Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
God is constantly working things out for our good. Sometimes he allows trials and testings to chip away the rough edges as He tries to conform us into His image.
Even though the Cross was in God’s plan, we who through our rebellious actions do not escape the responsibility of putting Christ on the Cross. There are consequences of our personal actions regardless of who we are. The only way to receive true healing is to turn to Him and seek His face (2 Chronicles 7:14).
God is always ready to hear the prayers of a repentant people (James 4:8-10).
2 Chronicles 7:14 f my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
James 4:8-10 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
The Greek word for longsuffering makróthymos (Strong’s #3115) is made up of two words makro
(long) and thumos, (wrath). Slow to wrath. The idea is to remain in a
state of emotional quietness in the face of unfavorable circumstances. Longsuffering is patiently enduring lasting
offenses or hardships.
James 1:19-20 –
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,
slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Proverbs 14:29 – He that is slow to wrath is
of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Longsuffering is the ability of restraining oneself in the
face of provocation that does not quickly retaliate or immediately punish. It avoids quarrels, restores injustices, and cultivates
charity.
Numbers 14:18 – The
Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and
transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Ephesians 4:32 – And
be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Longsuffering endures
the abuse and ill-treatment of others without growing resentful or bitter.
Ephesians 4:1-3 – I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Colossians 3:12-13 –
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
You cannot be
longsuffering without also be willing to forgive others.
Romans 2:4 – Or
despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
How do you respond to those who irritate you, get under your
skin, never let up on you? How does God
want us to respond? Longsuffering.
But how?
Exodus 34:6-7 – And
the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy
for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by
no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth
generation.
Just as God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth. He does
not do unto us as we deserve, but rather forgives us. God uses restraint.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 –
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not
itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Take the burden of resentment and vengeance off your heart
and COMMIT your way unto the Lord.
Psalms 37:5-6 – Commit
thy way unto the Lord: trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as
the noonday.
Don’t worry about justice being served. God will take care of them.
Romans 12:19 – Dearly
beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
We cannot obtain longsuffering overnight. When we continuously live in the Spirit and
daily place all our sinful tendencies on the cross, we will gain the virtue –
Longsuffering – little by little.
Galatians 2:20 – I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Difficult days are inevitable and sometimes unavoidable; but
you don’t have to let them make you miserable.
The next time your patience is being tested, take time to quiet your
mind, remove yourself from the irritation, and call on God for His help.
Tips on helping to become more longsuffering:
Purposely and consciously yield your life to
Christ. Don’t fight it or run from your
trial. Allow the trial to be your
teacher. Ask God to help you learn what
you need to be taught.
Practice patience. Focus on a solution. What must you do to take steps in the right
direction? Ask God to show you the truth in love. James 2:14
Become more disciplined in studying the Word of
God. Ask God to help you understand what
longsuffering actually involves. Read
the Book of James. Ask God to show you
all His promises and give you wisdom, peace, endurance, faith, healing, and
protection.
Find the “golden nugget” because there is a
greater purpose. Your trials often
become triumphs for others. Jeremiah
29:11-14
“But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
The world all around us is full of trouble and turmoil. There are wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, great earthquakes in various places, famines, infectious outbreaks, persecutions, etc. God states these things must come to pass for His Word to be fulfilled (Matthew 24:3-31; Mark 13:5-27; Luke 21:8-33).
Christians are not excluded from trouble, turmoil, and
calamities living in a sin filled world.
There is strife among countries, corporations, nations, churches,
families, and even in the pews.
What is PEACE??
How does one attain PEACE in the midst of all these
commotions?
Webster defines peace as “a state of tranquility or quiet”. Peace is a tranquility of mind which frees one from worry or fear. Peace is an untroubled heart that comes from trusting God.
Peace does not come naturally, and as humans we tend to fail at times, but God commands us to pursue peace. Psalm 34:14 “…seek peace, and pursue it.”
The best way to seek Peace is to:
Keep an attitude of prayer.
Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Read your Bible daily.
Great
peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165
Submit your heart to God regularly.
And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in
one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians
3:15
Meditate on God’s Word faithfully
Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he
trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength: Isaiah 26:3-4
Keep living right
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr once said, “Do Right ‘til
the stars fall.” Nothing destroys peace
faster than when we have sin in our hearts before and Almighty God.
Mark
the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Psalm 37:37
We can only impart the evidence of the fruits of the Holy
Spirit working in and through our lives when we allow Him to work freely in our
hearts and lives.
The best way to seek Peace is to:
Keep an attitude of prayer.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Read your Bible daily.
Great
peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165
Submit your heart to God regularly.
And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in
one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians
3:15
Meditate on God’s Word faithfully
Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he
trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength: Isaiah 26:3-4
Keep living right
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr once said, “Do Right ‘til the stars fall.” Nothing destroys peace faster than when we have sin in our hearts before an Almighty God.
Mark
the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Psalm 37:37
We can only impart the evidence of the fruits of the Holy Spirit working in and through our lives when we allow Him to work freely in our hearts and lives.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11
Webster’s dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by
wellbeing, success, or good fortune by the prospect of possessing what one
desires.” That definition by the world’s standards leaves something lacking;
however, Theopedia defines joy as “a state of mind and an orientation of the
heart. It is a settled state of contentment,
confidence, and hope.”
