Growing in Grace - Patience

"GROWING IN GRACE - PATIENCE" Larry Yarber

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;" (2nd Peter 1:5-6).

Strong defines patience, "hupomone, hoop-om-on-ay; from hupomeno; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting)" (STRONG, p. 100). Vine defines our term, "hupomone, lit., 'an abiding under' (hupo, 'under,' meno, 'to abide'), is almost invariably rendered 'patience' ..." (VINE, p. 462). In commenting on patience, Brother Guy N. Woods writes, "The word translated patience here is more nearly endurance, inasmuch as it suggests somewhat more than mere resignation to life's difficulties. It includes the idea of positive resistance of evils and a steadfast bearing up under them. Self-control leads to and perfects patient endurance, because only those who discipline themselves are able to endure patiently the trials of life" (Gospel Advocate Commentaries, 2nd Peter, p. 151). Since Webster defines patience as, "... The quality, capacity, or act of being patient ...” it becomes necessary for us to see how he defines patient, "patient, pa-shent, a. [L. patiens, patientis] Bearing pain or trial without complaining; sustaining afflictions with fortitude, calmness, or submission; waiting with calmness; not hasty; long-suffering; persevering; calmly diligent; able to bear, used with of.-n. ..." (WEBSTER, p. 695). All of these comments should equip us with the ability to comprehend what our Biblical term, patience, means.

Jesus pointed out the need for and importance of patience in our life when He said, "In your patience possess ye your souls" (Luke 21:19). The Hebrew writer follows this thought up by adding, "For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise", he later on writes, "... but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (Hebrews 10:36-38). This statement certainly dispels the doctrine of 'once saved, always saved', and warns against the danger of apostasy. In the parable of the sower, our Lord contrasts this attitude with an illustration of those who persevere, "But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience" (Luke 8:15).

Patience seems to be developed by trial. Paul penned, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience hope; And hope maketh not ashamed; ..." (Romans 5:3-5). James worded it in this manner, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (James 1:2-4).

Other Biblical writers call our attention to the patience of past servants and then exhort us to display this same type of patience, "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy" (James 5:11). In referring to Abraham, the Hebrew writer said, "That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. For when God made promise to Abraham, ..., he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured he obtained the promise" (Hebrews 6:12-15).

Finally, we are exhorted by the Hebrew writer to, "... lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us; and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1). May each one of us heed this exhortation?