Mar 21, 2017 – The patience of Christ
The patience of Christ
By Ioan Peia
Introduction
On August the 14th 2013 my wife Miruna was hospitalized in a very serious condition at Carol Davila Hospital in Bucharest. We chose this hospital by the Holy Spirit’s guidance and its good references. We were welcomed by an excellent medical staff both professionally and in terms of compassion as well as in establishing a relationship full of kindness. I was allowed to assist my wife Miruna for support and intimate care during her entire stay in the hospital. Miruna had a pulmonary hemorrhage and her life was in danger. The next days were a continuous battle to increase the hemoglobin level (three blood transfusions), to balance the immune system (four plasmapheresis procedures), to stop the lung inflammation (treatment with antibiotics and prednisone), to reduce the blood pressure and sugar levels, and to be able to breathe normally.
On August the 16th, in the morning, I received an urge from the Spirit to study about patience in the Holy Scriptures context.
I read all the verses containing the words patience, long-suffering (attached at the end of this study ) and I was fascinated to understand that God wants us all to attain the patience of Lord Jesus and thus to perfectly fulfill HIS will, not ours.
Amen!
On September 12, 2013 Miruna went to be with the Lord.
The PATIENCE – HUPOMONE (in Greek)
The Holy Scriptures usually present the opposites together. Sorrow and joy, pain and wellbeing, trial and deliverance, light and darkness, love and hate, kindness and wickedness, belief and unbelief …
Trial and coming out of trial are correlated and the deliverance of trial always requires a deliverer/a savior.
God gives us strength to go through trials.
1Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
What is patience? What is its origin? What is the model of patience? How are we to attain patience?
The world system (natural world, people and the demonic powers) is opposed to patience by our interaction with the outside world to which we are under constant pressure.
Living in the context of the laws of creation can challenge patience: you cannot remain standing without moving for a long time. You cannot look at the sun at noon.
Then people can constantly challenge patience by their relationships.
The demonic powers are opposing people and do not let them grow in patience.
Information, speed of stimuli, troubles, all the interactions to which man is subjected, may cause and develop all that is opposed to patience: stress, impatience, annoyance, anger, wrath that are all characteristics of the flesh.
Patience is a gateway to happiness. That is why the world acts against patience.
Patience – Hupomone (Greek.): means also constancy, perseverance
The supreme example of patience is offered by the Lord Jesus Christ.
2Tes 3:5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Our goal is to attain the Love of God and the Patience of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To direct – Kateuthuno in Greek, means also, to guide‚ to remove an obstacle from the way, to make a way straight.
This is the root of the word catheter used in Medicine which I saw being used to save Miruna’s life.
KJV translated: “and into the patient waiting for Christ.”
The text in Greek reads “and the patience of Christ”.
There a difference between waiting for the Lord patiently and attaining His patience.
They do not exclude each other, but the latter includes the former for it encompasses everything that the patience of the Son of God stands for.
As there is the Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is also the Patience of Lord Jesus Christ.
How important is this fact?
A.
In Romans it is written:
Rom 10:6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will
ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down from above)
Rom 10:7 or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Rom 10:8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach)
Paul is called to preach the Word of Faith – Rematos Pistou that means hearing and hiding in the heart of God’s Word now, in the present tense:
Romani 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (rematos Teou)
This Word is the evidence about the Faith of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Father which we also are to receive it in our hearts so that we can obtain the righteousness that leads to salvation.
(The message about the Faith of the Lord Jesus and the Word of Faith in Romanian can be watched at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y26gSNsrvCw)
And this is by Grace.
Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
B.
In Revelation it is written:
Rev. 3:10 Because you have kept the word of My patience (logos hupomone), I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
As there is the faith of the Lord Jesus and the Word (Rhema) of Faith, so there is the patience of the Lord Jesus and the Word (Logos) of patience.
We all need to attain the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ, to acquire His patience that, according to James 1:2-4, through trials, leads us to grow in maturity and to want nothing but the will of God.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
James 1:3 knowing that the trying of your faith works patience.
James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
The literal English version of the Greek text is:
James 1:2-4 My brethren, master the joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience, but let the patience have its perfect work, that you may be mature and want nothing.
This joy that we master in trials is the joy that is set before us, as it is patterned by the Lord Jesus:
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured (Hupomone) the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
The joy is not to be experienced in the time of trial but it will be lived out after the time of overcoming the trial through patience. Sometimes this joy also shows itself during the trial times as a result of partial victories or due to the manifest presence of the Lord who is close to us in our hour of need. When this patience is the one manifested by the Lord Jesus in and through us, we are able, through the power of God, according to the mighty strength of His glory, to overcome and thus to grow to maturity, and to want nothing else (even if we are lacking during trials) but to do the perfect will of the Father, just as Lord Jesus wanted to.
The Lord Jesus Christ was and still is the first who manifested this kind of patience through which the Father’s will is perfectly fulfilled.