The word Joy appears 155 times in the Bible. It appears 82 times in the Old Testament and 73 times in the New Testament. Joy is the keynote of Philippians “Joy in Prayer” (Philippians 1:3-11).
“Joy” and “Rejoice” are repeated multiple times throughout Scripture. Joy is not to be compared to happiness. Happiness is an emotion based on your circumstances. Just like holding your child for the first time or making a final payment on your car or moving into your first home – these things make you happy. As long as things are going well in your life, you are happy. As soon as circumstances are out of our control or things aren’t going just so, we become irritated and disgruntled and lose the emotion of being happy. Joy is being contented in whatsoever state you are in whether it’s good or bad (Philippians 4:11).
Man has an inexplicable desire to seek Joy in all they
do. We seek out happiness through all we
do. Some seek to climb the ladder of
success thinking that if they’ll obtain joy when they reach the top. Some look for joy in seeking out fame, but
they find no joy
“Joy isn’t a passing moment of happiness, but rather, an entrenched anchor that keeps our hearts from descending into the deep pit of bitterness, because thankfulness is what keeps us afloat.” True joy is found in having an ongoing relationship with God. It is knowing that our lives originate from the True Vine – Jesus Christ (John 15).
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
We will find that the word “love” is mentioned in the Bible
in some form around 373 times. Upon
closer study, one can find that the Greek language has three notable words for
love in the Bible: Philo (brotherly love), Eros (physical love in marriage),
and Agape (unconditional love of God).
Charity is the Agape love of God.
It is a love that is comprehensive and pure.
True Agape love is missing in most relationships at work, at school, and at home. Most homes know nothing about the true agape love rather their lives are filled with pride and selfishness. The way to grow in our faith and our maturity is to love as Christ loved and be humble. Humility is not disliking one’s self but rather thinking less of one’s self.
Charity in 1 Corinthians 13 is a special kind of love. Agape love is the highest form of love. This type of love can only come from the Lord.
“And beside
this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness;…” 2 Peter 1:5-7a
The Greek word for brotherly love is philadelphia which is a combination
of two words “philia” (love) and “adelphos” (brother). It means to have kindness or love towards
your brother. Romans 12:10 admonishes us
to “Be kindly affectioned one to another
with brotherly love”. Affectioned is
to cherish one’s kindred.
The way to develop brotherly kindness towards others is to spend time
with other believers. This is not just
socializing with them before and after services. This is putting into practice the commands
found in scripture which tell us to not “forsake the assembly of ourselves
together,…but exhorting one another…” (Hebrews 10:24). When we spend time in fellowship with other
believers we not only build relationships, but we also exhort (encourage) and
spur (provide the needed prodding) to seek the Lord.
Notice that in order to obtain brotherly kindness in our lives we must first have faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, and godliness? Once we become a part of God’s family we do not automatically have brotherly kindness towards others. Kindness is an important ingredient in dealing with relationships “especially unto them that are of the household of faith” Galatians 6:10. If we are to grow in our walk with the Lord, we must work on developing brotherly kindness, which is having true love of the brethren (1 Peter 1:22).
How does one attempt to live a godly life when you live in a
wicked sinful world? Where there seems
to be evil doings everywhere you turn…people have replaced God with whatever
suits their fancy; God’s name is taken in vain even by those who call
themselves Christian; Sunday services are no longer important; children
disrespect and even hate their parents; killings everywhere; selfish pleasures
come before serving others; there is lack of respect for other and their
belongings; dishonesty is viewed as okay as long as it is for the greater good;
immorality is praised everywhere we go; and you better keep up with the Jones
in order to be happy. This is not
godliness.
Webster’s Dictionary defines godliness as “believing
in God and in the importance of living a moral life”. Godliness in the Bible is basically
an active obedience that springs from a reverent awe of God.
It is virtually impossible to build a godly life without a foundation built on Jesus Christ. To practice godliness, we must first develop a relationship with God, and further practice a life that is pleasing to God. Our view of God and our relationship with Him will be portrayed in our behavior.
2 Peter 1:5-6b “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience;”
Webster dictionary defines patience as ” the capacity, habit or fact of being patient. Patient defined is “being able to remain calm and not become annoyed when waiting for a long time or when dealing with problems or difficult people.
I don’t know about you but since my lightning strike my patience isn’t what it used to be. I am more easily annoyed or frustrated because of my limitations or lack of understanding why things are or aren’t working the way I think they should be. I am pressing towards the mark…
Patience is the ability to walk through a trial, test, or tribulation without getting stressed, anxious, or impatient. That is a difficult trait to learn. Mostly because our physical nature wants everything now. But being impatient will cause us to hinder the work of the Lord or a delay in our blessings.
Patience is the result of our practicing the presence of the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our lives (Galatians 5:22-23). It is perfected when God allows difficulties and trials to remove the rough edges in our lives so that He can mold us into the person He wants us to be.
We need to learn to trust the Lord in all circumstances regardless of the outcome.
2 Peter 1:5-6a ~ “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance…”
Webster defines temperance as “the practice of always controlling your actions, thoughts, or feelings so that you do not eat or drink too much, become too angry, etc.” OR “Moderation in action, thought, or feeling.”
It is not self-control. It is Spirit control. We need the Holy Spirit’s help to maintain control over all areas of our lives.
