2 Peter 3:8–15 - Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. 14 Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found at peace with Him without spot or blemish. Also, regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation.
2 Peter 3:9 - But God is patient, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:15 - Regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation.
Exodus 34:6–7 - Yahweh, Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin…
EVERY DAY LEADING UP TO THIS ONE, IN OUR DISOBEDIENCE, WAYWARDNESS, AND SIN—GOD HAS BEEN PATIENT WITH US.
ARE WE EXTENDING THE SAME PATIENCE TO OTHERS THAT GOD HAS SHOWN TO US?
Psalm 103:8–10 - The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and rich in faithful love. He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our offense.
IF GOD DOESN’T TREAT US THE WAY OUR SINS DESERVE, WE SHOULDN’T TREAT OTHERS THAT WAY.
“The more we understand another’s distress, the more patient and compassionate we become." - M.H. Davis – Empathy: A Social Psychological Approach
“Impatience is born out of forgetfulness. When we forget how tenderly God deals with us, we become harsh with others.” - Paul David Tripp – New Morning Mercies
Proverbs 19:11 - A person’s insight gives him patience, and his virtue is to overlook an offense.
JESUS FOLLOWERS ARE NOT CALLED TO CONDEMN NOT-YETS. WE’RE OUR CALLED TO SHOW THEM PATIENCE AND COMPASSION.
Exodus 34:7 - But He will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.
TO FILL UP ON LOVE, JOY AND PEACE:
-HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD. (THROUGH PRAYER)
-OFFER PRAISE TO GOD. (THROUGH WORSHIP)
-GAIN KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GOD. (THROUGH THE WORD)
-SPEND TIME WITH GOD’S PEOPLE. (THROUGH THE CHURCH)
