Forbearance

Forbearance is found twice in the KJV of the Bible and forbearing is found five times. Forbearance is something we as Christians are commanded to do. Ephesians 4:2 tells us, “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love”. We are to have patience with one another, overlook slights, and even when provoked, not be willing to retaliate. This is not easy to do, but Christianity is not about the easy path. Remember Jesus as He was dying on the cross, prayed: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Colossians 3:13 ties forbearing with forgiveness: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”. Again, we are to follow the example Jesus set for us: to be patient even under difficult circumstances and to forgive one another. Bitterness and hard feelings are not to be part of our lives. We need to let go and let God.

Forbearance is used twice in describing God. In Romans 2:4 we read, “or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance”? Here we see the forbearance (patience) of God in delaying punishment for our sins, thereby giving us the opportunity to repent.

A similar idea is noted in romans 3:24,25, “being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God”.

Friends, let us become more as God desires us to be, forbearing with one another as we grow in love in obedience to God’s Word. How many arguments, hard feelings, and divisions could be avoided if we followed this?

Stay true to the Word,

Brother Travis