We are continuing our discovery of how God works through us to produce the fruit of the Spirit. Let’s read again in Galatians 5:22-23.

As a reminder, let’s look at the following four truths that are foundational. They need to become part of our heart and thinking.

1. The fruit of the Spirit is a cluster. When you are filled with the Spirit all nine are produced through you.

2. The two crucial commands are to walk in the Spirit(Galatians 5:16) and be filled with the Spirit(Eph. 5:18).

3. These fruits are the character of Jesus. It’s His love, His joy, His peace, etc. not your effort to produce them.

4. Walking in the Spirit brings glory to God.

Today we are going to focus on LONGSUFFERING. This word is translated most often as patience. It comes from a word that means to be ‘long tempered.’ The Bible says that God is ‘longsuffering’.

In other words, God is slow to avenge wrongs. He doesn’t immediately punish. He gives space to allow a person to repent. That’s good news! If He wasn’t patient, none of us, because of our sin, could make it!

When we are filled with His Spirit this will be our response when people mistreat us or hurt us. We will be slow to take revenge or retaliate. Our immediate response won’t be to try to get even.

But there is another word sometimes translated patience. The word is better understood as endurance or perseverance.

This type of patient endurance is only developed through trials, trouble, and tribulation. This kind of patience is NOT a fruit. It is from a word which means to remain under. Perseverance is developed. God does not ‘zap’ us with endurance, we learn it by experiencing the hard times in life. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish the need to persevere from the fruit of longsuffering.

So the fruit of the Spiritcalled longsuffering or patience is the character of Jesus to be slow to anger, slow to take revenge. Quick to forgive and move forward. When we act this way it is supernatural. Without Jesus we can’t act this way.

There are four basic ways that people can respond to the actions of other people. These simple equations will help you remember them:

The first two are normal human behavior. The third is demonically inspired. The fourth is supernormalor supernatural. Only a person walking in the Spirit and filled with the Spirit can return GOOD for EVIL.

Here is what Jesus said:

Jesus’ teaching in this passage is called The Sermon on the Mount. It’s Discipleship 101. It’s meant for those who go beyond Law and human effort. Imagine hearing these words in their Jewish context. It had to be overwhelming. But read these words as words for us! Without Jesus it’s a bar that is too high to jump. These are not suggestions. They aren’t for the super spiritual. They are for each one of us today that name the Name of Jesus!

Now back to Galatians 5:22-23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)

The world is going to try to falsely accuse, beat, and crucify you too. The world we live in is not kind, it’s brutal, and unfeeling. Here are some N.T. exhortations to believers:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1-3 (NKJV)

I have been teaching on Wednesday nights and in the Pastor’s Bible study on Sunday mornings on interpersonal relationships. We have looked at how to deal with anger, giving and receiving forgiveness, and how to get even God’s way.

As long as we live we have to interact with people. We are commanded to love one another. At work, school, in marriage, in the market place and wherever we travel the love of Jesus can be demonstrated in and through us.

Walking in the Spirit is not optional. Being filled with the Spirit is the only way to love as Jesus loved, forgive as He forgave, and exhibit the patience He showed while on the cross. Take a moment to check your ‘spiritual oil’ or your ‘spiritual temperature.’

How are your personal relationships?

Is there unforgiveness in your heart?

Are you impatient?

Are you longsuffering?

If not, you need Jesus’ presence and power in your life. You can’t do it on your own!

Come to Jesus right now!

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