Sunday, January 16, 2005
The Result of our Calling is godliness.
Part Two – Meekness and Long Suffering
By Nick Bibile
Eph 4:2 With all
lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.
Today we shall continue from where we stopped last time.
Practical behavior of the Christian. God called us from darkness to his
marvelous light from the wicked world to the
What does it mean to be meek?
Today we understand the word meek is to be kind of mild type person. Kind of a weak type person who is submissive to everyone. It says, “Meek as a mouse.” Meaning kind of timid type person. But this is not the Biblical meaning of meek. The Greek adjective is praos and the noun is prautes. Some translations have suggested gentleness. But unfortunately our English words cannot give the full meaning. Meekness is not weakness of timid. The Biblical Greek scholar A. T. Robertson explains the following on meekness.
“The English word “meek” has largely lost the fine blend of
poise and strength meant by the Master. He calls himself “meek and lowly in
heart” (Mat
Nu 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were upon the face of the earth.)
Was Moses weak, timid, no. He was a leader, he was bold enough to go and speak directly to Pharaoh.
“Meek is the gentleness of strength.”
We saw last time that humility is the mother of all
character. As this is the first action our Lord Jesus took, leaving heavenly
position and coming to earth and taking a very low position of a servant, and
we ought to be lowliness of mind, instead of prideful. Refusing our rights and
putting our neighbor’s interest first. Remember Abraham when there was strife
between his servants and
The word meekness is closely linked with the word humility
and gentleness Eph 4:2, Col 3:12; Zep 3:12
Meekness is first toward God, it does not struggle but simply submit to
his authority, then in our daily life, it produces strength under control. Like
a wild horse who has a lot of strength but now under control. And without being
humble you cannot be meek. Remember Jonah, when God told him to go and preach
in
Then Paul goes on to say that we ought to be longsuffering.
The Greek word is a Noun and a Verb. The Noun makrothumia it comes from two words combined. Makros –
long and thumos – temper. Basically not having a short fuse but a long fuse. It
means to forbear and to have patience.
Longsuffering is to bear the cross. We see the saints of God like Job,
David, Paul and many others went through heavy duty trials.
Longsuffering is when you are provoked to anger, you got angry as
someone made you angry. Does this happen to you in normal life? Yes, ok then
when this happens you will not hastily retaliate, you will not get a panic
attack. Longsuffering is the opposite of anger and associated with mercy. Our
God is longsuffering.
Ex 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD,
The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness
and truth.
Longsuffering is to have patience. When the unexpected provocations as
someone make you angry in different circumstances, patience is something that
will not surrender to circumstances.
Mt
Ro
20 Therefore if thine enemy
hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap
coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good.
Not like Lamech who said:
Ge
How many of you need patience? How many need prayer for patience? Then
I am going to pray that the Lord will bring you a heavy tribulation to you. Now
I see your faces puzzled as you say you did not ask for a tribulation but
patience.
Haven’t you read Romans 5:3?
Ro 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that
tribulation worketh patience.
Let me ask you a question, do you need patience if everything is going
your way and no trouble all flows so smoothly. No. Patience is needed when you
are provoked to anger, to trials.
Jas 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect
work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
You can see it all springs with humility. If you say you don’t have
longsuffering and gentleness it’s because you don’t have humility. You cannot
find these in our old nature but all these comes with the new nature the new
man in Christ. We see apostle speaking of Christian unity as with these virtues
we can forebear one another in love. The
word forbear means to endure, to undergo to suffer with patience.
Humility if the first step for unity. Humility produces meekness –
strength under control which we can bear with one another and preserve the
unity. Why it that quarrels and insults is come? Because everyone is concerned
of his love for himself, he is concerned of his interests only. We need to lay
aside our pride, haughtiness, self interest, self love and cloth in humility,
meekness, longsuffering forbear one another in love, and this is Christian
unity.
1Co 13:4 Charity
suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself,
is not puffed up.
Our old nature is
opposite to all these. The old nature loves ourselves, loves our own interests
before our neighbor’s. Prideful, arrogant, self seeking, greedy, envious, have
a short fuse, burst with anger, quarreling, getting upset and the result is
having a lot of stress.
The old nature like
to have humility, meekness, longsuffering forbearing in love but does not last
while, only for a short time, the reason it does not last while as these fruits
are not in them, so they try to act in their own power but when God put them
into test in trial and hardship it falls apart.
As I said only the
new man in Christ has these true Christian fruits. It is not an act they
perform for a while but it is in them as they are in Christ, they follow
Christ, they meditate on Christ and live on Christ. Christ him self is humble,
meek and can give rest to our weary souls.
Mt
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is
light.
Yes, all these come
if you learn of Christ as he said learn of me. Apostle Paul said; follow me as
I follow Christ. Jesus lived a very poor life, did not have a place to lay his
head. Yet he never grumbled. You think
you are under attack? Look at Christ, his enemies followed him every where and
always looked to accuse him day and night. Even at the cross, he was physically
beaten severely, mocked and ridiculed, yet there was strength under control as
he did not utter a word. Look at the Beatitudes the only person who ever
performed all of the Beatitudes was Christ himself. He is perfect.
You may say,
certainly he is God and Christ was able to do it but I am a man and I can’t.
Then my question to you is this? Yes, you cannot do it without Christ but
Christ is in you.
If you are a
Christian you are in Christ. You are not in the world, not in yourself but in
Christ.
2Co
Look at the apostles
the change they had, it was Christ in them that made the change. Yes, we have
the same Holy Spirit in us.
When there are young
Christians, babes in Christ comes to our church we see as infants in Christ
there will be weaknesses in them. Instead of judging them right away we need to
bear their weaknesses as they are still growing up in Christ. It’s like a
toddler growing up and we need a lot of patience in taking care of the toddler
in the same way we need to have patience with babes in Christ. Look at Paul’s example.
1Th 2:7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse
cherisheth her children.
Ro 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the
infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2Ti
25 In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth;
26 And that they may recover themselves out of
the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Let us take examples
of our Lord he was provoked to anger but did not get angry, even at the cross
he was able to forgive his enemies.
Remember David’s enemies. They seek to hurt him, trap him, deceive him
what did David do?
Ps 38:12 They also that seek after my life lay snares
for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine
deceits all the day long.
13 But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was
as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.
14 Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and
in whose mouth are no reproofs.
15 For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt
hear, O Lord my God.
Spurgeon said, “Bad men never have enough of evil. They compass sea and land to injure a saint;
no labor is too severe, no cost too great if they may utterly destroy the
innocent.”
Before you open your mouth, pray, humble
yourself before the Lord and ask for wisdom, many times to be deaf and mute
shows the power of God under control. In
this world you will face all kinds of trials, sometimes from your closest
friends, relatives and even from your own family, because we are living in a
fallen world. See David’s own
son Absalom, Absalom killed his own brother Amnon David’s eldest Son. Then he
became the oldest surviving son to the King’s throne. He came against his own Father as he seeks to
kill his own Father for the throne. David's chief counselor deserted him and
joined Absalom, There was a fierce battle and Absalom died. David cried for his son as he said: "O
my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! If only I had died in your place, O
Absalom, my son, my son!" (2 Sam. 18:33. Comp. Ex. 32:32;
The word forgiveness is a powerful word, it
ends the quarrel, and it ends the fight and brings love instead of hate.
Col 3:12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of
mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13
Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel
against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
14
And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfect ness.
The world is looking for answers which they
cannot find, we Christians the elect of God have the power of God’s spirit and
his grace and we can show the world the power of Christ and his grace as we
shine as his lights to a dark world.