Patience..you'll need some to read this...

The Expression of God's Patience: SALVATION

2Peter 3:15 ..."Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation."

I have to admit, this week's homework was a tad difficult. Why, Beth? I don't want to deal with all that stuff. Who knew 'patience' would bring up so much 'impatience' in me?

First of all, there were two meanings to the word as used in the Bible. The first, from the Greek word, hupomone, is endurance in relation to things or circumstances in our life. It is often translated as perseverance and endurance in the NIV version in the Bible.

The second meaning from the Greek word, makrothumia, is the quality of the fruit of the Spirit, and the one we are focusing on in this study. It means "forbearance...self-restraint before proceeding to action...patience in respect to persons." While we may receive hupomone in answer to prayer for endurance in a tough crisis, the makrothumia is the release of the fruit of the Spirit. We cannot conjure it up. It is God expressing Himself through us.

2Peter 3:9 says "He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish..". 2Peter 3:15 says "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation..." We are shown clearly that it is God's mercy that prompts patience.

To understand it more fully, Beth points out that the opposite of patience or makrothumia is krino which means to pass judgement upon. Anyone ever watch how Judge Judy quickly sums up someone's character and passes judgement? She may be 'right-on' many times based on her life experience, but I am certain that she has also been faulty in her assessment at times. Why? Because she cannot see into the heart of man. Only God has that X-ray heart vision. That is why He 'delays' judgement, because He has mercy.

Beth (Living Beyond Yourself) points out 6 reasons why we must not judge others: (Romans 2:1-5, The Holy Bible, NIV Version)

1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

1. When we judge others, we cause God to be harder on us. (vs.1)
2. We do many of the same things we condemn in others. (vs.1)
3. We do not know the whole truth. (vs.2)
4. We are mere humans. (vs.3)
5. When we judge others, we are judging God. (vs.4)
6. God's judgement is always righteous. Ours is tainted by flesh. (vs.5)

More reasons NOT to judge...(Matthew 7:1-5, The Holy Bible, NIV Version)

1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

7. We risk application of the same type of judgement to ourselves. (vs.1-2)

8. We cannot judge the speck of sawdust in another's eye because of the planks in our own. (vs.3-4)

And more... James 4:11-12..

11Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

9. "There is only one lawgiver and judge." (vs.12)

10. Only God has noble purpose in His judgment.

Final reason NOT to judge...John 8:14-18

14Jesus answered, "Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. 15You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one. 16But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me. 17In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid. 18I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me."

11. Just like Christ's, our judgement would have to be completely consistent with God's. He must agree with us for our judgement to be valid.

Ouch! OK, have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever been unfairly judged? Ouch! That so hurts! Then again, have I done that? Ouch! More times than I even know. My poor children, especially my husband and teenage son who do not... ahem ... express themselves like me, I elect to express what I feel is in their hearts. Oooh! I have erred here so many times, simply because, we think differently, we are wired differently. I have had people 'judge' me based on their experiences of people who look and sound like me. Ouch!

With that in mind, I come to forgiveness. Beth refers to the parable of the merciless servant, who having been forgiven by the king of a huge debt, goes on to prosecute a fellow servant when he is unable to pay a tiny debt. The king's forgiveness was prompted by patience which was perfected by mercy. Beth says, "Patience is the vessel through which God pours His mercy. Mercy is fuelled by forgiveness." We have to forgive everyone for everything.

Yikes! You see why this was so hard? Colossians 3:13 tells that we are to forgive "as the Lord forgave you." How exactly is that, you ask? Beth pinpoints the following characteristics:

-He forgives and covers all confessed sin.

-He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.

-God keeps no written record of wrongs.

-God keeps no mental record of wrongs. (i.e. memory)

Whew! And if you follow through like God says, you start with a CLEAN slate. You will feel a freedom to soar because you are no longer manacled, nor are you keeping anyone chained to your back.

Take time to pray this prayer with me:

From pride and self-will;

from desire to have our own way in all things;

from overweening love of our own ideas

and blindness to the value of others;

Save us and help us,

we humbly ask You, O Lord.

From all jealousy,

whether of equals or superiors;

from grudging others success;

from absence of submission and eagerness for authority;

From all hasty words of impatience;

from taunting words of sarcasm;

from responding to others in irritation;

from all infirmity of temper in provoking and being provoked;

from love of unkind gossip,

and from all idle words that may hurt others;

Save us and help us,

we humbly ask You, O Lord.

From all arrogance in dealing with other people,

from strife and partisanship and division

among our fellow believers,

from magnifying our certainties to condemn all differences,

Save us and help us,

we humbly ask You, O Lord."

(Taken from the Southwell Litany)