Romans 2:4 Archives - Word of Grace Studies

The Love of God: Longsuffering

God’s quality of love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Because we are in Christ, and Christ is in us, through being led by the indwelling Holy Spirit as we seek to fulfill His desires and feel at ease with who we are in Christ we are able to express this type of love towards other Christians, Galatians 5:22. This is not a love that is to be directed at unbelievers or the world, for it is by this love towards each other that they will know that we are disciples of Christ. Rather, we are to do good to all, but above all, love the brethren, Galatians 6:10.

The love is longsuffering … 1 Corinthians 13:4

Longsuffering is the long holding out of one’s anger against unreasonable people. It is not the same as patience, which is remaining under a circumstance as we wait for a resolution, Colossians 1:11.

Longsuffering is very important when it comes to dealing with other saints as we mature in our faith. For we are to warn the unruly, comfort the little souled, uphold the weak, and be longsuffering towards all, 1 Thessalonians 5:14. This does not justify a sharp or bitter person that everyone must put up with their “quirks”. If that is you, stop it, for this is not expressing love towards others; rather, it is selfish and has no place among the saints. We are to serve each other in humility and objectivity of mind with longsuffering, Ephesians 4:2-6. As a farmer is longsuffering concerning the fruit of the earth, we are to be longsuffering towards each other, James 5:7-9.

One of the aspects of being a Pastor is to be persistent in teaching the truth, convicting, rebuking, exhorting with […]

To “Be” or to “Bear” a Witness

Acts 1:8 …but you will receive natural ability, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be to me witnesses in both Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and up to the ends of the earth.

Do your words line up with your actions?

True evangelism does not come from speaking to everyone you meet about God, it is a natural result of you living your life according to who you are in Christ because by doing so you will show others a quality of God’s character. The threat of hell and damnation never saved anyone. Oh, it may bring hoards into the Churches at times, but they are not truly seeking to know the Lord. How a person comes to a saving faith in Christ is by the kindness of God, never by an expression of His wrath.

Actions always speak loader than words. Telling a person that you are a Christian and living a lifestyle that is no different than an unsaved person is no testimony at all. It just simply shows that you do not really believe what you are saying.

Before Christ ascends to the third heaven to sit upon the throne, He informs the apostles that the Holy Spirit will give them the natural ability to be His witnesses in all the earth. Christ did not instruct them to bear a witness, but rather, he told them they would be a witness. It is the same with us today. We are never told to go out and evangelize the world; rather, we are told to always be ready to give a defense for the hope that we have when we are questioned about it. Even the verse used for the Great […]