Divine Forbearance

All men think that all men are mortal and guilty but themselves. The punishment which is due to sin men think is surely impending upon others, but men scarcely believe that punishment will ever fall upon themselves. The thought of personal guilt, judgment, and condemnation is very inconvenient. Vain men think they are safe. They believe they alone will go unpunished. They think there will be no Great White Throne for them to face, no Judge, no lake of fire. You think lightly of the goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering of your Maker. You accumulate the comforts and luxuries of this life. You have wit, prudence, diligence, thrift, and success in this world. You enjoy good health and a sharp mind. You have a good spouse and have children.

Many envy all that you have. Sickness doesn't visit your household, and still you don't love the God who has given you all these things. You have received much divine Kindness but yielded no return. You could be living in poverty and illness. A slight turn in business could leave you bankrupt. You could be tossing to and fro upon the bed of sickness, you could be in hospital about to lose a limb or organ. God has given you health and freedom from pain. You could have been in an asylum living in insanity. A thousand ills have been kept from you, you have enjoyed the goodness of the Most High God.  God has spared you many days and years; He has spared your spouse and children.  God has raised you up from the bed of sickness, He has filled your pantry, belly and closet, and yet you still disobey Him.

You live in Christian and Scriptural light, yet you still follow after evil. There are Bibles and churches everywhere. You despise God's mercy. You have a conscience, when you do wrong, you know it and are troubled by it. You have yielded to temptations and your guilt has given you sleepless nights. You have felt the miserable feeling of shame and unrest that sinning bring. You try to stifle the inward alarm (your conscience), and you have resisted the Spirit of God. Your road to Hell is very difficult, but you mean to follow it all costs, and go over the barrier and wall right into Hell.

God's forbearance is still being patient with you. You have offended God and He still withholds the punishment that is due to you. You have been invited to mercy, but have refused it, and yet God continues to stretch out His pierced hands to you, and invite you to come to the Cross. Patient endurance of offenses and insults have been manifested by God. You continue on in your sin with suicidal determination. You are desperately set on self-inflicted misery and your soul's own ruin and nothing can save you. You are given over to perdition, for you will not be warned. You long after vice and love filthiness. The poison of sin spreads and burns in your veins. But God is still showing forbearance with you. You have grievously done despite to God's word, and laughed at those that worship the Lord Jesus Christ. You are nearing the brink of death but you still stubbornly reject Christ. God's mercy gives you a reprieve every day. The Savior now sits upon the Throne of Grace, but He will soon sit upon the White Throne of Judgment. Hasten to the Throne of Grace now and seek His free grace and undying love.

God is the Great King and you have publicly insulted Him days without number. Your sins provoke God and defies Him to His face. There is a limit to God's longsuffering. Why do you treat the Good God so cruelly? For which of His deeds do you hate and provoke Him? Every day God cause the sun to rise and gives you eyes to see it; He sends His rain upon the ground to bring forth bread for you to eat, and He gives you life to eat it. Is this why you revolt against Him? Every day your life is gladdened with the tender kindness of God. Your sin is terribly offensive to God every day, but He still shows kindness, love, and forbearance. Your base ingratitude toward God is amazing.

You have forgotten God altogether, this is a great wrong.  You would never keep a dog if it never followed and obeyed, but snarled at you continually.  You have been of no service to your Maker, not even a thought of serving Him has crossed your mind.  He has spared you all these years, and His forbearance has never occurred to you.  You've never given a half an hour of thought of your relation to God.  You never consider your conduct towards Him.  It is too much trouble for you to even think of your Creator.  You imagine that because judgment is delayed that it will never come at all.  You joke and play on the brink of death and hell.  God's forbearance will not last forever.

God knows your secret thoughts.  You think you have a long time and flatter yourself that you have plenty of life to think about eternal things.  You continue to live on in jeopardy in risk of eternal doom.  Decide for God, for Christ, for heaven.  You have offended God and know it is an evil thing to do so.  You willfully reject Christ.  None are so blind who will not see, and hate the light.  The atheist has eyes, but refuses to see.  God's patience with you is meant to lead you to repentance, that you might turn from sin to God.  Every year you are out of Christ you sin more deeply and provoke the Lord more terribly.  When your child rebels, you give them a few minutes to repent.  God has given you years to repent, but you remain careless and disobedient.

Every morning when an atheist wakes up still impenitent, and finds himself still out of hell, the sunlight seems to say, “I shine on you yet another day, as that in this day you may repent.” When your bed receives you at night I think it seems to say, “I will give you another night’s rest, that you may live to turn from your sins and trust in Jesus Christ.” Every plateful of food that comes to your table says, “I will support your body so you still may have space for repentance.” Every time you open the Bible's pages it says, “We speak with you that you may look to Christ and live.” Every time you hear a Gospel sermon, it pleads with you to turn unto the Maker and live.  Repentance is radical change in your view of things, and in your estimate of eternal matters; Repentance is a change in your purposes, a change in your thoughts and in your private and public conduct.  Divine Forbearance will soon run out; Look to Christ Jesus and His Precious Blood today and live.