God’s Patience

Here is a series of verses that give us just how great and vast is the patience of our God.  2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  God is always depicted as being “Longsuffering” as his Patience is huge and immense, God is extremely patient. 1 Corinthians 13:4 “Charity suffereth long, [and] is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,” Now “God is Love” so let us read this verse this in a new and fuller way, 1 Corinthians 13:4 “God’s patience suffers “LONG”, [and] is very kind; God envies no-one; God does not exaltingly boast about himself, God does not let himself get an inflated ego,” {Adapted}

If we go way back to Abraham, he was promised a vast land for his descendants to inherit, long before he even travelled years to get there, but at the time there were other nations currently living there.  Abraham dwelt as a stranger in that land, Isaac also dwelt in the land, then Jacob also dwelt in the land, many long years passed by, and they inherited not because the sins of the inhabitants had not yet filled itself to the maximum, unto their condemnation, before they were to be removed, God is very patient with sinners.  Exodus 12:40-41 “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, [was] four hundred and thirty years.  And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.”

That is 430 years, plus 40 years for distrusting God at the borders of the Promised Land, plus the life of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob until they went down to Egypt, plus the times God had previously already plead with them long, you are now way over 500 years.  Would your patience stretch that long, or maybe just for a few seconds and then ka-boom look out?  God’s patience lasts way longer than your life, but when you die, all the decisions that you made in this life are forever fixed, unchangeable, at which point God is forced to accept your lifestyle decisions, and they are set for eternity.  Revelation 22:11 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”

God’s Patience is immense, but your life is very short and finite, and God is then forced to accept your decisions, whether they are acceptance of him or rejection of him, Matthew 12:30 “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad,” but Revelation 22 gives us a “Grading Scale,” passively wicked, and then those who are passionately evil. It is also interesting to note that the same scale is also applied to those who accept God, passively Christian, and those who are passionately active and dedicatedly following and serving God. At the end of your life, your character is fixed for eternity, and can never be adapted or changed, also your eternal reward is also fixed.  2 Peter 3:11-12 “[Seeing] then [that] all these things shall be dissolved, what manner [of persons] ought ye to be in [all] holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

God’s patience is immense, but eventually each of their cups of iniquity is filled up, and that is their end, so why not with repentance and confession of all our sins, we should each empty out our “cup of iniquity” and start to fill up our “cup of good works” for both are given a reward of a “pay packet” as in Revelation 22:11, the reward of one is death eternally and the other reward is life eternally, Paradise and living with Jesus Christ, so which cup of yours is filling up and which is draining out?  If you are not happy living with Jesus Christ as your Lord and King right now, then he will reluctantly accept your rejection wishes, and you become ash and dust (Malachi 4:1-3), Romans 6:23    “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Ezekiel 8:31 “Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”  Why be gone, why push God’s Patience, and perish, so why not right now change track and have real life in Jesus Christ now, and Eternity living with Jesus Christ as a Bonus Offer, so why do we all try to push God’s Patience?  God is very Patient, God suffers long with and for us, but there are eternal consequences for living for God or for rejecting him, each of us have our future in our hands and it is our personal decision as to the final outcome, God accepts your rejection of him as well as your devotion to him, it is your “Free Will Offering.”

Dear Reader; God’s Patience is immense, so why would you ever push your luck by rejecting his love and forgiveness, please be a good “Prodigal Son” and come right back home, right now.