1181-The Fruit of the Spirit - Patience#
1181-The Fruit of the Spirit - Patience
(JP Text Group - Peipei Compilation)
James 5:7-11
Brothers, you must be patient until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until it receives the early and late rains. You also must be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Brothers, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. Thank You for preparing such a time for us to draw near to You. Today, through this time, let us receive the supply You have for us. Holy Spirit, sanctify this time. I wish to enjoy Your presence during this time, renewing myself through Your word. You know our needs; please grant us the wisdom and strength we need this week. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray; Amen!
Today we share: Patience
The content we just looked at in James 5:7-11 is somewhat different from our Chinese Union Version. I have checked the original text and some explanations in Greek. Let’s take a look at our text today;
Brothers, you must be patient until the Lord comes; see how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth.
In the original text, patience refers to expectation. But it is not a painful endurance; rather, it is a very active and willing expectation for the arrival of the final result. When the farmer plants wheat, he expects a good harvest the following year. No one plants wheat today and digs it up tomorrow to see if it has grown or sprouted.
Because they all understand that this requires patience and waiting. Although they cannot see anything after sowing, they know that when the time comes and the seedlings sprout, they will see hope. The farmer waits with an expectant heart for the precious fruit of the earth. This process requires patience until he receives the autumn and spring rains.
Brothers and sisters, we know that before the wheat is harvested, the autumn and spring rains are very important. This is given by God, and it is difficult for man to do this. Here it says we should wait for Christ like the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth.
You also must be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. We know that when Jesus Christ returns, He will completely separate the wheat from the tares; He will gather the wheat into His barn and burn the tares in the fire.
So when Jesus Christ returns a second time, there will be no need to preach the gospel anymore. There will be no need for patience because the harvest time has come. But before that, we must wait patiently like the farmer expects the precious harvest. But this patience is not passive; it is an active expectation of a good harvest.
Brothers, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged.
Where does this judgment come from? Is it from the Lord?
Romans 8:1 says; There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
So here, being judged means being condemned, criticized, or reproached. One thing is certain: this does not come from the Lord. Because the Lord no longer condemns us. Jesus has accomplished the work of redemption on the cross. The price of sin has been paid in full. Therefore, God no longer condemns you; He no longer reproaches you.
So where does this judgment come from? It comes from people. Brothers and sisters, although we talk about grace, it does not mean that people can act recklessly. If we often complain about others, we will also receive complaints in return. If we frequently criticize others, we will receive the same treatment.
Luke 6:31 says, "As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them."
So why do people complain? It is because their focus has shifted from Jesus Christ. Perhaps it has shifted to people, so they see the shortcomings and problems of others. When people shift their focus from Jesus Christ to their environment, they will see that the environment is not good for them. Because the target is misplaced.
When your faith is correct, your life and actions will also be correct. But if your faith is wrong, your life will also go wrong. Therefore, it says here, brothers, do not grumble against one another.
Many conflicts between couples often start from mutual complaints. Often because of a small disagreement, which is actually not a big deal, they end up arguing more and more fiercely, bringing up old grievances, blaming each other, and eventually leading to physical fights or even divorce. This is exactly how people fall into the devil's trap. Because the devil hopes for discord and complaints among people.
John 10:10 says, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
Jesus hopes that we live in harmony with others, receiving His abundant life and living out this abundant life.
Behold! The Judge is standing at the door. The Lord has not given us the right to judge others because the authority of judgment is in the hands of the Lord Jesus. Our mission now is to preach the gospel, to tell people that God has forgiven all their sins, and that God has accepted them because Jesus has accomplished salvation.
Last time we talked about the messengers of the gospel of peace. Jesus does not want us to condemn or judge others. If you find someone has a problem, you must pray for them, but do not spread critical words around; this is very dangerous. Let me give you an example from the Bible, and you may understand.
When Moses led the Israelites to the edge of the Jordan River, he sent twelve spies into the land of Canaan to see what the land was like. At that time, twelve men went, and after forty days, two men returned carrying a cluster of grapes. After they returned, ten men said the following words:
Numbers 13:27-28
And they told Moses, "We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large, and we saw the descendants of Anak there."
