applied for or to find out about the
grades we’re waiting to be posted, the fact remains that we can’t do much to
change the circumstances. We have a choice in moments of impatience: let
Jesus cultivate our inner world or escape into destructive behaviors or
attitudes.
“Ora et Labora”

46. So what can we do while we’re waiting to embrace the fruits of patience (self-
control, restraint, and tolerance)? Another phrase that has stuck with me over
the years is one my former boss Fred used to say: “ora et labora.” From Latin
it translates to “pray and work.”
The world doesn’t stop while you’re waiting for something. There are things
and people that still need your attention. Your own soul needs your attention
too, as does your body. So, while you’re waiting, “ora et labora” by focusing
your attention on something you actually do have influence over. Make a date
to go bowling with friends, cleanyour bathroom fastidiously, read a novel, or
cook a new food from a different country.
When I’m impatient, I find that menial things like these help me to “ora et
labora.” I work on making naan bread and pray with thanks to Jesus for his
control of my life and future. I work on cultivating the things I can pay
attention to—my relationships with God, family, and friends—and thank God
for the people in my life. I work on becoming healthier and not escaping into
food or drink to comfort myself (green smoothie, anyone?). And I find that
what grows within me as I wait and pray and work is something I’ve desired
all along: love for God, myself, and others, along with greaterself-control.
Patience is a virtue and a virtue can’t hurt you. So keepwaiting. Work on
what you can. And pray to Jesus—the one who is at work even while you wait
for him to move.
JessicaFick servesas a writer on InterVarsity’s Communications Team. She
blogs at jessicafick.comand is working on her first book for InterVarsity
Press.
Fruit of the Spirit: Longsuffering
by Eddie Foster

47. Is patience becoming extinct these days? What does this fruit of the Spirit tell
us about ourselves and our Heavenly Father, who commands us to be
longsuffering?
You’ve probably heard the saying “Patience is a virtue.” But judging by
societyaround us, it doesn’t seemto be a virtue that many people want to
develop. More often we hear phrases like “I’m running out of patience” and
“I have no patience for the likes of you!”
Few today use the synonym of patience that the New King James Version uses
in Galatians 5:22 in the list of the fruit of the Spirit: longsuffering. Fewerstill
would consider that a virtue! We don’t want to wait, and we certainly don’t
want to suffer!
What is longsuffering?
From walking, to horse-drawncarriage, to automobile, to jet plane,
humanity’s technologicalprogressreflects ourdesire for speedand our
growing impatience. Longsuffering, or patience, is in short supply in this
world, especiallynow that people getfrustrated if their mobile devices take
five seconds to load the Internet instead of three seconds. This trend has also,
undoubtedly, affectedour relationships and attitudes. How could it not?
Part of Ephesians 4:2 says “with longsuffering, bearing with one another in
love.” This verse connects longsuffering with patiently working with others
even when it is not entirely pleasantfor us.
A sectionof Colossians 3:12-13 uses the same language, but adds another
component. We’re told to put on “longsuffering;bearing with one another,
and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint againstanother; even as
Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (emphasis added throughout). This
passagetells us that longsuffering is closelyrelatedto forgiveness. Bothof
these scriptures are from sections that detail how the “new man,” full of the
Holy Spirit, should act.

48. What is longsuffering? It is the godly patience and mercy we need to show to
others that mirrors as closelyas possible the patience and mercy God shows to
us. It is when we bear with others, put up with their mistakes and
inconsiderate actions and truly forgive them for real or imagined offenses
againstus. It is enduring trials and waiting patiently and faithfully for God’s
intervention.
Why does God want us to demonstrate longsuffering?
As with all the other fruit of the Spirit, God wants us to be like Him. God
cares for all humanity; and He does it with tremendous compassion, mercy
and longsuffering. God’s people are in training to become kings and priests to
rule with Him in the future (Revelation1:6), and this involves learning to
forgive others, to show mercy and to be forbearing—orelse we would be just
like the worldly leaders of today.
Psalm130:7 states:“O Israel, hope in the LORD;for with the LORD there is
mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption.”
God setthe example of mercy and redemption. God patiently waits (and has
waited) for us as humans to repent and to stop destroying ourselves. God
desires that we turn to Him, and when we do, He even promises to help us
overcome.
It can be a slow and frustrating process to go from selfish human nature
(what the Bible calls the “oldman”) to a new creationin Christ, but God
lovingly guides us and helps us with amazing patience. And He wants us to
become like Him and show the same patience to others.
Luke 17:3-4 gives us an example of what this looks like in everyday life: “Take
heed to yourselves. If your brother sins againstyou, rebuke him; and if he
repents, forgive him. And if he sins againstyou seventimes in a day, and
seventimes in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
This takes longsuffering!This passagemakes no excuses one wayor the other.
Sin should not be toleratedand should be pointed out when it is our
responsibility to do so. Yet even repeatedsin must be patiently forgiven, even

