• LongSuffering

The Fruit Of The Spirit
• Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] meekness, temperance: against such there is no law”.

• THE FRUIT
• A.K.A. The harvest from what has been sown,
• In our case, the intended results of what God wants His people to be.
• In other words, the desired results of the effort of the Holy Spirit.

• THE SPIRIT
• The Holy Spirit of God.
• The third person of the Godhead.
• The one charged to reveal God to mankind.
• The one charged to develop man to God’s ideal.
• The work of the Spirit is the word of God.

• LONGSUFFERING
• Webster’s 1913 dictionary:
Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient endurance of pain or unhappiness, patient; not easily provoked.
• Disposed to bear inconvenience or injury patiently; long patience of offence.

• LONGSUFFERING
• WordNet Dictionary
• Noun. patient endurance of pain or unhappiness.
• Adj. patiently enduring continual wrongs or trouble; an enduring disposition.
• Synonym: enduring

• LONGSUFFERING
• W.E.Vines
• Makrothumia noun
• makros—long thumos--temper
• forbearance, patience, longsuffering,
• Makrothumeo verb
• patient, longsuffering, long tempered,
(A.V.—bear long)
• See also: bear, endure, patient, suffer

• LONGSUFFERING
• Most of the more modern versions translate the original word as PATIENCE, or BE PATIENT.
• However the Greek word for Patience is different (hupomone).

• LONGSUFFERING
• Note from W.E. Vines.
• Longsuffering is that quality of self restraint in the face of provocation which does not hastily retaliate or promptly punish; it is the opposite of anger, and is associated with mercy, and is used of God.
• Patience is the quality that does not surrender to circumstances or succumb under trial; it is the opposite of despondency and is associated with hope, it is not used of God.
• Let us see the word in the Bible.

• LONGSUFFERING
• Exodus 34:6-7 And the LORD passed by before him (Moses on the mountain receiving the Law), 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.

• LONGSUFFERING
• 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.

• LONGSUFFERING
• Jeremiah 15:15 O LORD, thou knowest: remember me, and visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; take me not away in thy longsuffering: know that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke.
• Psalm 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

• LONGSUFFERING
• Just how longsuffering was God in the Old Testament?
• Well, He put up with the provocation, insults, rejection, obstinacy, and stubbornness of the people even while they worshipped other gods and crafted their idols.
• From the exodus from Egypt to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans—oh, about 800 years.
• Do we have that kind of patience? I doubt it.

• LONGSUFFERING
• Romans 2:3-6 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

• LONGSUFFERING
• Romans 9: 21-23 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,

• LONGSUFFERING
• 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

• LONGSUFFERING
• 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.

• LONGSUFFERING
• Paul prayed in Colossians 1:10-12 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

• LONGSUFFERING
• 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”.

• LONGSUFFERING
• 1 Timothy 1:16 “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting”.

• LONGSUFFERING
• Paul speaking of his ministry to 2 Timothy 3:10-12 “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution”.

• LONGSUFERING
• 2 Timothy 4:1 “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

• LONGSUFFERING
• 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.
• How long did God wait this time?
• Mans days will be 120 years(Genesis 6:3)

• LONGSUFFERING
• 2 Peter 3:15 “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

• LONGSUFFERING
• Spoken of God—8 times
• Spoken of Christ—1 time
• Spoken of Paul—3 times
• Commanded of Christians—5 times (including the Fruit of the spirit).

• CONCLUSION
• Longsuffering is a characteristic of God, Jesus, and others which we are to apply to ourselves.
• Patience means to tolerate and put up with someone who is giving you a hard time.
• Longsuffering means to refrain from punching someone in the nose who really deserves it.
• Perhaps now we can appreciate LONGSUFFERING and what it means.

By Carey Scott

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