12/04/08

Longsuffering

Galatians 5:22-23a - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:

There is one fruit of the Holy Spirit which due to its English word has been misunderstood. Longsuffering does not mean to suffer long. Many people think so, and are fooled into not receiving the blessings which the Lord has made available by His sacrifice. They endure sicknesses, problems and curses thinking they are a part of longsuffering.

The word longsuffering in some translations is also translated as patients. Both are right but they loose the actual sense of the word used in the Bible. The word used here is best translated in English as 'SLOW TO ANGER'. If you substitute the word longsuffering with slow to anger in the scriptures you will get the sense of the scriptures.

Romans 9:22
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering [slow to anger] the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

Ephesians 4:1-3
1 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 [slow to anger], forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

2 Timothy 4:2
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering [slow to anger] and doctrine.

This is one important property of being a Christian; being slow to anger. It also develops the main fruit which is love.

Like water management requires water. No water, what do you manage? In the same way to be a Christian we need to have anger. Without anger we can not have slowness to anger (fruit of the Holy Spirit). This does give you the license to hate any bother or to lose you temper. When we are God's children we automatically hate things which are evil. Our anger should be against the works of the evil one. People are just puppets in his plan of destruction. When we get this in our system, we out of love for our brother do not let anger overtake us and we will help them to know God and come out of the powers of the evil one.

Become an angry Christian but do not direct your anger on any brother, but direct it towards the powers that affect him. With love help your brother to overcome the evil one.

Romans 12:9-10 [RSV]
9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;
10 love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor.


[ Prayer Starter ]

Father God, I love You and hate the things that go against You. I hate the works of the evil one and destruction he is doing to your children. Help me Father as your child, to be like You. Like You have being patient with me when I was in the dark, that I too may be patient to others and with love bring them to You. I ask this in Jesus' Name, Amen.


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