The fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering. The kindness of God included His longsuffering toward us. We too can walk in longsuffering knowing God can use it to reach the unlovely.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering. When teaching begins on the Fruit of the Spirit we get excited about love, joy, and peace. However, longsuffering, God I’m not sure I signed up for this. By inference alone it does not sound pleasant; can it possibly hold a value that glorifies God? Answer with another question. Did the longsuffering of Christ yield something good in every believer?
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Some have viewed this passage as a never ending battle and the believer walks in chaos between the walking in the Spirit and walking in the flesh for all their life. The truth of the matter, tradition has taught us that! If we view the word carefully we shall see the intended purpose of God. Verse 24 holds the key to rightly dividing the truth. Christ has taken ownership of the believer. If you belong to Christ you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Verse 25 is not some unachievable truth that we must spend the remaining of our lives working toward. It is coming and abiding in Christ and the fruit of the Spirit will be produced. However, it is a choice and a pursuit of that choice.
LONGSUFFERING:
3115. makrothumia, mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah; from the same as G3116; longanimity, i.e. (obj.) forbearance or (subj.) fortitude:--longsuffering, patience. Patient endurance of hardship, injuries, or offense.
2 Peter 3:14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
Verse 15 is so powerful… consider the longsuffering of our Lord and Savior and what it produced in our lives. God is longsuffering because his heart is to bring as many to salvation as possible. We are commanded to consider the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. Meditate on the truth His longsuffering has produced a harvest of men being reconciled to God.
Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Longsuffering is not something we have to conjure up in our old man. When we became new creations in Christ Jesus, longsuffering was put in us. As we yield to the goodness of God it will produce the fruit of the Spirit including longsuffering. Paul is begging the church to walk worthy by submitting to and walking in longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.
Romans 15:1 We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.“ 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
Longsuffering is characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit. We who are strong have been called to bear with the scruples of the weak. Being patient with the weak has the power to strengthen the weak. Being intolerable of the weak can drive them off. God calls the strong to bear with the infirmities of the weak. Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded… Receive the weak as Christ received you! While you were still a sinner Christ died for you!
Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
The goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering of God leads to repentance. Let it change your prayer life for those who are doing you wrong. God if your goodness leads to repentance let the sinner man see your goodness. God if your goodness and longsuffering lead to repentance let me imitate my Savior’s longsuffering.
Colossians 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
I pray that every believer will be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. This prayer is for the body of Christ to be fruitful in every good work.
Colossians 1:11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
God wants to strengthen you with His might for all patience and longsuffering with joy. It is amazing how longsuffering is connected to the joy of the Lord. When you see that your longsuffering can do a loving work in someone else’s life you can go through with joy. The bases of longsuffering with joy comes from the greatness of the work the Father has done in our own lives. The Father Himself has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. The Father bringing us redemption is the source of strength for our longsuffering toward others.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.
Verse 2 is the focal point. Jesus, who the for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame. You believer friend are the joy set before Him. He could see His suffering could bring many sons to glory. You are the desire of God and it brought Him pleasure to allow His only begotten Son to suffer that He might gain you. Yes, the fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering.
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