Although the land is good, we cannot enter because the walls are high, and the people there are very tall; we are no match for them; we feel like grasshoppers in their sight, and they see us as grasshoppers too. All ten men said this, and their words caused two million people to weep loudly.
Numbers 14:1-4
Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt, or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt."
Brothers and sisters, when people lack a heart of patience, they will complain. This is the power of complaints; negative news spreads faster than positive news. Just like we say in life, good news seldom travels, but bad news spreads far and wide. You will find that these ten men influenced two million Israelites at that time. These people wept loudly and complained, wanting to return to Egypt.
Although there were two men, Joshua and Caleb, who said it was okay, even though the walls were high and the enemies were tall, we have God; they are our food. Did the Israelites believe them? They wanted to pick up stones to kill these two men. They did not believe what these two men said.
Brothers and sisters, therefore do not grumble against one another. Have a patient heart like the farmer and strengthen your hearts.
Brothers, you should take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord as an example of suffering and patience. We call those who were patient blessed.
This passage is not asking us to learn from the suffering of the prophets but to learn from their patience. So the original text is clearer. You should receive those prophets who endured suffering as examples. Suffering does not come from God, but they were able to learn patience in suffering, becoming our examples. Therefore, we should learn from those who do not give up on God in suffering and can still hold on to their faith.
If we complain about God and lose heart at the first sign of trouble, many will stumble. Although we may encounter suffering, we still believe that God is faithful. Such people are the examples we should learn from. Those who were patient before are called blessed. Why are they blessed? God calls those who stand firm blessed.
Last time we shared about Joseph, who was treated unfairly in the Old Testament, sold into Egypt by his own brothers. But he did not lose heart or give up. He still had faith in God. In the end, we know he was blessed because God exalted him and made him a blessing to many.
Abraham waited with a patient heart for twenty-five years and finally saw the fulfillment of God's promise with the birth of Isaac. These are all fruits of patience. They are blessed.
Today, the text mentions a man named Job. At the beginning of his suffering, Job had a wrong understanding of God until God personally corrected his viewpoint. Afterward, God doubled what he had lost and blessed him. We also call him blessed.
The devil tries every means to take away people's peace, joy, and patience. He wants people to become irritable and complain about everyone at the first sign of trouble. But God hopes you can have a heart of patience. Believe that He is a faithful God. Trust that He is still watching over you. Because we endure to the end, we will see the blessings that others cannot see.
You have heard of Job's patience; the original text means you know Job's perseverance. When did Job's perseverance become a lesson for us? It was when he complained about God but never gave up on relying on God. His three friends condemned him and misunderstood him. But even so, he did not give up on his God.
Let’s take a look at Job's story:
Many people have read the Book of Job. Very few have read the Book of Obadiah, Haggai, etc. Why? Because many people immediately relate themselves to Job when they encounter suffering. Some even declare Job's words in comparison to themselves.
Job 1:21 says, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."
As a result, the more they declare, the more discouraged they become, and eventually, they lose faith.
So what does the Book of Job say? It speaks of Job's patience.
Let’s share about Job's process of patience. What caused Job to encounter this disaster? Was it given by God? No, as we mentioned earlier, disasters do not come from God. The answer is in the first chapter.
Job offered sacrifices to God every day, and after offering the sacrifices, he began to fear and worry. He feared that his children would offend God, feared they would make mistakes, feared they would sin. Just like some people today, they believe that all their sins have been borne on the cross and know that God no longer remembers their sins. Yet every day they still worry. When their children go out to school, they pray, "Lord, please do not let anything happen to them on the road!"
Many people pray like this, similar to Job. Job was afraid that his children would forsake God and offend Him, so he often offered sacrifices and worried, and eventually, one day, the worst happened.
Job opened a door for the devil; he feared and worried every day, and eventually, this happened. At that time, Job concluded, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!"
Job believed that all blessings came from God, and God took them away, so he still had to bless God!
But in fact, God is not like that; Job's understanding of God was initially wrong. Until Job 38, when God personally taught Job, he truly understood God's heart.
