The Longsuffering Of The Lord

And consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.

II Peter 3:15

God wants us to understand His character, and the practical effect it has upon us.  Peter relates God’s longsuffering to our salvation.  This is part of the discussion of Christ’s return.  When Peter was answering the scoffer’s charge, ‘where is the promise of His coming?’ He said, the Lord ‘is longsuffering to usward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.’  When he comes to our text, he summarizes his previous statement by saying, ‘the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation.’  It is God’s stated intention that all for whom Christ died shall come to Christ before He returns.  The longsuffering of God, which is the outflowing of His Character, guarantees that He will bring to salvation all those whom He has given unto Christ.  This gives us blessed assurance and encouragement to preach Christ.  We know that God is performing His plan and shows His longsuffering, therefore He has given us abundant opportunity to be a part of the carrying out of the advancement of His plan.  This is a great privilege and a wonderful opportunity.  We rejoice in the preaching of Christ and in the way he uses it.

Our All-powerful and All-wise God,
we rejoice at Your unchanging character.
We praise You that it results in an overwhelmingly beneficial
effect for all of Your people.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning