NEW  8/18/2012

Patience

 By Arthur J Licursi

“Impatience” is a mark of the fallen Adamic human nature that is in all mankind from birth. Adam and Eve were tempted of the Serpent with the lying lure of “knowledge.” They listened to the Serpent and presumed that, having such knowledge, they could “be as gods” (Gen 3:5). This was man’s declaration of independence from God. Whenever we say “I want this or that… NOW” – this is a display of that fallen sin-nature that is yet in the flesh of all living persons; both the saved and unsaved.

The flesh nature in man always wants to be independent of God, to be “as gods” themselves. Paul below writes of the dual nature in every believer.

Romans 7:17-23 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin (noun, sin nature) that dwelleth in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. ¹⁹ For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. ²⁰ Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. ²¹ I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. ²² For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Ephesians 2:3 Among whom also we all had our conversation (manner of living) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

As a “fruit of the Spirit,” patience is the work of God’s “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” who indwells every born-again believer.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (makrothymia, patience), gentleness, goodness, faith, ²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Why don’t we yet have patience? It is because we possess an unrenewed soul at the time of our rebirth and then afterward, until we become renewed by the work of His hand.

2 Corinthians 4:15-17 For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. ¹⁶ For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man (physical body) perish, yet the inward (soul) man is renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

God is committed to building patience and perseverance into the souls of His children, patience that reflects His own character and nature, patience that not only gets us through the circumstances of life but transforms our lives and the lives of those around us with His love.

2 Peter 1:4-7 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (assurances): that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect (complete), stablish, strengthen, settle you.

There are blessings and power to be gained in the “patient” life of a believer.

Psalm 37:7-9 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him (those) who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. ⁸ Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. ⁹ For evildoers shall be cut off: but those (of Israel ) that wait upon the LORD, they shall ( Israel ) inherit the earth.
Psalm 40:1-3 I (David) waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. ² He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. ³ And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Proverbs 15:18 A wrathful man stirreth up strife: but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

By contrast, can you see the impatience and self-godhood of the children of Israel in this below?

Isaiah 30:13, 7--26 Woe to the rebellious children (of Israel), saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin: ² That walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at my mouth; to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh, and to trust in the shadow of Egypt! ³ Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

 ⁷ For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore have I cried concerning this, Their strength is to sit still. ⁸ Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: ⁹ That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: ¹⁰ Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: ¹¹ Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us. ¹² Wherefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: ¹³ Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. ¹⁴ And he shall break it as the breaking of the potters’ vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare: so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth, or to take water withal out of the pit. ¹⁵

For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel ; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. ¹⁶ But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift. ¹⁷ One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee: till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on an hill. ¹⁸ And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. ¹⁹ For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee. ²⁰ And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: ²¹ And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. ²² Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence.

²³ Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. ²⁴ The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. ²⁵ And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. ²⁶ Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound.

As we wait patiently for God, we are better able to see Him at work and receive the blessings He is waiting to give. When we are patient with others, we become vessels of God’s grace in their lives.

The Struggle to be Patient: I expect everyone struggles with patience. Patience is hard because it takes time-time to listen, time for circumstances to change, time to wait for God to move. We too often run ahead of God and miss His direction and His best for our lives.

What type of situation tests your patience the most? Think of the last time you spoke or acted out of impatience, frustration or anger. What was the outcome? Looking back, what would you do differently?

How does God works His patience in us? God uses the interruptions, trials and, quite often, the people in our lives to develop patience in us. As He works, God will stretch us, ask us to deny ourselves and yield to His will. All of this is the work of a loving God. He does it with the goal that we come to depend upon Him and thereby express Him. In the end, the blessing is ours.

How does God work in the difficult circumstances of our lives to produce His character within us?

Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; ⁴ And patience, experience; and experience, hope (expectation):
James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; ³ Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. ⁴ But let patience have her perfect (complete) work, that ye may be perfect (complete) and entire, wanting nothing.

We need to learn to wait with new eyes and a quiet heart. We exercise godly patience; GOD WANTS US TO SEE HIM IN THE MIDST OF EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, SITUATION, CONVERSATION and RELATIONSHIP.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God…

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In godly patience there is quietness, a peace. We are able to trust God with what is before us because we trust that He is in sovereign control and that His ways are best. Knowing and trusting that God is at work in us gives meaning and purpose to our waiting.

Godly patience is a learned choice.

Habakkuk 3:16-19 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, (so) that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops. ¹⁷ Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: ¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. ¹⁹ The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ (deer’s) feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.

Despite circumstances that seemed hopeless, Habakkuk made the choice to wait for God and praise Him in midst of everything. God calls us to choose to be patient and to look to Him regardless of our personality, temperament or circumstances.

Being patient is part of our new life in Christ.

Christ has set us free from the power of sin and has called us to experience newness of life in Christ. Responding to life’s circumstances with God’s heart, with new eyes and with the enabling, transforming power of the Spirit is part of that new life.

What does God’s Word tell us about who a believer is “in Christ” and how we are to live?

2 Peter 1:3-8 According as his divine power (The Lord) hath (already) given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ⁴ Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (assurances): that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust (self-desire). ⁵ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; ⁶ And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; ⁷ And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity (love). ⁸ For if these things be in you (your soul), and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 4:22-24 That ye put off concerning the former conversation (manner of living) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts (desires); ²³ And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; ²⁴ And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding (wisely) what the will of the Lord is.

Thus as we’ve seen, patience is a virtue of the Lord Himself, the “fruit” of the indwelling “Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” Patience is already within every believer’s spirit by Christ dwelling within their spirit (1Cor 6:17). Yet, Christ’s patience is imparted and experienced in the soul-self of a believer only as he learns to trust in the Lord in the midst of every life situation and circumstance. “Faith” is a noun, but “trust” is faith in action. Trust is demonstrated only as it endures through time in patience.