Fruit of the Spirit Series #5 - LONGSUFFERING

Galatians 5:22-23 - “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, LONGSUFFERING, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

[23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

Another wonderful manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, which is LOVE is LONGSUFFERING. The simplest definition of Longsuffering is to “suffer long.” However, the word in the original Greek is made up of two words that mean “long” and “temper. It literally means “long-tempered.” 

A person with long-suffering is one who has control over his emotions. He has self-restraint and is not easily provoked. He is not quick to retaliate and has great patience and forbearance. He can be described as someone with a “long fuse.”

To have a godly longsuffering does not only mean being long-tempered. It carries a certain attitude of virtue such as “mercy.” 

1 Peter 3:20 - “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

God could have immediately judged the disobedient people, but His longsuffering took about 120 years to give them time to repent. While God was longsuffering, He was truly and patiently suffering, not because He was frustrated with waiting; but because He was hurting for their callousness and disobedience and also because He knew the tragic outcome. 

Longsuffering has something to do with “hope.” Although God knew the outcome would not be favorable, He was hoping for them to repent. It was not God who caused them to sin and rebel. He gave them hope and the opportunity to be saved, but they chose to reject the offer of salvation. 

The longsuffering the Spirit gives us has the elements of mercy and hope. He made us willing and able to “suffer long” to allow us to experience the grace and mercy of God as we continue to win the lost to Christ. For them to realize their sinful condition and to avoid the consequence of sin. 

The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit equips every believer with the virtue of longsuffering. Without His presence, our human nature is incapable of this, not even to ourselves. With the Holy Spirit’s power, we do not have to succumb to temptation and surrender to the enemies. Longsuffering that comes from God is always effective and victorious. 

In eternity and in glory, there is no more need for longsuffering. There is no sin that will cause suffering in heaven. It is necessary to have this on earth as we labor to share the glorious gospel. However, godly longsuffering has limits; not because God is tired of waiting, but because He promised us glorious comfort and the joy of heaven. Moreover, God would not stand sin being committed and His children suffering. 

The virtue of longsuffering is vitally needed in all kinds of relationships. It is needed to provide an opportunity for anyone to change and to forgive. Without longsuffering, there can be no time to process and think about why and how we go through difficult circumstances. Without this, everyone will react and retaliate without thinking. Just think how our lives would be with or without longsuffering. It is only by submitting to the power of the Holy Spirit that godly longsuffering is possible. Only through His power, we can stop the desire to retaliate and to react ungodly. 

Conclusion:

The best example of godly longsuffering is in the person of Jesus Christ when He suffered and died on the cross. God applies this today as He waits for the unbelievers to respond to the gospel. He is also longsuffering when He waits for His children to obey His call for service. 

If you are this person in need of the Savior, know and realize that He loves you and wants you to be saved today. Now is the time to accept the gift of salvation while the opportunity and the grace of God is available. 

Perhaps you are a child of God who is running away from Him, time is not on your side. He is coming anytime and the day of reckoning will come. It is the time to get right with God and obey His will in your life.

Amos 4:12 - “…prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.”

Ephesians 4:30-32 - “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 

[31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 

[32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.”