So, the question was whether the sin-corrupted man would be able to attain the same kind of patience as the Lord’s.
1Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
1Tim 1:16 However, for this reason, I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.
Of all the people Paul was the first in whom the Lord manifested His long-suffering as a pattern to all those in the coming generations who are going to believe in Him to attain the everlasting life.
Mercy – eleo (Gk.)
Long-suffering – Makrothumia (Gk) of the Lord Jesus was first manifested in Paul, and then through the Body of Christ, the Church.
Pattern – Hupotuposis (Gk) – example, pattern for the ones who are going to believe.
For/ in/ everlasting life – zoes ainios (Gk.)
Thus the longsuffering (Makrothumia) of the Lord Jesus was first demonstrated in Paul and then multiplied in the believers from all ages.
This is the path to spiritual maturity.
The first sign of an apostle is patience which is the proof of it being multiplied to the believers.
2Cor 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
So patience is considered the first sign of maturity that qualifies for apostolic ministry. Then come the power, signs, and wonders.
We cannot accomplish by ourselves the long-suffering of our Lord Jesus. That is why the Holy Spirit dwelling in us bears fruit besides love, joy, peace – long-suffering…
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control.
In the context of life and of the trials allowed by the Father, we are transformed in our inner man by the Spirit of the Lord, and thus we attain the long-suffering that is doing its perfect work in us so that we can become mature and want nothing else but to do the will of God.
Aware of his personal transformation, Paul is praying for the Colossian believers:
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;
Colossians. 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every
good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians. 1:11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and long-suffering with joy;
Our strengthening during trials is achieved by receiving all the might according to His glorious power to attain the patience (Hupomone) and long-suffering (Makrothumia) of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is the prayer of Paul who has realized that while in the process of sanctification and growing to maturity, all the Christians need to receive the strength through the Might of His Glorious Power, amidst trials, in order to attain patience and long-suffering.
In March 1987 I met the Lord Jesus face to face (Panim al Panim). By divine Love and Grace, I received forgiveness and salvation. Since then I have felt an unquenchable longing to see the Lord in all His Glory, and to have fellowship with Him.
I began to pray and ask for this while conferring with mature believers who encouraged me saying that doing God’s will and obeying His commandments (John 14), we can directly have fellowship with Him and see Him.
John 14:21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
After a few weeks, in May 1987, I began to pray and ask God that He would manifest Himself to me as He had shown Himself to Paul. During a night as I was praying, I received from the Lord this question: “Are you ready to suffer as Paul did?” I answered: Yes!
It was my request because I wanted to see the Lord and I answered YES.
After long years of experiencing trials and tribulations, I have understood that then I chose the path of suffering and gaining the longsuffering of our Lord Jesus. Now I know that this is a way that is transforming us and I know that God has still work to do in me and in the people around me.
The Greek word Hupomone means both patience and suffering, endurance – to endure or to suffer respectively.
I understand that I have chosen the path the apostle Paul had chosen, to be like Lord Jesus in long-suffering and thus to want to do the will of the Father in a mature way.
Over the years I have realized that the fullness of the Glory is corporately manifested and there is that measure of the Manifest Presence of the Lord amidst the Assembly of the saints that is unmatched by any individual experiences we used to have.
Matt. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
But in these days of August 2013, when Miruna’s life was on its limit, I saw how the trial works patience at another level, and I understood the purpose of patience in our maturing and fulfilling the will of the Heavenly Father. I have understood that when we patiently go through trial and are growing mature into the likeness of the Lord Jesus, we see and experience all the power according to the might of His Glory.
I had fellowship and Communion with Miruna, David, and Philip (my sons) in the hospital, and I understood that, when breaking of bread and sharing the cup of the New Covenant, the Lord of Glory manifests His Presence with the one that is under trial and in whom His long-suffering is working.
Therefore we understand that there is a corporate manifestation of Glory, due to the Manifest Presence of the Lord Jesus, but there is also a sharing of Power due to the manifesting of the Glory for each Christian found amidst the trial and who is waiting patiently for the deliverance while praying, worshiping and thanksgiving.
What are the consequences of attaining the patience of Jesus Christ?
A.
The entire world is striving to draw our soul to its side but we overcome it through patience. The evil one wants our soul because it is the greatest strength source for him. But we can win the battle and have our souls in harmony with our whole being by God’s blessing.
Luke 21:19 By your patience possess your souls.
Let us not despise our trials or run away from them, for trials work longsuffering that guards/win our soul.
B.
Patience is a sign of spiritual maturity.
Tit 2:2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;
C.
The fulfillment of God’s promises always follows after faith and patience and not before them.
Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end,
Hebrews 6:12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Promise – Epangelia (Gk.) – means good promise, blessing, a given promise
The fulfillment of promises follows after patience and fulfillment of God’s will.
Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of patience, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.
