It is evident to all that God does not ordinarily immediately punish people for their offenses. This can be observed through His constant governance of the world, in which, despite all provocations, He bestows goodness upon humanity by causing the sun to shine, sending rain and fruitful seasons, and filling hearts with food and gladness. From this, people can conclude that He is abundantly good and patient. However, this understanding is still limited as it relies on human reasoning based on observations. Moreover, the way in which God’s patience has been demonstrated has often proved to be a snare for those towards whom it has been exercised, as mentioned in Ecclesiastes 8:11, and a temptation for those who observe it, as seen in Job 21:7, Psalm 73:2–4, Jeremiah 12:1, and Habakkuk 1:13. The discovery of God’s patience in Christ is of an entirely different nature. In Him, the very nature of God is revealed as love and kindness, and He has promised, sworn, and solemnly engaged Himself through a covenant to exercise these attributes towards sinners. Furthermore, to dispel any doubts about His intentions, there is a firm foundation for acting in accordance with His gracious attributes, namely, the reconciliation and atonement achieved through the blood of Christ. Even if people were taught about God’s goodness and forbearance through the provision of rain and fruitful seasons, without the simultaneous revelation that God’s other attributes, such as His justice and wrath against sin, also have their full expression, there would be little consolation in the former. Therefore, although God may teach people about His goodness and forbearance by providing temporal blessings, He simultaneously reveals “His wrath from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people,” as stated in Romans 1:18. Consequently, people cannot do anything but fluctuate and tremble at the outcome of these providential dealings, and yet this is the best that can be obtained outside of Christ, the highest attainment possible. While people may temporarily focus on the possession of earthly goods obtained through this patience, they are still in bondage to death and the darkness that accompanies it. The law reveals no patience or forbearance in God; it speaks only of sword and fire as the consequences of transgressions, were it not for God’s intervention through an act of sovereignty. However, as previously stated, the revelation of forbearance in Christ also includes the satisfaction of God’s justice and wrath against sin. Therefore, we need not fear any conflicting acts from these attributes that might undermine the works of His patience, which are so sweet to us. This is why God is said to be “in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself,” as mentioned in 2 Corinthians 5:19. He manifests Himself in Christ as one who has no further need to demonstrate all His attributes—meaning, to glorify Himself—other than to exercise forbearance, reconciliation, and forgiveness of sin through Him.
What does the forbearance revealed outside of Christ entail? It is simply the act of not immediately punishing offenses while also granting and sustaining temporal blessings—things that people are prone to misuse and can perish with, carrying their sins into eternity. On the other hand, what is hidden in Christ and revealed through Him is filled with love, sweetness, tenderness, kindness, and grace. It is the Lord’s waiting to show mercy and kindness to sinners, waiting for an opportunity to demonstrate love and kindness in order to deeply endear a soul to Himself, as Isaiah 30:18 states: “Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.” There is nothing that brings greater sweetness to the soul than this realization. When one is experientially convinced that God has repeatedly overlooked countless iniquities, they are astonished at this thought and marvel that God did not seize the opportunity of their provocations to cast them out of His presence. They come to understand that, with infinite wisdom and in all long-suffering, God has orchestrated His providential dealings to rescue them from the power of the devil, to rebuke and discipline their spirits for sin, and to draw them close to Himself. There is nothing more delightful to the soul than this. Hence, the apostle declares in Romans 3:25 that everything is “through the forbearance of God.” It is through this forbearance that God paves the way for complete forgiveness of sins, something that cannot be achieved otherwise.
What is God’s intention in exercising the forbearance that is revealed outside of Christ? The apostle reveals in Romans 9:22 that it is for the purpose of making His power and wrath known and enduring with much long-suffering those vessels of wrath prepared for destruction. It is to leave them without excuse and manifest His power and wrath in their destruction. Thus, it is described as “allowing them to walk in their own ways,” as stated in Acts 14:16. This, in itself, is a dreadful judgment, as it inevitably leads to disastrous consequences. For instance, in Psalm 81:12, it is said, “So I gave them up to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices,” which is the most terrible condition a creature can fall into in this world. Acts 17:30 describes it as “overlooking the times of ignorance,” implying that God did not pay close attention to their dark state, as evident from the contrast when it says, “But now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” He did not take notice of their sins to the extent of clearly revealing His mind and will for them to repent. Therefore, the apostle’s exhortation in Romans 2:4, “Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” is directed towards the Jews, who had the advantage of learning the natural tendency of the goodness and forbearance that God exercises in Christ, which indeed leads to repentance. Alternatively, it implies that, from a rational perspective, people ought to make a different use of those things than they usually do, as charged in verse 5, “But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart…” At best, then, God’s patience towards people outside of Christ, due to their stubbornness and incorrigible nature, resembles the waters of the River Phasis, sweet at the surface but bitter at the bottom. They enjoy the fleeting pleasures of this life for a while, as described in Luke 16:25, but eventually sink into the depths of bitterness.
John Owen. THE SAINTS’ FELLOWSHIP WITH THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST UNFOLDED.