49. if it happens seven times in one day! This is what God does, and this is what
He wants us to do.
Why? If we don’t learn to demonstrate godly patience and forgiveness, Godis
not going to forgive our offenses againstHim (Matthew 6:14-15).
An example to follow
One of the major prophets of the Old Testament, Jeremiah, provides a
startling example of patience and longsuffering. Jeremiah was given the
seemingly impossible task of telling the people of Judah that Babylon was
going to take them captive because they were refusing to repent of their sins—
a very unpopular message.
Jeremiahdid not give up trying time and againto get God’s people to repent
and turn from their wickedways, evento the point of deep sorrow. He wrote:
“Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might
weepday and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” (Jeremiah
9:1).
What did this heartfelt attempt to turn people from evil get Jeremiah?
He was destitute and alone in his thinking. His life was constantly threatened
through schemes ofthose around him. He had other prophets calling him a
liar and a traitor to Judah. He was beaten, persecuted, arrestedand put in a
dungeon pit where he sank into the mire (Jeremiah38:6). A scroll of the
prophecies God had given him was callouslyburned and had to be rewritten.
Throughout all this, Jeremiahcontinually tried to turn God’s people from
their sin; he never gave up on them, never stopped doing what God askedhim
to do and never felt pleasure in their prophesied fate.
An example to avoid
Jesus Christ provided a powerful parable showing the fate of those who are
not willing to be longsuffering with other human beings. It is found in
Matthew 18:21-35 and is often called the parable of the unforgiving servant.
After Christ told Peter that he must forgive 70 times seven, He begana story
about a servant who owedan enormous debt to a greatking.

50. The servant beggedfor mercy and patience, and the greatking had
compassiononthe man and forgave the enormous debt. But that same servant
then went out and found someone who owedhim a much smaller debt by
comparisonand demanded that the man pay up. Despite the man’s begging
for patience and mercy, the unforgiving servant threw the man in prison until
he could pay the debt.
When the king found out about this, he was angry and rebuked the servant
for not showing the same compassionand pity the servant had been shown.
That servant was then put in prison and tortured until he could pay the
original enormous debt.
The parable ends with: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if eachof
you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses”(verse 35).
Christ made it clearthat in order for God to show longsuffering and mercy to
us, we must also be merciful and longsuffering to others.
Longsuffering self-examinationquestionnaire
Am I slow to wrath or quick to condemn? Why am I like this?
Do others describe me as calm and laid-back or impatient and easily
offended? What are some examples?
Does my patience with others mirror God’s patience with me? How do I
know?
Do I truly forgive others, or do I hold grudges? What makes it hard for me to
forgive people?
How do we demonstrate more longsuffering?
We’ve seenthat longsuffering is not just a desirable trait for Christians to
have but a necessarycomponentof walking a life leading towardsalvation. If
we don’t show longsuffering and forgiveness to others, God will not show
them to us.
So how do we make sure we have this fruit overflowing in our lives?

51. We should write down the name of anyone we have a grudge againstor have
not truly forgiven, and then we should write down the reasons we have not
been longsuffering with this person. Are these valid reasons according to the
Bible? What do we need to do to forgive the person? (See more in the section
on forgiveness and the article on grudges.)
Calmly think about things said and done to us, rather than reacting rashly.
One of the hardest areas to control in respectto longsuffering is our strong
desire to let our tongues run free.
Whenever we’re offended or “sinned against,” we must remember to reactin
a way that we would want God to reactto our sins.
Christians must be known by their patience—theirpatience with God’s
timetable and plan for them and, especially, their patience with other human
beings. Let’s show the rest of the world the longsuffering and forbearance
God has with us. Learn more in our article “Patience Is a Virtue That Can
Build Relationships.”
Readmore about how to receive and use the Holy Spirit in the articles “Christ
in Us: How Does He Live in You?” and “How Do You Know You Have the
Holy Spirit?” For more about the rest of the fruit of the Spirit, see our article
“The Fruit of the Spirit” and the links to the other eight.
About the Author
Eddie Foster
Eddie Fosterwas born in Ohio, and after living in severalparts of the
northeasternUnited States, he once again lives in the Buckeye State, most
likely for goodthis time. He lives in the Dayton area with his wife, Shannon,
and daughter, Isabella. Theyattend the Cincinnati/Dayton congregationofthe
Church of God, a Worldwide Association.

52. The Fruit of Patience
from R.C. SproulNov 06, 2015 Category: Articles
The prophetHabakkuk was sorely distressed. His misery was provoked by the
spectacle of the threat of the pagan nation of Babylon against Judah. To this
prophet it was unthinkable that God would use an evil nation against His own
people; after all, Habakkuk mused, “God is too holy even to look upon evil.” So
the prophet protested by mounting his watchtower and demanding an answer from
God:“And the LORD answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so
he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to
the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not
delay. Behold, his soulis puffed up; it is not upright within him, but the righteous
shall live by his faith” (Hab. 2:2–4).
The final words of this utterance, “the righteous shall live by faith,” are cited three
times in the New Testament by the familiar words, “the just shall live by faith.” In
this phrase, “faith” refers to “trust in God.”It involves trusting in the future
promises of God and waiting for their fulfillment. The promise to Habakkuk is one
of just thousands given by God in Scripture to His people. Such promises
characteristically come with the admonition that though they tarry, we must wait
for them.
Waiting for God is at the heart of living by faith. The Christian does not share the
cynical skepticism dramatized by the theatrical productionWaiting for Godot. The
end of Christian hope is never shame or embarrassment, because we have a hope
that is a sure anchor for our souls. It is this hope in the trustworthy promises of
God that is the ground of the Christian’s virtue of patience.