His three friends came to comfort Job after hearing about his situation, but unexpectedly, their comfort made Job feel worse than death. I will summarize how his three friends comforted Job. When they saw Job, they wept loudly, saying, "Oh, I never expected such a thing to happen to you; we almost did not recognize you. How did you become like this?"
The first friend said, "Think carefully; you must have sinned; otherwise, how could God strike you? God does not strike the righteous; you should confess your sins!" Job replied, "I really have not sinned; I help the poor, assist orphans and widows; I have never defrauded anyone. If I have done such a thing, may the Lord punish me severely."
The second friend said, "Job, think carefully; maybe it is not your sin, but perhaps your children have sinned, and that has caused you to suffer too. Think about whether they have sinned." Job replied, "What does that have to do with me?"
The third friend finally said, "No matter what, God is always right; God punishes you because you deserve it." As a result, Job said, "Would that I had never been born; why is God tormenting me? Is it my sin, my parents' sin, or my relatives' sin, or is it God's punishment? I have nothing to say."
But in the end, God said, "Who has spoken words without knowledge to darken my counsel?"
Job 42:5-6
"I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore, I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."
After God personally taught Job, he realized he had misunderstood God, so he began to repent. He re-understood God and was willing to live according to God's word.
Job 42:10 "And the Lord restored the fortunes of Job when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before."
Do you know when he began to turn back from his suffering? It was when his heart turned back; he no longer complained but began to bless and pray for his friends. Therefore, in times of suffering, we learn patience. You must start by speaking words of blessing, saying what you want to achieve. You must believe that God will surely double what you have lost.
Many people, when they are sick or in suffering, say they no longer believe. But Job did not say that. In the end, we see the conclusion God gave him. Clearly, the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, Amen! This is our God.
You must be certain of one thing: sickness, disaster, and accidents do not come from God. Although the devil always tries to destroy what God's children have, God has greater power. Even if we fail, He will still double what He gives us. You must have such a heart, a resilient heart to believe in our Lord. Sometimes even if you suffer loss, God has the power to give you again. Have faith in our God, and patiently wait for God's blessings to come. God does not want us to live in past hurts, failures, and regrets.
Patience in the original text means two aspects. The first is a calm mindset while waiting for results. Just like the farmer, when he plants seeds, is he in pain or joy? Does he feel pain when he thinks, "Oh, I have to plant the seeds in the ground; this is such a painful thing!"? After sowing, their hearts are filled with hope, with a positive and joyful heart, and they expect a good harvest the following year.
When you do business, what do you expect? That the business will get better and better! When you work, what do you expect? That this month, hard work will yield many bonuses! First, you must have a good expectation. It is to hope for good fruit to come. This requires a patient heart to wait for the results to appear. You cannot plant grain today and expect to harvest tomorrow; no matter how great your faith is, it is impossible. The process of patiently waiting is also a process of enjoying joy, Amen!
The second aspect is: enduring provocation. When others slander or exclude you for no reason, what do you do? What you need to do is not to hold grudges, but to endure, restrain, and bear it. The first type of patience we can achieve is difficult; what we lack most is this power of patience. This requires us to receive His patience from Jesus, to pray in the Holy Spirit, and we can bear the fruit of patience.
Let’s look at an example from the Bible. When Moses led the Israelites, the Israelites were best at complaining! When the weather was a little hot, they said to Moses, "You brought us to this place where there is no water to drink and no meat to eat. When we were in Egypt, we did not have to worry about these things every day!"
They forgot that although they had meat soup in Egypt, they also had to endure the whip. What were they doing in Egypt? "Lord, please help us, save us; do not let us stay here; save us!" This was their cry to God. After God saved them, they began to complain about Him. "Why did You save us?" This is our human nature. However, how did God respond to such a group of people? He patiently waited, giving them opportunities to turn back!
The Israelites complained against God frequently during their forty years in the wilderness, but God still endured them; this is our God, brothers and sisters. So when you find others treating you this way, think about how God has endured us, and we will have the strength to endure.
