1 Corinthians 13:4a
Ps Paul Cheng
“As believers, when we exercise patience in our lives, it is a wonderful testimony of the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.…”
~4 min read
Dear Bethelites,
Love suffereth long (1 Corinthians 13:4a)
Here in 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostle Paul defined love in fifteen characteristics. Essentially he was saying, “This is what love is, and this is what love is not.” Beginning with the first characteristic, love suffereth long.
To suffer long was to patiently endure. Here it was used to describe patience with people. It was the ability to be taken advantage of by a person or some people again and again, and yet not retaliate. Chrysostom, the early church father, explained it this way, “It is a word which is used of the man who is wronged or mistreated and who has it easily in his power to avenge himself, but will never do it.”
The supreme example of patience was God Himself. It was because of God’s patience that prevented this world from being destroyed, and allowed time for men to be saved. God could have destroyed this world, but because He was long-suffering, He patiently endured (c.f. 2 Peter 3:9).
In the last century, there was this very well-known atheist who would often stop in the middle of his lectures, and he would speak against the existence of God. And then he would pause and say, “I will give God five minutes to strike me dead for the things I have said.” Then he would use the fact that he was not struck dead as proof that God did not exist. But one faithful Christian heard what he said and responded very wisely, “Do you really think you can exhaust the patience of the eternal God in five minutes? Satan cannot even do it over a period of thousands of years, and you want to do it in five minutes?”
On the cross, our Lord Jesus Christ taught us this most wonderful lesson about patience. As He was dying on the cross, rejected by those whom He had come to save, He prayed, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). One of the early disciples, deacon Stephen, followed the footsteps of Jesus so faithfully that as he laid dying while the persecutors were throwing stones at him, his concern was for his murderers rather than for himself. He was long-suffering, patently endured, and he cried out, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge (Acts 7:60).
We need patience to love – Why do we need patience? We have been commanded by God to love. But who are we to love? Love those who are lost and our enemies! If we are going to love people who do not know Christ who would potentially oppose and reject us, and people who are enemies of God who would possibly persecute us, then we need much patience.
We have been commanded to love the believers. One may think, “Well, that’s easy because they are believers.” Do you really think so? Sometimes it is even more difficult to love the believers because we expect them to live according to certain standards of biblical truth. And when they do not live to that standard, we are frustrated and discouraged. It is more painful when a believer gossips about you or cheats you than when an unbeliever does so. Our family, spouses, children and church friends, are all sinners just like we are. If we are going to love them, we must bear in mind that there will be things in their lives that will challenge, discourage, disappoint and test our ability to love them. We need patience!
We need patience to preach the word – We need patience to preach the word and share the gospel. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (why must we preach with all longsuffering, because the next verse said) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears (2 Timothy 4:2, emphasis mine).
When a brother in Christ is living in sin, you need to speak the truth in love. It may hurt him, break the fellowship, destroy the relationship, and cause him to think of you as critical judgmental and unloving. He may call you all kinds of undesirable names, and the easiest thing is not to do or say anything. But that is not love. You still have to do it despite all the difficulties, and that is why you need patience to preach the truth!
A word of encouragement to all those who are serving the Lord in different capacities. You may face adversities, rejections and have nasty name-calling hurled at you. Perhaps, you are contemplating giving up. Please do not do that! If you have love, you will persevere and press on, because love is long-suffering!
As believers, when we exercise patience in our lives, it is a wonderful testimony of the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is evident that we are walking in the Spirit and producing the fruit of the Spirit, of which one of them is patience. But the opposite is true as well. When we are impatient, it shows that we are not walking in the Spirit. Thus it is not a trivial matter. When we are not patient, it means we are not loving, and when we are not loving, it means we are not walking in the Spirit. And that in itself is sin!
Dear friend, love is long-suffering or patient, and it is a supernatural work, and only God can help us to do that. We need to pray, “Lord, I know I am going to face many challenges in the relationships, circumstances and situations of life. Please strengthen me in my inner man according to your power so that I will demonstrate this loving patience. And others may see this loving patience which is impossible apart from the wonder working of your Spirit so that they may give glory to thee.” God, who has given to you this commandment, love suffereth long, will give you the strength and ability to love patiently!
With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng
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