The Patience Of God # 2

 The Patience Of God # 2

Thirdly, as a pattern for us: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12). Ang again, "Be therefore followers (emulators) of God, as dear children" (Eph. 5:1). When tempted to be disgusted at the dullness of another, or to be revenged on one who has wronged you, call to remembrance God's infinite patience and longsuffering with yourself.

The patience of God is manifested in His dealings with sinners.

How strinkingly was it displayed toward the antediluvians. When mankind was universally degenerate, and all flesh had corrupted its way, God did not destroy them until He had forewarned them. He "waited", during which time Noah was a "preacher of righteousness" (2 Peter 2:5).

In the same way, later, when the Gentiles not only worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, but also committed the vilest abominations contrary even to the dictates of nature (Romans 1:19-26) and thereby filled up the measure of their iniquity, yet, instead of drawing His sword for the extermination of such rebels, God "allowed all nations to walk in their own ways," and gave them "rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons" (Acts 14:16-17).

Marvelously was God's patience exercised and manifested toward Israel. First, He endured their conduct for forty years in the wilderness. Later, when they had entered Canaan, but followed evil customs of the nations around them, and turned to idolatry, though God chastened them sorely, He did not utterly destroy them, but in their distress, raised up deliverers for them. When their iniquity was raised to such a height that none but a God of infinite patience could have borne with them, He spared them many years before He allowed them to be carried down into Babylon.

Finally, when their rebellion against Him reached its climax by crucifying His Son, He waited forty years before He sent the Romans against them, and that, only after they had judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life" (Acts 13:46).

How wondrous is God's patience with the world today. On every side people are sinning with a high hand. The divine law is trampled under foot, and God Himself is openly despised. It is truly amazing that He does not instantly strike dead those who brazenly defy Him. Why does He not suddenly cut off the haughty infidel and blatant blasphemer, as He did Ananias and Sapphira?

And what of apostate Christendom, where every possible form of sin is now tolerated and practiced under cover of the holy name of Christ?

And what of the writer and the reader? Let us review our own lives. It is not long since we followed a multitude to do evil, had no concern for God's glory, and lived only to gratify self. How patiently He bore with our vile conduct! And now that grace has snatched us as brands from the burning, giving us a place in God's family, and has begotten us unto an eternal inheritance in glory - how miserable we requite Him. How shallow our gratitude, how tardy our obedience, how frequent our backslidings!

One reason why God allows the flesh to remain in the believer is that He may exhibit His "patience to us." (2 Peter 3:9). Since this divine attribute is manifested only in this world, God takes advantage to display it toward "His own."

May our meditation upon this divine excellency soften our hearts, make our consciences tender, and may we learn in the school of holy experience the "patience of saints," namely, submission to the divine will and continuance in well-doing. Let us earnestly seek grace to emulate this divine excellency. "Be therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in Heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). In the immediate context of this verse Christ exhorts us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us. God bears long with the wicked notwithstanding the multitude of their sins - and shall we desire to be revenged because of a single offense?

~A. W. Pink~

(The End)

The Patience Of God # 1

 The Patience Of God # 1

Far less has been written upon this attribute, than the other excellencies of the divine character. Not a few of those who have expatiated at length upon the divine attributes have passed over the patience of God without any comment. It is not easy to suggest a reason for this, for surely the patience of God is as much one of the divine perfections as is His wisdom, power, or holiness, and as much to be admired and revered by us.

True, the actual term will not be found in a concordance as frequently as the others, but the glory of this grace itself shine forth on almost every page of Scripture. Certain it is that we lose much if we do not frequently meditate upon the patience of God and earnestly pray that our hearts and ways may be more completely conformed thereto.

Most probably the principal reason why so many writers have failed to give us anything, separately, upon the patience of God was because of the difficulty of distinguishing this attribute from the divine goodness and mercy, particularly the latter. God's patience is mentioned in conjunction with His grace and mercy again and again, as may be seen by consulting Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:18, Psalm 86:15, etc. That the patience of God is really a display of His mercy, that it is indeed one way in which it is frequently manifested, cannot be denied. But that patience and mercy are one and the same excellency, and are not to be separated, we cannot concede. It may not be easy to discriminate between them, nevertheless, Scripture fully warrants us in affirming some things about the one which we cannot about the other.