After Moses received the law, the law stated that if you violated the Ten Commandments, the consequence was death. God was very clear about this, but the Israelites repeatedly violated the first commandment, "You shall have no other gods before me." In the major and minor prophets, they violated this command many times. The priests and kings at that time worshipped other gods in the temple, bowing down to the sun. Did they not understand Moses' law? But why did God not immediately judge them? God endured them, continually giving them opportunities to repent.
So the Bible describes God in this way:
Exodus 34:5-7
The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."
The Lord is a God full of grace. This shows that He is a God who blesses. So, brothers and sisters, what does it mean to be slow to anger? It does not mean He will not be angry; it means He is not willing to be easily angered. He is a God full of patience. At that time, the Israelites had all violated the law, and according to the law, they should have died immediately. The law of God had already been given. But what did God do? He sent His prophets to say, "Go tell my people they are going the wrong way; as long as they turn back, I will forgive them." God sent one prophet after another to tell the people, "Turn back; do not continue down this path." How did the people treat these prophets sent by God? Some were humiliated, and some were killed.
The prophet Jeremiah was a very unfortunate prophet; we call him the weeping prophet. The king at that time was very evil and had already violated God's words. He repeatedly refused to listen, and whenever Jeremiah spoke God's prophecy, he was beaten or imprisoned. Eventually, Jeremiah stopped wanting to speak.
Jeremiah 20:7-9
"O Lord, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me. For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, 'Violence and destruction!' For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long. If I say, 'I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,' there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot."
In the end, the Israelites were taken captive, not because God wanted it, but because God repeatedly gave them opportunities to turn back, but they all refused. They went their own way. Jeremiah shed many tears for the Israelites to turn back, but in the end, he could not win back the hearts of the Israelites. God remembers Jeremiah's sacrifices. As people of God, as long as we do according to God's will, even if we do not achieve success, God remembers our efforts. Our efforts in Christ are not in vain.
In the Bible, there is a man named Jonah. The Book of Jonah mentions that God told Jonah, "Go to the city of Nineveh and preach the gospel to them, for in forty days that city will be destroyed." The people in that city were exceedingly wicked.
Jonah did not want to go; why? Because Nineveh was the capital of their enemies. God told him to go east, but he went west. Jonah wanted to see their destruction with his own eyes.
As a result, God blocked his journey, and he was thrown into the sea, staying in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights. Finally, the fish vomited him out near Nineveh. He went to that place, and although it was a three-day journey, he only walked for one day. He did not have a heart of patience and did not want them to repent.
At the end of the day, he built a small shelter outside the city, wanting to wait forty days to see their outcome. But God saw that the entire city of Nineveh, from the king to the servants, all repented in sackcloth and ashes. God did not bring disaster upon those people.
This made Jonah very angry, saying, "Lord, I knew that You are a gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; I knew that if they repented, You would not be angry." Do you see our God? God is full of love, full of mercy, and slow to anger. Although you have many shortcomings and problems, when you are willing to turn back, God will immediately pour His blessings upon you. This is God's patience toward us.
Today, God is the same with us; some people believe in the Lord at thirty, and God has endured this person for thirty years. Some believe at fifty, and God has endured this person for fifty years. During these fifty years, this person did not regard God as God, violated God's words, perhaps did not respect God, and even blasphemed God. But God still patiently waits for the day when the person is willing to turn back.
The Lord Jesus also left us an example of patience.
1 Peter 2:20-23:
"For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly."
If a person is beaten for wrongdoing, there is nothing to boast about in that patience. This also shows us that even after believing in the Lord, we still need to have good behavior. Otherwise, we will also be punished. There is another situation where we suffer for doing good. If we are slandered or falsely accused for the sake of the gospel, if we have a heart of patience at that time, this is pleasing to God. Jesus endured the insults of the world and ultimately died on the cross for our sins.
Because Christ suffered for the gospel, we must also be prepared. Do not believe what some people say, that once you believe in the Lord, you will only receive grace and live a beautiful life. God has not promised this. It says here that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we can imitate His faith and follow in His steps. Jesus did not sin, nor did He act deceitfully; He always gave grace to others. When He was insulted, He did not argue for Himself but silently endured, entrusting Himself to the one who judges justly. We should do the same. Let the Judge execute judgment.