We can not see the fulfillment of God’s promises by proclaiming Bible verses if, before that, we are not going through the trials determined by the Heavenly Father and intended for our growing in patience, maturity, and fulfillment of his will.
D.
The trying of faith works patience. The Lord does not try the faith of those who are not His. His purpose is our growing mature which is preceded by the manifesting of Lord Jesus’ patience in us when we are willing to do only the Father’s will (James 1:3-4)
At the beginning of this theological meditation I stated that patience is a gateway toward happiness.
James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
In the Old Testament we meet people who are in some respect prototypes of Lord Jesus Christ:
Josef (the lord) – Jesus is the Lord of His brothers
Samuel (the prophet) – Jesus is the expected Prophet
David (the king) – Jesus is the Great King
Melchizedek (the priest) – Jesus is the High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek
Job (the man of suffering and patience/endurance) – Jesus possesses the long suffering that accomplishes perfectly the will of the Heavenly Father
Adam (the first man) – Jesus is the Second Adam, perfect God and Man
Apostles Peter and John tell us about patience, as well.
2Peter 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
2Peter 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Peter1:7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
To become perfect in love we must begin with faith, so that we may receive the knowledge of God, and by self-control and patience that lead to godliness, we may attain brotherly kindness and love of people.
Patience is the link between self-control and godliness – the godly awe, full of respect and obedience to Heavenly Father.
Revelation 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
John is fellowshipping with us in trouble, the kingdom and the patience of Jesus Christ. It is not the human standard of patience that must be acquired, but the one pertaining to our Lord Jesus.
The human model is therefore not to be sought, no matter how great and holy a leader might be, but we are to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and live as He lived.
He who is Christ’s will keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus:
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.
Again we see how patience is foundational to fulfilling God’s commandments and to the keeping of the faith of Lord Jesus that was given to us once and for all.
We cannot conclude this fascinating subject of patience without repeating our Lord Jesus’ promise:
Rev.3:10 Because you have kept the word of My patience, I will also keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
To the most spiritual of the Seven Churches of Revelation, Lord Jesus promises that He will keep her from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world BECAUSE she kept His word of patience.
In Greek, it is Logos Hupomone – word of patience. This means that Lord Jesus gave us once and for all, the word of His Father’s will concerning the patience, which we need to know, to fulfill and to proclaim to all who are on the path of faith.
Conclusion:
As there is the Faith of Lord Jesus, there is also the patience of Lord Jesus.
By being obedient to the Faith of the Lord Jesus in the Father, we all are reckoned righteous, He won once and for all the redemption of sins through His sacrifice. When the Faith of Lord Jesus comes by hearing God’s Word into the heart – Rhematos Theou, it gives birth to faith in Lord Jesus through which we individually obtain the righteousness. By confessing it with the mouth, we attain salvation and enter the path of sanctification and maturity.
Because we are His children, the Heavenly Father leads and chastise us (paideia in Gk.) through trials, to bring us to maturity (Hebrews 12:5-11).
In order to achieve the complete work of patience that is preceding the work of growing mature, we need to know and keep the Word of patience, to take heed and follow the example of Lord Jesus.
In the context of trials, He is separating what is good from what is evil in us, He is making us grow in the inner man and through the Holy Spirit, He is transforming us in His image from Glory to Glory.
Lord Jesus’ patience is to be revealed in the life of every believer. The first man in whom the Lord Jesus manifested His longsuffering was the Apostle Paul.
We go through the same process as Paul did, in order to attain our spiritual growth until we get to want nothing for ourselves but the good, acceptable and perfect will of Our Father.
Amen!
Biblical verses about patience and long suffering
G3114
μακροθυμέω
makrothumeō
Total KJV Occurrences: 14
long, 3
Luk_18:7, 1Co_13:4, Jam_5:7
patience, 3
Mat_18:26, Mat_18:29, Jam_5:7
patient, 3
1Th_5:14, Jam_5:7-8 (2)
bear, 1
Luk_18:7
endured, 1
Heb_6:15
longsuffering, 1
2Pe_3:9
patiently, 1
Heb_6:15
suffereth, 1
1Co_13:4
G5281
ὑπομονή
hupomonē
Total KJV Occurrences: 33
patience, 29
Luk_8:15, Luk_21:19, Rom_5:3-4 (2), Rom_8:25, Rom_15:4-5 (2), 2Co_6:4, 2Co_12:12, Col_1:11, 1Th_1:3, 2Th_1:4, 1Ti_6:11, 2Ti_3:10, Tit_2:2, Heb_10:36, Heb_12:1, Jam_1:3-4 (2), Jam_5:11, 2Pe_1:6 (2), Rev_1:9, Rev_2:2-3 (2), Rev_2:19, Rev_13:10 (2), Rev_14:12
patient, 2
Rom_2:7, 2Th_3:5
continuance, 1
Rom_2:7
enduring, 1
2Co_1:6
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