Stephen Charnock, the Puritan, defines God's patience, in part, thus: "It is part of the divine goodness and mercy, yet differs from both. God being the greatest goodness, has the greatest mildness; mildness is always the companion of true goodness, and the greater the goodness, the greater the mildness. Who so holy as Christ, and who so meek? God's slowness to anger is a branch... from His mercy: "The Lord is full of compassion, slow to anger" (Psalm 145:8). It differs from mercy in the formal consideration of the object - mercy respects the creature as miserable, patience respects the creature as criminal; mercy pities him in his misery, and patience bears with the sin which engendered the misery, and is giving birth to more."

Personally, we would define the divine patience as that power of control which God exercises over Himself, causing Him to bear with the wicked and forbear so long in punishing them. In Nahum 1:3 we read, "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power," upon which Mr Charnock said: "Men that are great in the world are quick to anger, and are not so ready to forgive an injury, or bear with an offender, as one of a lower rank. It is a lack of powr over that man's self that makes him do unfitting things upon a provocation. A prince that can bridle his passions, is a king over himself as well as over his subjects. God is slow to anger because He is great in power. He has no less power over Himself, than over His creatures."

It is at the above point, we think, that God's patience is most clearly distinguished from His mercy. Though the creature is benefitted thereby, the patience of God chiefly respects Himself, a restraint placed upon His acts by His will; whereas His mercy terminates wholly upon the creature. The patience of God is that excellency which causes Him to sustain great injuries without immediately avenging Himself. He has a power of patience as well as a power of justice. Thus the Hebrew word for the divine patience or longsuffering is rendered "slow to anger" in Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 103:8, etc. Not that there are any passions in the divine nature, but that God's wisdom and will is pleased to act with that stateliness and sobriety which is befitting His exalted majesty.

In support of our definition above let us point out that it was to this excellency in the divine character that Moses appealed, when Israel sinned so grievously at Kadesh-Barnea, and there provoked Jehovah so sorely. Unto His servant the Lord said, "I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them." Then it was that the mediator Moses, as a type of the Christ to come, pleaded, "I beseech You, let the power of my Lord be great, according as You have spoken saying the Lord is patient" (Numbers 14:17). Thus, His patience is His power of self-restraint.

Again, in Romans 9:22 we read, "What if God, willing to show His wrath, and to make His power known, endured with much patience the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction." Were God to immediately break these reprobate vessels into pieces, His power of self-control would not so eminently appear, by bearing with their wickedness and forbearing punishment so long, the power of His patience is gloriously demonstrated. True, the wicked interpret His patience quite differently. "Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil" (Ecclesiastes 8:11) - but the anointed eye adores what they abuse.

"The God of patience" is one of the divine titles. Deity is thus denominated, first, because God is both the Author and Object of the grace of patience in the saint.

Secondly, because this is what He is in Himself: patience is one of His perfections.

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 2)

The Sovereignty Of God # 3

 The Sovereignty Of God # 3

Certain conditions were set before the Mediator. He was to be made in the likeness of sin's flesh; He was to magnify the law and make it honorable; He was to bear all the sins of all God's people in His own body on the tree; He was to make full atonement for them; He was to endure the outpoured wrath of God; He was to die and be buried. On the fulfillment of those conditions, He was promised to reward: (Isaiah 53:10-12.) He was to be the Firstborn among many brethren; He was to have a people who would share His glory. Blessed be His name forever, He fulfilled those conditions, and because He did so, the Father stands pledged, on solemn oath, to preserve through time and bless throughout eternity, everyone of those for whom His incarnate Son mediated.

