Virtue of Patience

One of the most incredible characteristics of God is the virtue of Patience.

In the progress of sanctification the Lord works in us to establish this virtue within us all, and through this many receive their greatest resemblance to their master’s Heavenly Image.

The Bible says “God is Patient”.

In God’s Character refining test for Apostle Paul he went through many sufferings and in them God was working in His life to make him the man he was called to become.

After his great revelations that he saw in being transported to the third heaven, Apostle Paul says a messenger of Satan was sent to buffet him and a thorn in the flesh was giving to him by God.

In his appeal the word says he was denied complete relief, since this very thing was meant to bring out in him the character of his redeemer and Lord.

Patience is a very opposite thing to the human nature. It requires faith and trust, the very thing that was violated in man through sin.

Paul in his plea with the Lord to remove this thorn from his life, the Lord said to him

“My strength will be sufficient”.

What a positive promise in combating the forces of darkness that had come in his path. This unique response from the Lord showed him God’s extended love and care for him as his anointed.

In spite of all suffering for his refinement of character Paul knew one thing that God’s love and acceptance will offer him all that was needed to complete this refinement.

Where man needs grace in difficulties it is availed to him by the Lord to sustain him in the process of his humility through sanctification.

In 2 Corinthians 12 in verses 7 through 21 we read a very descriptive sign of an Apostle being refined and prepared for God’s own glory. This is the power of His redeeming strength.

Paul’s comforting statement causing hope in his life starts at the 9^th verse. The Lord speaks to him by saying“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness”.

Having this promise and being confident in God’s unconditional love and full acceptance Apostle Paul now is strengthened to say.

“Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me”.

Wow!!! what a revelation of justification by faith. You see he no longer doubts God’s acceptance of him through faith. Now the Apostle knows that God loves him no matter what, and that he does not have to work in order to earn his full unmerited acceptance, but that he will  now co-operate with Him in his character refining work of the Holy Spirit, which was the power of Christ working in Him through faith.  Here Paul acknowledges God’s power of redemptive Love.

It is in the confidence of His love that we could see the finished work of His grace in us. When we are not sure of His acceptance and unconditional love we run away with no patience to see Him finish His work in us. It is first the assurance of His love, then the power of His Christ that strengthen us to endure the disciplines of his refinement in us.  Without such assurance we are trapped in the deadly assaults of enemy’s condemnation. This is where the power of Christ is manifested in us to take pleasure in our infirmities, in reproaches, inneeds, in persecutions and in distresses for Christ’s sake.  You see it is our view of us in Christ that needs to change not the challenges of our pilgrimage. The greatest challenge is to understand God’s unconditional love for us and who we are in Him.  The problem with many of us is a poor or distorted self image when it comes to our position in Christ.

In the book of Acts the Lord says in His last words to His disciples “ Tarry in Jerusalem until you receive ( Dunemous) or power from above” This was the promise of the Holy Spirit to change them to the fullness of Christ’s image. This power was in the Person of The Holy Spirit and it not only came to make them bold in theirChristian walk, but to point out sin in them and refine them in their Christ likeness. One of the greatest works of the precious Holy Spirit is the gift of conviction. Conviction is the greatest gift from God to us that allows God’s power of Christ refine and change us, yet when we do not know the measure of God’s love in our lives the vile spirit of condemnation takes its place and ruins the Lord’s pleasant vineyard through a violent intrigue.

When the fullness of God’s love is not apprehended fully by a child of God Satan’s greatest venom is poured out on Him, which is condemnation.

It is through understanding of God’s eternal acceptance in Christ through love that we are secure in our heavenly perspective, and it is then that we can differentiate between conviction and condemnation.

Yes it is our lack of understanding of the measure of God’s love that we could perish. The reason we are shunning away from God’s discipline is because we have a very distorted image of His divine love.

That is why in Apostle Paul’s life challenges began to make a different meaning all of a sudden. He had an awakening in Romans chapter 8 verse 1. He began to finally understand his acceptance in Christ in a whole new way. This brought in Him the fullness of His surrender to God and His will in his life.

Here is where even the Lord’s brother Apostle James discovered this secret and wrote.. “ My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

To us patience means now, but to God it means eternity. For us to learn patience through the trials in this life is a very long time, but with God it is as a mere moment comparing eternity. This is why in Matthew the 24^thchapter the Lord says in the last days we need to possess our souls through patience, since lawlessness will increase all around us. That is why also in Romans chapter 9 Apostle Paul speaking of God’s unfathomable patience describes His longsuffering on the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, showing us the presence of this divine Character in Him.

And if this character trait is in Him, then we who must be partaker of His divine nature we too need to be refined in this virtue to lack nothing in being conformed to His divinity in character resemblance.

I confess at times I too having misunderstood this divine love and acceptance have failed Him.

Truly I would like to have understood the suffering of Paul or other Apostles, since they were to pave the way before us. They were laying the foundations of our faith. These men suffered innumerable pain in being conformed to Christ’s death in any form possible, yet they have this hope in Him that the love and the mercy of their king was sufficient to bring them through.

All the straps they received were the evidence of their comprehension of that love. Now I can understand when Jesus standing at the shore of the Sea of Galilee questioning Peter for his love, because he was soon going to require him to walk the same narrow path of self denial unto death. Oh yes I trust when He said another will cloth you and take you where you would not go on your own, He was speaking  of soon coming  conviction of God’s love and  acceptance, which would produce the  divine character of God in Him.

In closing I want to quote another difficult verse which is Revelations 13:10

In this abstract verse spiritual ears and maturity is required to comprehend its meaning fully. Here I believe Apostle John speaks of an intense spiritual warfare in the final days, which truly would require patience and faith from the saint’s part to receive the intended blessed end result.

This is only possible for those who through understanding their position in Christ will endure to receive a glorious kingdom to come.

Here again without a complete willingness to understand the depth of Fathers love for us we cannot co-operate in this refining work of our Character through trials.

The life of Job is a very good example of this deep love of God for His own.

Even though the Book of Habakkuk or prophet Hosea’s life too is beautiful examples of this deep truth laid bare.