PATIENCE
PATIENCE
“…in your patience, possess ye your souls.” Luke 21:19
“That you be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and
patience inherit the promises.” Hebrews 6:12
“ For you have need of patience, that after you have done the will of God
you might receive the promise.” Hebrews 10:36
“Love is patient….” 1 Corinthians 13:4
“Knowing this that the trying of your faith works patience. But let
patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire
wanting/lacking nothing.” James 1:3-4
“…but he that endures to the end shall be saved.” Matthew 10:22
INDEX:
INDEX:
I do not merely wish to address this subject as a topic of interest or
discussion, or an intellectual concept, but as a critical aspect in the plan of
our salvation. If we do not have patience, we will not prevail in our faith. And
though I am stressing the importance of patience, it is a means, not an
objective, and is a characteristic of genuine faith, hope, and love.
It is so critical for our success in Christ
that God allows tribulation and trials to strengthen our resolve in faith by
working our patience. James 1:3-4
Should we say, “I had faith, but
nothing happened, so…”?
Or, “I waited and waited, but…”?
Or, “What is the use of hoping, for
my prayers never get answered?” What does the Scripture say, “…For you have need of patience, that after
you have done the will of God you might receive the promise.”
Hebrews 10:36
NOTE – There are
times when prayers, or our steps of faith are not producing the results we
desire, and patience is not necessarily what we are lacking, but the Lord may
be trying to get our attention to do, step out, or learn something we are not
seeing. In such cases we may need to step back and re-examine our direction. Joshua 7:6-11
PATIENCE, AND INGREDIENT OF LOVE
Patience is a crucial ingredient in our walk of faith, without which we would not attain to the promises of our hope. How many people have begun the journey with Christ, even with burning joy, and over the lapse of time, through the trials, temptations, and the cares of this life have wandered into apathy, and even unbelief, and turned back? Dear friends, we are in a war for our souls in the struggle to lay hold on eternal life and pursue a walk with Jesus that will never end. You can be sure that you will be tried by fire, tested, and proven. Because we are following the invisible in the world of the visible, it is easy to get distracted, lose perspective, and give up caring and hope. Before we know it we have lost our way, become lethargic, and can hardly recall our purpose, and what we once had.
Patience is a crucial ingredient in our walk of faith, without which we would not attain to the promises of our hope. How many people have begun the journey with Christ, even with burning joy, and over the lapse of time, through the trials, temptations, and the cares of this life have wandered into apathy, and even unbelief, and turned back? Dear friends, we are in a war for our souls in the struggle to lay hold on eternal life and pursue a walk with Jesus that will never end. You can be sure that you will be tried by fire, tested, and proven. Because we are following the invisible in the world of the visible, it is easy to get distracted, lose perspective, and give up caring and hope. Before we know it we have lost our way, become lethargic, and can hardly recall our purpose, and what we once had.
As mentioned, the trials of our faith are crucial
for our development in stabilizing our faith through the patience it produces.
The trials are rated according to our ability to endure 1 Corinthians 10:13, and as we prevail thorough each trial, we
learn to trust the Lord and wait for the outcome through the which
we inherit the reward of grace and the treasure thereby intended. Like
the Apostle Paul said, “And not only so,
but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation works patience, and
patience experience, and experience hope…” Romans 5:3-4
How do
we exercise our patience? – a. By keeping to the commitment of our
responsibilities while holding on to the promises of God. Until the Lord changes our situation or moves us again we stay faithful to His last instruction. The
Children of Israel, when travelling to the Promise Land, while under the cloud
by day and the fire by night, as long as the cloud did not move, they stayed
put. Joshua faithfully remained at his post on the mountain for forty days
waiting for Moses while the children of Israel lost patience and went on to
worship the golden calf that Aaron had made.
b. By keeping
to His ways even though nothing seems to be happening, or we have not heard
from the Lord in what appears to be a long time. “Yes, in the way of Your Judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; the
desire of our soul is to Your name, and to the remembrance of You.” Isaiah 26:8 Notice in this verse that our
affections and thoughts are to continually cleave to Him at all times.
c. By heeding the Scriptures - This should actually be first, because all steps of faith must be first and foremost in accordance with the Word of God "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Romans 10:17 When we feel the need to step out and believe God for something, we first go to the Bible and see what God has to say about it, and then take it to the Lord in prayer and inquire about His specific will and guidance. When confirmed, we step out in faith and hold on to the promises, and with wholehearted intent we do what we must, and then we wait patiently for it.
From where do we source our
patience? Patience
is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, by faith as we yield to
and follow Jesus, His Holy Spirit in us gives us the patience and perseverance
to abide in Him. “Because you have kept
the word of My patience, I will also keep you from the hour of temptation,
which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.”
Revelation 3:10 THIS IS A LIFESTYLE!