53. We are told that we live in a culture that is consumed by consumerism. Madison
Avenue daily feeds our instant gratification, which is not merely a weakness; it is
an addiction in our time. The epidemic of credit-card indebtedness bears witness to
this malady. We want our luxuries, our pleasures, and our niceties, and we want
them now. The antiquated virtue by which stewardship capitalism had its impetus
was the principle of “delayed gratification.” One postponed immediate
consumption in favor of investing for future growth. By that principle, many
prospered—butnotwithout the necessary exercise of patience.
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For me to live another day requires a continuation of God’s gracious patience with
my sin.
When the Bible speaks of patience, particularly as one of the fruits of the Spirit,
and as one of the characteristics of love, it speaks of it as a virtue that goes far
beyond the mere ability to await some future gain. It involves more than the rest or
peace of the soul that trusts in God’sperfect timing. The patience that is in view
here focuses more on interpersonal relationships with other people. It is the
patience of longsuffering and of forbearing in the midst of personal injury. This is
the most difficult patience of all. When we are injured by others, we long for
vindication, a vindication that is speedy. We fear that the axiom “justice delayed is
justice denied” will work its havoc in our souls. The parable of the unjust judge
speaks eloquently to this human struggle, when our Lord asks rhetorically: “Will
not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night?” The parable that
calls us not to faint in times of trial ends with the haunting question: “When the
Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” The parable ties together patience
and faith. If we look at the triad of virtues underscored in the New Testament—
faith, hope, and love—we see that each one of these virtues contains within it the
necessary ingredient of patience. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that love suffers
long. This longsuffering, forbearing patience is to be the Christian’s reflection of
the character of God. It is part of God’s character to be slow to anger and quick to
be merciful. Part of the incomprehensibility of God in terms of my own
relationship with Him is this: I cannot fathom how a holy God has been able to put
up with me marring His creation to the degree I have for three scoreand five years.
For me to live another day requires a continuation of God’s gracious patience with

54. my sin. The bare and simple question is this, “How can He put up with me?” The
mystery is compounded when we add to the patience of God not only His patience
with me but His patience with you, and you, and you, and you—multiplied
exponentially throughout the whole world. It becomes even more difficult to
fathom when we see a sinless Being being more patient with sinful beings than
sinful beings are with each other.
God’s patience is long but not infinite. He warns that there is a borderto His
longsuffering, which He will not extend. Indeed, He has appointed a day in which
He will judge the world, and that day will mark the endpoint of God’s striving with
us. It will also mark the day of vindication for His longsuffering saints.
To be sure, a longsuffering patience is one of the most difficult exercises we can
achieve. It is subjected to trial everyday. Such trials can eat away at our love, our
hope, and our faith. This erosion can leave us broken and embittered. In this
regard, we must tie ourselves to the mast and look to the manifold witnesses that
Scripture provides of the people of God who endured such trials and tribulations.
We look to Job, the classic paragon of patience who cried from the dung-heap:
“Though he slay me, I will trust in him.” The patience of Job was merely an
outward display of the faith of Job, the hope of Job, and the love of Job.
The Fruit of the Spirit - Longsuffering
A Fusion of Patience and Power
Posted on Dec 3, 2008 by Don Hooser 9 commentsListen Estimated reading time:
8 minutes
MP3 Audio
(10.16 MB)

55. The popular impatiens flowers are so named from seeming to be highly impatient!
When their seed pods mature, they explode when touched, sending seeds several
yards away. See how this picture illustrates the need for longsuffering, an
important fruit of God's Spirit!
iStockphoto
Impatiens are popular and beautiful flowers. They get their unusual name from a
characteristic that makes them seem highly impatient.
Longsuffering is no longer an everyday word, but it is a virtue needed more than
ever when impatience, intolerance, oversensitivity and impulsive anger are so
prevalent.
Anger and animosity can be the result of many negative influences. The evil
influence we all are infected with is our own selfish nature. And our human
abilities to make major improvements are pitifully weak. We need God’s help!
In Galatians 5:19-21, the apostle Paul refers to our human nature as “the flesh” and
our selfish tendencies as the “works of the flesh.” These include “hatred,
contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
envy, murders”!
Clearly we need the antidote for these traits, which is God’s Spirit!
Paul went on to say, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23,
emphasis added throughout). What an amazing contrast!
All these beautiful virtues work together and supporteach other. Think about how
longsuffering relates to the other attributes.
Two important words
Listed fourth among the fruit of the Spirit is a wonderful quality translated
“longsuffering” in some Bible versions and “patience” in others.