James 5:7-11
Introduction:
1. Life in Christ is not all puppy dogs and rainbows.
2. Difficult times will threaten the other fruits of the spirit.
3. How shall we endure hardships and continue to produce?
Discussion:
I. Patience/Longsuffering Defined
A. “Patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, slowness in avenging wrongs” (Thayer)
B. Compound Greek term from
1. Macros: long (in regard to time)
2. Thymos: the soul as seat of feelings and passions
3. Macrothymia: “long of feeling, delay anger” (Mounce)
II. Longsuffering Exemplified
A. God is our example (Exodus 34:6-7; 2 Peter 3:9).
1. He waited patiently in Noah’s days (1 Peter 3:20).
2. He gave the Amorites hundreds of years before initiating the conquest (Genesis 15:13-16).
3. He repeatedly spared Israel.
4. He was patient with Saul/Paul (1 Timothy 1:12-16).
5. He is patient with us (2 Peter 3:9).
6. This is to lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4).
III. Longsuffering Emulated
A. We must produce this fruit as the others (John 15:2; Galatians 5:25).
B. Patience enables us to bear up under pressure (Romans 5:3-5; 2 Timothy 3:12; James 1:2-4).
C. Without patience, we cannot walk worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1-2; Colossians 1:10-11).
D. Patience enables us to forgive (Colossians 3:12-13), which enables us to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15).
E. It is an essential part of teaching (2 Timothy 4:2).
F. In the overarching sense, it is part of imitating God as His dear children (Ephesians 4:32-5:2).
Conclusion:
1. The question is not if we will have struggles but what will we do in our time of struggle?
2. Can we continue producing the other fruits in such times?
3. If we would be like our Lord, as is our primary purpose, we must work on becoming patient and longsuffering.
4. Like other godly characteristics, it only comes with practice to sharpen our senses (Hebrews 5:14); let us put get to the task at hand.