How do we strengthen our patience?
LOVE “Love is patient…It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all
things, endures all things. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:4, 7-8. As we press into love, our faith and
patience will automatically grow. How beautiful is that!!! Not only so, but, “GOD IS LOVE, and he that dwells in love
dwells in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16
JESUS HAS GIVEN US SUCH A PERFECT FAITH!
What is the difference between
will power, determination, human resolve, and the patience that God is calling us to? Like love, patience
is a the capacity of the human character designed by God enabling us to function in the world we live in. As
with all our human abilities, they have been broken and corrupted by our sinful
nature (the flesh), and are therefore unreliable for attaining to any of the
achievements acquired by faith. Jesus said, “…for
without Me you can do nothing…” John 15:5 But the Scriptures further says, “I can do all things through Christ Which
strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
The apostle Peter learned this the hard way (as we all
would have in his shoes) when he felt confident that he could, in his own
strength, endure the temptation of persecution. Mark 14:27-31
- The patience that God gives enables us to maintain our faith, hope, and love in Him regardless of how depleted all our resources are.
- The patience that God gives enables us to maintain our faith, hope, and love in Him regardless of how depleted all our resources are.
An interesting possible example of human perseverance are the sons of Zadok, the Levitical priests. Zadok, who was priest under King David and that remained faithful both to him and Solomon, while Abiathar the other priest who served faithfully under David, veered off course and chose to serve under Adonijah instead of Solomon. Abiathar’s lineage at that time was broken, and he himself narrowly escaped his own execution for betrayal. Now Zadok’s descendants remained faithful to the Lord even during the unfaithfulness of the children of Israel up until the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. In the book of Ezekiel 44:15, the Lord commended them for their faithfulness and rewarded them with a continued direct service to the Lord. On the other hand, the other priests who served the people and their gods when they were straying, were only able to minister as servants to the people (congregation) and not directly to the Lord during the time of restoration. However, in the days of Jesus Christ, the sons of Zadok were still serving as the priests, from which lineage the High Priests were selected, whom we now refer to as the Sadducees. They were the dominant priesthood in Israel at that time serving under the Law, but were filled with unbelief with regards to angels, spirits, or the resurrection (Acts 23:8). What appears to be suggested here is that through their determined and persevering character, and a divine call, they endured in their role as priests, but faith was not the heart element, perhaps because of their service to the Law.
(though there were others serving under the law at the same time, like Anna and Simeon, who were also waiting for the Messiah, and recognized Him even when He was just a baby, but they were waiting by faith).
Therefore human resolve and determination can be nigh useless with regards to the faith required to follow Jesus. They may appear to reflect godly patience, yet in themselves not be able to bear the fruit thereof. By the strength of will and determination, so to speak, the sons of Zadok prevailed as priests. But without faith operating, they were unable to recognize the Messiah when He came, and consequently became the fiercest persecutors of Jesus and the early church (along with the hard-core Scribes and Pharisees). Yet not even all the Pharisees were filled with so much unbelief. The steadfast determination and resolve of the descendants of Zadok, which were initially their saving strength, became their downfall because it was not mixed with the patience of faith.
Another example of this was the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-6
According to Jesus, they appeared to be doing everything right as a Christian church. Their works, labour, patience, testing of false apostles, and their endurance were all commended, but what was lacking was their love. Again we can see the difference between human drive and determination, and that which is produced by faith and love in Christ Jesus. Notice the severity of the ensuing consequence if they did not repent – Jesus was going to remove His church (the candlestick). He pointed out that they had started out on the right foot, so to speak, but had fallen into human effort, and the end would be a church of human making and not of Christ’s. Only the perseverance of faith and love by grace will bear the kind of fruit that Jesus is looking for to honor His name.
OVERCONFIDENCE - So if we are confident in our 'persevering faith' we must beware of our own arrogance, "Therefore let him that thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall." 1 Corinthians 10:12 That too is a work of the flesh, which shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.
c. A life of humility - the patience of love is not arrogant (1 Corinthians 13). If we are confident in our knowledge and abilities, we might miss the Lord or His answers to prayer when it arrives. "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6 A genuine self-realization that without Him we can do nothing but constantly be in the forefront of all that we do. Our humility will show in how we regard and treat others.
The test of the end times –
The final trial of our faith will come at the end, whether it is the end of our lives of the end of the age. Particularly, at the end of the age, before Christ’s return, there will be such tribulation that was never before seen on the earth, and Jesus said, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved.” Matthew 24:22, “…and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”24:12, (“Faith which works by love.” Galatians 5:6) This is where Jesus said, “…in your patience, possess ye your souls.” Luke 21:19
CONCLUSION – Every seemingly unrelated problem, and every related trial and test are there for our help and development. Let us run our race with patience “looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2
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