The Book Of Galatians Chapter 5 Part 9 The Fruit Of The Spirit Is Longsuffering

The fruit of God's Spirit is longsuffering and this is greatly needed.

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. 

We have been studying fruit that the Spirit of God seeks to produce in us. 

As God conforms us more and more into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ, this fruit will be manifest in our lives. 

If we examine our heart and see that the Holy Spirit's fruit is lacking, then we have some soul searching to do.

We need to make sure our profession of repentant faith in Christ is real, and that the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost is a reality of our heart.

When a person fully trusts Christ for salvation, God does a glorious work in us.

The promise of a new heart and a new spirit from God are fulfilled (See Ezekiel 11:19-20; 36:24-27).

We receive a new heart and a new Spirit and old things begin passing away (See 2 Corinthians 5:17-21). 

We are made a new creation in Christ and are taught to walk in newness of life (See Romans 7:1-6).

Paul says we were previously spiritually dead in our sins but made alive unto God through faith in Christ (See Ephesians 2:1-10).

Peter says we are born again by the living Word of God, and are called out of darkness into God's marvelous light (See 1 Peter 2:1-12). 

We must be honest as we evaluate our spiritual condition. 

If there is no evidence of new birth and we claim to belong to Christ, then we have made a false profession of faith. 

We must then repent of our sins and call upon the Lord Jesus Christ to save us. 

He will save us because the gospel of the power of God unto salvation (See Romans 1:15-17; 10:8-13). 

In this lesson we will look at the fruit of "longsuffering." 

"Longsuffering" means to be patient in dealing with other people. 

It literally means to be long tempered or not having a short fuse that causes us to explode in anger.

It means enduring evil treatment with patience.

It means being slow to avenge any wrongs that are done to us. 

Thus, the fruit of longsuffering is to exercise self restraint when we are stirred to anger. 

This fruit manifests itself when we do not immediately retaliate because we have a long fuse. 

God's longsuffering toward us is connected to His grace and mercy.

Exodus 34:5-7  And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6)  And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7)  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. 

God is the source of longsuffering because it is part of His nature and being.

Moses asked to see God face to face and the LORD said that no man can see God and survive. 

However, He promised to pass by Moses and when He did, God declared His name. Part of His name is "longsuffering" because that describes His heart. 

The longsuffering of God toward mankind is evidence of abundant mercy and grace toward all who repent and believe on His Son, Jesus Christ. 

God is longsuffering toward us and He wants to work this into our heart. 

Psalm 86:12-16  I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore. 13)  For great is thy mercy toward me: and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell. 14)  O God, the proud are risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul; and have not set thee before them. 15)  But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth. 16)  O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid. 

The Psalmist was well acquainted with the longsuffering and mercy of God. 

David praised Jehovah with all his heart because of great mercy and deliverance from sin received from God.

David describes Jehovah for us as full of compassion, full of grace and mercy and full of longsuffering toward us. 

We experience God's longsuffering when we stray from Him. 

We may leave our first love like the Ephesians did. We may succumb to fleshly lusts like David did with Bathsheba. 

God's longsuffering toward us means that He will not unleash His anger or wrath against us even though we deserve it.

Since our Father sends His Spirit to live in us, it is right and good that He seeks to work His longsuffering into our hearts.

We are often quick to rush to judgment about others' sins and wrongs that they do. 

We forget that God is always longsuffering and patient with us, even though we fail Him and stray away.

God was longsuffering with the wicked generation of Noah's time.

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's longsuffering was on display during the life of Noah. It took Noah 120 years to finish building the ark.

Noah was called a preacher of righteousness. 

He faithfully preached the gospel and invited wicked sinners to enter the ark to be saved from impending judgment from God.

Though none responded to Noah's preaching, God gave him 120 years to preach, giving sinners multiple opportunities to respond.

Thus, a pastor, parent or parishioner must be longsuffering when sharing the gospel with lost people. 

It may take a lot of time before they respond. Some may never respond, but our duty is to preach and teach the gospel of Christ. 

God's longsuffering restrains His wrath while the gospel of Christ is preached.

2 Peter 3:8-9  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9)  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

The LORD is going to return to earth in flaming fire, taking vengeance upon all who reject the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yet, God operates outside the realm of time, space and matter. 

One day with Him is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like one day. Time is immaterial to God and has no influence upon who He is and what He can do.

Peter spoke to some Christians who thought that the LORD was not going to return because so much time elapsed.

Some asked "Why doesn't God return to judge all the wicked and establish His kingdom?"

The answer is that God is longsuffering toward sinners. 

His heart is for all people from all nations and all races, to be born again.

Thus, though they sin and His judgment condemns them, He patiently restrains His wrath for as long as the gospel of Christ is preached in this world.

This is why each Christian must be living for the Great Commission work Christ gave us to do (See Matthew 28:18-20). 

The Christian's worthy walk is marked by being longsuffering toward others.

Ephesians 4:1-2  I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2)  With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 

God's Spirit guided Paul to teach us about Christians walking worthy for our Lord.

We find that we are instructed to be longsuffering toward each other and toward those who do not know Christ as Savior. 

This is an important part of the believer's worthy walk. 

This is connected with glorifying God with our body and spirit because we are bought with a price (See 1 Corinthians 6:15-20).

May we pray earnestly seeking for the fruit of longsuffering to be worked into our heart.

Bob