Because He took their place, they now share His. His righteousness is theirs, His standing before God is theirs, His life is theirs. There is not a single condition for them to meet, not a single responsibility for them to discharge in order to attain their eternal bliss. "By one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified (or set apart)" (Hebrews 10:14). Here then is the sovereignty of God openly displayed before all, displayed in the different ways in which He has dealt with His creatures. Part of the angels, Adam and Israel, were placed upon a conditional footing, continuance in blessing being made dependent upon their obedience and fidelity to God. But in sharp contrast from them, the "little flock" (Luke 12:32), have been given an unconditional, an immutable standing in God's covenant, God's counsels, God's Son; their blessing being made dependent upon what Christ did for them. The foundation of God stands sure, having this seal. The Lord knows those who are His" (2 Timothy 2:19). The foundation on which God's elect stand is a perfect one; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it (Ecclesiastes 3:14).

Here, then, is the highest and grandest display of the absolute sovereignty of God;. Truly, He has "mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will He hardens" (Romans 9:18).

~A. W. Pink~

(The End) 

The Sovereignty Of God # 2

 The Sovereignty Of God # 2

So too, God sovereignly placed Adam in the garden of Eden upon a conditional footing. Had He so pleased, He could have placed him upon an unconditional footing. He could have placed him on a footing as firm as that occupied by the unfallen angels. He could have placed him upon a footing as sure and as immutable as that which His saints have in Christ. But, instead, He chose to set him in Eden on the basis of creature responsibility, so that he stood or fell according as he measured up or failed to measure up to his responsibility - obedience to His Maker. Adam stood accountable to God by the law which his Creator had given him. Here was responsibility, unimpaired responsibility, tested out under the most favorable conditions.

Now God did not place Adam upon a footing of conditional, creature responsibility, because it was right He should so place him? No, it was right because God did it. God did not even give creatures being because it was right for Him to do so, that is, because He was under any obligations to create; but it was right because He did so. God is sovereign, His will is supreme. So far from God being under any law of "right," He is a law unto Himself, so that whatever He does is right. And woe be to the rebel that calls His sovereignty into question: "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, "What are you making?" Does your work say, "He has no hands?" (Isaiah 45:().

Again, the Lord God sovereignly placed Israel upon a conditional footing. The 19th and 24th chapters of Exodus afford a clear and full proof of this. They were placed under a covenant of works. God gave to them certain laws, and made national blessing for them depend upon their observance of His statutes. But Israel was stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart. They rebelled against Jehovah, forsook His law, turned unto false gods, and apostatized. In consequence, divine judgment fell upon them, they were delivered into the hands of their enemies, dispersed abroad throughout the earth, and remain under the heavy frown of God's displeasure to this day.

It was God in the exercise of His high sovereignty which placed satan and his angels, Adam and Israel in their respective responsible positions. But so far from His sovereignty taking away responsibility from the creature, it was by this exercise thereof that He placed them on this conditional footing, under such responsibilities as He thought proper; by virtue of which sovereignty, He is seen to br God over all.

Thus, there is perfect harmony between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of the creature. Many have most foolishly said that it is quite impossible to show where divine sovereignty ends and creature accountability begins. Here is where creature responsibility begins - in the sovereign ordination of the Creator. As to His sovereignty; there is not and never will be any "end" to it! 

Let us give further proofs that the responsibility of the creature is based upon God's sovereignty. How many things are recorded in Scripture which were right simply because God commanded them, and which would not have been right had He not so commanded! What right had Adam to eat of the trees of the Garden? The permission of his Maker, without which he would have been a thief! What right had Israel to borrow of the Egyptians' jewels and clothing? None, unless Jehovah had authorized it. What right had Israel to slay so many lambs for sacrifice? None, except the God commanded it. What right had Israel to kill off all the Canaanites? None, but as Jehovah had bidden them. What right has the husband to require submission from his wife? None, unless God had appointed it. And so we might go on. Human responsibility is based upon divine sovereignty.

God placed His elect upon a different footing from Adam or Israel. He placed His elect upon an unconditional footing. In the Everlasting Covenant Jesus Christ was appointed their Head, took their responsibilities upon Himself, and wrought out a righteousness for them which is perfect, indefeasible, and eternal.

Christ was placed upon a conditional footing, for He was "made under the law, to redeem those who were under the law," only with this infinite difference; the others failed; He did not and could not. And who placed Christ upon that conditional footing? The Triune God.

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 3)