Don’t Confuse Patience With Permission – Sunday Thought For The Day

Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, who is best known as Tertullian, was a powerful ecclesiastical voice in the second and third century AD.  It was he who makes one of the most powerful illuminating statements for walking in obedience to Christ when he said: “The Law found more than it lost when Christ said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven’ (Matthew 5:44-45). This most important commandment summarizes in a word the universal discipline of patience, since it does not allow us to do evil even to people who deserve it.”  

What a simple, yet incredibly deep observation to biblical directive.  It doesn’t speak to ignoring evil machinations directed at us and/or fully apparent in the 19th and 20th century.  As culture and the world grows increasingly more depraved, people opining the desire for the Lord to return and lamenting that He hasn’t, selfishly and perhaps even more often foolishly, fail to reconcile the Word of God with the reason Christ was come into the world.

What is most often ignored and/or missed is the fact that God’s patience in no way diminishes His divine judgement upon sin.  Be assured the day of reckoning awaits, but in the meantime the tolerance of God is shown by his longsuffering patience that none should perish, but that all should come to salvation by accepting Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  This is because God knows how incomprehensible an eternity spent in hell, is punishment so horrific that He is mercifully patient, wanting that none would be lost, but that all would come to repentance.

I believe it is the enormously imprudent and selfishly thoughtless to place our desires above God’s patience by in reality placing our desire above God’s grace and mercy.

We’ve all heard someone, maybe even ourselves, say that they/we want Christ to return now.  But, what about our unsaved family members, friends, acquaintances, enemies and even ourselves if one thinks they’re saved when in fact they’re not?  Do we not want them to have as much time as possible to come to salvation?

Let us not begrudge others of the patience God showed us, in the time it took for us to come to repentance.  But, let us not believe the lie of Satan that God is love and that equates with Him turning a blind eye to sin.  God’s love does not ignore the consequences and penalty for sin.  God is love; but, He is also judgement.

READ:

2 Peter 3:7-18 KJV
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

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.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 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?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.