The Fruit of Patience

In Sunday evening, March 23, Jake Logan preached at Fellowship Reformed Church in Mt Pleasant, MI. Logan is a pastoral intern at University Reformed Church (PCA) in East Lansing, MI. Logan preached on the fourth fruit of the Spirit (patience). To help give us a better understanding of the topic, Logan unpacked the topic from 1 Timothy 1:12-17. Unfortunately, the sermon was not  recorded.

Logan’s sermon was developed under three points. First, he explained the gift of Christ’s patience. Second, he explained patience as the goal for Christ’s people. And finally, he helped us to relish the gloriousness of God’s plan.

The gift of Christ’s patience was clearly seen displayed in the life of Paul. He had once been a blasphemer and a persecutor of the church – the worst of sinners, in his estimation – and yet Christ bore with him in love, in order that the longsuffering of Christ would be displayed in Paul’s redemption.

Logan then pointed out from the text that Christ’s gift serves as an example to God’s people. We are intended to embody the same patience as Christ as his Spirit is developing us into greater Christlikeness. Logan helpfully differentiated between true Biblical patience – a volitional, content bearing with people and circumstances out of trust in the Lord – from false versions of patience. These false alternatives include self-numbing (to try to ignore the angst of waiting) and “forced” waiting, which is when someone is compelled to wait for the Lord to bring something circumstantially, rather than waiting trustingly, and willingly. (Logan helpfully quoted from the English theologian, Thomas Watson, and his writing on “The Godly Man’s Picture” to point these things out).

Logan also helpfully connected patience to the other fruits of the Spirit. If we pursue the Spirit’s help to produce one fruit, we will tend to find that a closer familiarity with Christ and His Spirit will produce all the fruits in us, little by little. This is an encouragement for us to patiently pursue holiness.

Finally, Logan pointed out that the way that God patiently bears with us (which has an infinite and eternal dimension) and his plan to produce this attitude in us rightly leads to worship. Rather than making us complacent toward God (as though he will patiently overlook evil forever), God’s patience is intended to lead us toward humble worship. We can have the expectation that God will soon reward the faithful longsuffering of his waiting people and bring judgment on the ungodly, unrepentant world. In this season, then, as God patiently withholds his judgment, God invites us to come while there is still time. And he is glorious in inviting us to do so.