When we read about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, one word stands out in particular: longsuffering. It has affected many within the Church of God, and it is something we must understand correctly. God has the power to fulfill all things, and long suffering requires ongoing patience. Patience and longsuffering go hand in hand.
Longsuffering means having patience in spite of troubles. It requires ongoing patience to wait faithfully for Christ’s return, even though we do not know exactly when that will be. In the meantime, we face trials, live in a world filled with hate and violence, and struggle to live God’s Way of Life. In this day and age, we have been called out of this world for a reason—to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and to prepare mankind for Christ’s Second Coming—and we have been given God’s knowledge and power to apply this in our lives. When we suffer from sickness, for example, we must pray continually for God’s healing and trust Him to answer in His time. We must believe that God will fulfill His promise to heal us and to continue to use us in His service, even though He might not intervene right away.
Christ endured longsuffering during His life on earth to fulfill His mission, which included saving us from death. He lived as a human being, preached the Gospel, and sacrificed Himself for all mankind so that we may live and receive forgiveness of sins. He knew He would face a horrible death, yet He remained obedient to God the Father. He asked that the cup pass from Him three times, even though He knew that this was not possible. And so, He submitted to God’s Will for our sake (compare Matthew 26:39-44).
God the Father and Jesus Christ are patient, merciful, and longsuffering, as the Bible shows in many places (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalms 86:15). We read in 2 Peter 3:14-15: “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.”
We also read in 2 Peter 3:9:
“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
Also, let’s notice Romans 2:4: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”
We know that God the Father and Christ are longsuffering with us, because we sin at times and yet God still gives us life and mercy. Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament, dealing directly and personally with the people, but He acted on behalf of the Father, being totally unified with Him, His Will and His mindset. That is why we read that God is “one.” However, God’s longsuffering is not endless. He gave people many chances to repent and live His Way, but when disobedience and disregard for the Truth continued, there came a point when His longsuffering ended (Genesis 6:5-12). It was not because of His gentleness or kindness that destroyed mankind, but man’s own corrupt and carnal behavior led to their destruction. We see similar attitudes in society today, and it will only grow worse until Christ returns and stops the total destruction of this world.
Israel endured longsuffering while enslaved in Egypt, waiting for the day when they would be freed. They would be blessed if they agreed to keep God’s Law (Exodus 19:1, 3-8). God also endured longsuffering with the Israelites, but it eventually came to an end when He removed the inheritance He had given them after they repeatedly defied His righteous rule. They had agreed to keep God’s Law, and they knew that disobedience would bring curses and eventually exile from the land God had given them as a blessing (Deuteronomy 28).
This was a strong warning for the Israelites, and it is a warning for us today. If only they had stopped sinning and repented, events would have unfolded differently. God was still patient with them, but after several hundred years of rebellion and repeated efforts to turn them back to the right path, He finally drove Israel out of their inheritance through the king of Assyria (2 Kings 17:5-18).
Israel was not the only nation to reject God’s commandments; Judah followed their example as well (2 Kings 17:19). Eventually, God also removed them from the land through the king of Babylon (2 Kings 24:1-4). The two main reasons for their captivity was Sabbath-breaking and idolatry. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of this world, thinking it is acceptable to keep pagan practices and traditions because “everyone else is doing it.” That attitude is dangerous, and those who once knew the Truth but returned to the world, by, for example, forsaking the Sabbath and the Holy Days and keeping instead Christmas or Easter, will face a sobering awakening when they cry out to God: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).
Saul is a warning example of a man who seemed to have everything going for him until pride took hold and he began to fear men more than God, losing his humility and trust (1 Samuel 15:17-25). As a result, God rejected him (compare verse 26). God withdrew His mercy, took the kingdom from him, withdrew His Spirit, and allowed an evil spirit to trouble him, which led him farther and farther from righteousness and ultimately to his death (1 Samuel 15:28; 16:14; 22:16-19; 31:1-6). This is a serious warning: God gave him a chance, and he failed. We must make sure that the same does not happen to us.
At that time, God’s longsuffering had ended for Israel, Judah, and certain individuals like Saul. But there is still hope: In the future, mankind will have a chance to obey God and live His Way. This would include ancient Israel and Judah, but not King Saul, who committed the unpardonable sin. This process of universal salvation for most people will begin with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and God’s rule over the earth, as it is written in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”
Those who endure to the end will experience in the first resurrection what is described in Revelation 20:4-6. The old things will be forgotten, because God will make all things new again (Revelation 21:4, 7-8). Those who think God’s commandments have been done away with are mistaken; Jesus says in the last chapter of the Book of Revelation that God’s Law still stands: “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city” (Revelation 22:14).
Our longsuffering will come to an end, just as God’s longsuffering for mankind will come to an end, and everyone who did not commit the unpardonable sin will have the chance to live a perfect life and receive God’s reward, as we read in verse 12:“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”
Do we understand why we suffer? How could we become perfect or grow in knowledge if we never went through trials? Each of us face different struggles in life, often in the areas that affect us most. We will continue to endure suffering until Christ returns, because these experiences help train us to become perfect and immortal beings prepared to share God’s righteousness in the future. Christ also suffered on earth for our sake, giving mankind the opportunity to become part of God’s Family, and we have that first opportunity now. Christ understands what we go through, and Peter reminds us that we are blessed in our sufferings and that we suffer for God’s glory (1 Peter 3:14, 17; 4:12-19).
We need to look at the bigger picture and understand that with God’s help, nothing we face is too difficult to overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). God knows what we are going through, and He will bless and take care of us if we put our faith and trust in Him. Our longsuffering will soon come to an end and give way to the peace, restoration, and the joy of God’s Kingdom.
Lead Writer: Michael Link