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Bible Study Letters Online Tracts
Confronting Scripture
Longsuffering

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Longsuffering is part of the character of God

Exodus 34:6
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,

Numbers 14:18
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.

Psalms 86:15
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

Salvation is the object of God’s Longsuffering

2 Peter 3:15
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;

God Waits That He May Be Gracious

2 Peter 3:9
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.

God’s display of longsuffering shows salvation to be of the Lord, the respite of ungodly men showing the sort that are saved, their character demonstrating clearly those appointed to salvation are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. God that shows mercy. Consider all of mankind is of the same sort, and see the difference between King Saul and Jonathan; King David and Absalom. The grace that brings salvation has appeared unto all men, through the longsuffering of God.

Titus 2:11
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

The grace that brings salvation changes a man, that they are a new creation, their life demonstrating the new life, a godly life, holy, for without holiness no man shall see the Lord. In this way salvation is demonstrated to all men, by the changed lives of those such as Paul the apostle, John Newton, and a host of others. The ones going about claiming they have been saved from hell that still hold their sins have not been saved by any evidence or proofs shown from Scripture. The have decided they do not want hell but have not come to Christ. Here is what is shown by the demonstration of God’s longsuffering, showing the grace of God that bring salvation:

Titus 2:12-15
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.

The respite of the ungodly to hold their sins does not make void the salvation of God as shown in Scripture. Those holding their sins, those that make mock of God’s Word, those indifferent of the things of God, those having their own righteousness, thinking by their choice to do one thing or another, deceived that action of theirs brings salvation, after so clear a testimony as is shown by the grace of God appearing to all men, show themselves to be without excuse on the day of judgment. There is no fear of God with them, as they are without change (Jeremiah 2:22; Proverbs 27:22; Jeremiah 17:9; Jeremiah 13:23; Psalms 55:19). Those that count longsuffering as indifference on God as regards sin shall perish in their gainsaying.

The wicked see God’s longsuffering in the twisted manner of the ones going about spreading fire insurance without salvation from sin as is so often seen among those thinking to be Christian. Marvel Not, You Must Be Born Again.

Ecclesiastes 8:11-13
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
12 Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him:
13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.

Bear with the loved one, the family member, neighbor or acquaintance. Account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation. This is not saying partake of their sins or pretend they are already saved. It is not for us to know when they will hear, or for certain they will, but it is for us to be faithful. The wicked see the longsuffering of our Lord as indifference but we are to see it as described in Scripture. The grace that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Our Lord prays for His own (John 17:9, 20)

Luke 13:6-9
6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Warnings are shown in Scripture. There is a time when our Lord will not forbear, and the wicked will fall.

Psalms 73:1-17
1 Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3 For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. 11 And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. 13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. 14 For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning. 15 If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. 16 When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 18 Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 19 How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image.

There is a difference between the redeemed and the lost. "...The foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2 Tim 2:19)

2 Peter 1:4-9
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

God’s longsuffering extends the time of God’s goodness over His creatures, but is also an excuse the wicked use as they hate the things of God. The goodness of God shows reason for repentance, that is, leads to repentance.

Romans 2:4-11
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
5 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;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Christ Jesus saves His people from their sins, not in, not giving license for licentiousness, but the deceitful lusts are crucified, the old man put off and the new put on. Those characteristics of the wicked show that they are contentious; that is, rebellious, murmurers against God’s Word, showing their natural hatred of God and His sovereign government. They rebel against the truth as revealed in Scripture, by variance, sedition and heresy (Galatians 5:19-21). The wicked are obedient to unrighteousness, slaves to sin. Unless saved by the grace of God to walk in newness of life, they shall forever perish, suffering the indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish of God, and rightly so.

Romans 2:8-9
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

The redeemed, those Christ has died for, brought to repentance toward God with faith in Christ (2 Tim 2:25-26), are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:7; Gal 3:14; Eph 1:13-14; 4:28-32), and so walk in the Spirit (Rom 8:4-11; Gal 5:16, 25), waiting for the redemption of the body, their faith shown by this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His, and, He saves them from their sin (Matt 1:21), so, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity (2 Tim 2:19; Eph 2:1-5).

Romans 2:10-11
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

The longsuffering of God gives demonstration of the grace of God, teaching us what manner of lives we should live. Our Lord will render to every man according to his deeds. Have you received Christ Jesus? He died for sinners. Repent and believe the gospel is the command of Christ (Acts 20:21). Our Lord will accomplish what He has begun in His people (Phil 1:6).

Acts 3:18-19
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

The gospel shows the goodness and severity of God. Longsuffering is an encouragement to repentance:

Joel 2:13
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Mark 16:15-16
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Luke 13:3
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

John 3:36
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Longsuffering is exhibited by ours sins being forgiven. By the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ there is propitiation, that is, reconciliation for our sins. The crucified Christ is the divine gift for the payment of sins for as many as believe, from the four corners of the earth, for there is no respect of persons with God, whereby we are reconciled, the propitiation being made for our sins, Christ and Him crucified, His blood, thus we are saved from sins.

Romans 3:25
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; {set forth: or, foreordained} {remission: or, passing over}

1 John 2:2
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 4:10
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Longsuffering is exercised toward God’s people. For such as repent of their evil, our God, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, repents, that is turns His wrath away from them (Joel 2:13):

2 Peter 3:9
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.

Isaiah 30:18
18 And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.

Jonah 3:4
4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

Ezekiel 20:17
17 Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

Longsuffering is exercised toward the wicked:

Romans 9:22
22 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:

2 Timothy 2:20
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.

Proverbs 16:4
4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

1 Peter 3:20
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.

There are limits to God’s longsuffering.

James 4:14
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Jude 13-15
13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Genesis 6:3
3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

Proverbs 1:28-30
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.

Jeremiah 11:11
11 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.

James 4:14
14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Hebrews 9:27
27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

The Wicked are seen in how they regard the longsuffering of our Lord. Let those that take the Name of Christ depart from iniquity.

The wicked abuse God’s longsuffering:

Ecclesiastes 8:11
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Matthew 24:48-49
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

The wicked despise the longsuffering of God:

Romans 2:4
4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

The wicked are punished for despising our Lord’s longsuffering:

Matthew 24:48-51
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Romans 2:5-6, 8-9, 11
5 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;
6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Longsuffering is clearly illustrated. Let the reader be warned, Don’t tempt God. What fruit do you bear? Is it of God? (Galatians 5:15-26; James 3:14-18; John 12:24-25; 15:5-6, 8) Don’t confuse some works, however noble they might seem, as taking the place of fruit of the Spirit.

Malachi 3:13-18
13 Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
14 Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
15 And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.
18 Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.

Matthew 4:7
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Matthew 22:18
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

Luke 13:5-9
5 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

1 Corinthians 10:9
9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

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