Who is insulting Him? It is people who insult Him; who harmed Him? It is people who harmed Him. But how did Jesus face such a situation? When people insulted Him, He did not retaliate; when others harmed Him, He forgave them in His heart. He entrusted Himself to the one who judges justly. So this means that when others slander you or defame you, you should entrust yourself to the Lord. You say, "Lord, You know my heart; I have not done such a thing, so please vindicate me!"
Romans 12:17-19
"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.'"
Paul tells us not to repay evil for evil, which requires a heart of patience. If it were not for the Holy Spirit granting us patience, it would be very difficult for people to endure for a long time. Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit; therefore, we need to draw strength from the Holy Spirit. This way, good behavior will be shown before others. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace with others.
When we encounter misunderstandings and injustices, what should we do? Paul tells us not to take revenge but to yield and leave it to the Lord's wrath. This means in prayer, entrust this matter to our Lord. He is the righteous Lord; He will vindicate you.
Romans 5:1-5
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."
The fruit of patience can build our character. Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit; do not rely on yourself to endure; otherwise, you will not be able to last long. But when you bear the fruit of patience in the Holy Spirit, this patience is lasting and does not cause harm. In the process of patience, good character is produced. And all of this comes from being justified by faith and looking to the grace of the Lord Jesus. Only when people see God's glory will they develop a heart of patience in various sufferings. This is God's love upon us.
No matter how difficult the environment is, God has the power to change it. But in some environments, God does not remove them immediately; God hopes to build our good character through these environments so that we can bear greater blessings.
Children cannot bear the blessings of adults; adults possess a patience that children do not have. Children lack a heart of patience. Therefore, when suffering comes, let God grant us a heart of patience to overcome all environments.
Hebrews 6:10-12 tells us,
"For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do. And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."
Here we talk about an example, the example of Abraham. Verses 13-15 say, "For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, 'Surely I will bless you and multiply you.' And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise."
God promised Abraham that he would have a child, but Abraham needed to wait patiently. Although God swore, he had to have a heart of enduring patience to wait for the result to appear.
And today, people in the world, whether in business or making friends, do not want to be friends with someone who is unpredictable; you do not know what will happen next. But you are willing to associate with a patient person. Just like Brother Wang in our church, people in his company say, "Brother Wang has such a good temper." This is because he has a heart of patience inside.
Otherwise, if you say something and the person immediately reacts, you think, "I better stay away from you because this person cannot control their temper; who knows what surprises they might bring us one day!" People are willing to associate with those who have the character of patience. Therefore, I wish for you to have the fruit of patience.
How many years did God make Abraham wait? At seventy-five, Abraham encountered God and waited for twenty-five years before he had a son. After enduring patiently, he would cherish it more.
Brothers and sisters, this is the result of patience. If today we ask for something and God gives it to us tomorrow, people's gratitude and appreciation will not be much. However, after enduring patiently, the feelings are different. After twenty-five years, when Abraham received this child, he realized one thing: God's word truly comes to pass.
Fifteen years later, when God said to Abraham, "Take your only beloved son and offer him as a burnt offering," Abraham offered him because he knew that the God he believed in was able to raise the dead and bring the nonexistent into existence. Why did he have such faith? Because he knew that in the past twenty-five years, when he had no hope, God was able to accomplish such great things. I waited patiently for twenty-five years and saw the result. So today, when God asks me to offer him, even if my son dies, God will raise him from the dead. Such a firm faith is produced in patience.
So I wish for you all to have a heart of patience because this is a very good character for a Christian. A person with the fruit of patience gives the impression of being steady and trustworthy. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I hope that no matter what happens to you, you will place it in prayer. Even if you do not see the result, do not lose heart; continue to patiently wait. He will accomplish the most beautiful blessings for us at the best time.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise You. Nothing we do in this world is in vain. Let me see Your glory in my daily life, living with hope, so that no matter what I encounter, I can patiently wait for Your results. I believe You can make all things work together for my good. This week, I believe You have prepared blessings, and I expect good things to happen to me. May I bear the fruit of patience. Thank You and praise You, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!