“May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 (ESV)
The following is an excerpt from Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon. Spurgeon preached this text on June 17, 1888 at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. He entitled his message The Love of God and the Patience of Christ.
The second part of the prayer upon which we shall have to dwell is, “The Lord direct your hearts into the patience of Christ.” Now, beloved, I have another great sea before me, and who am I that I should act as your convoy over this main ocean? Here I am lost. I cannot take my bearings. I am a lone speck upon the infinite. I will imitate the wise apostle, and pray, “The Lord direct your hearts into the patience of Christ.
What a patience that was which Jesus exhibited for us in our redemption! To come from heaven to earth, to dwell in poverty and neglect, and find no room even in the inn! Admire the patience of Bethlehem. To hold His tongue for thirty years—who shall estimate the wonderful patience of Nazareth and the carpenter’s shop! When He spoke, to be despised and rejected of men, what patience for Him whom Cherubim obey!
Oh, the patience of the Christ to be tempted of the devil! One can hardly tell what patience Christ must have had to let the devil come within ten thousand miles of him, for He was able to keep him far down in the abyss below His feet. There is not much in a patience which cannot help itself, but you well know that all the while Christ could have conquered all foes, chased away all suffering, and kept off all temptation, but for our sakes, as Captain of our salvation, that He might be made perfect through suffering,
His patience had its perfect work, right on to Gethsemane. Do you need that I tell you this? Golgotha, with all its woes, its “lama Sabacthani,” its abysmal griefs, do I need remind you of the patience of Christ for us when the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all? Patient as a lamb, He opened not His mouth but stood in omnipotence of patience, all-sufficient to endure.
You have heard of the patience of Job, but you have need to enter into the patience of Jesus. Oh, the patience within Christ Himself! God never seems so like a God as when He divinely rules Himself. I can understand His shaking earth and heaven with His word, but that He should possess His own soul in patience is far more incomprehensible. Marvel that omnipotent love should restrain omnipotence itself.
In the life and death of our Lord Jesus we see almighty patience. He was very sensitive— very sensitive of sin, very sensitive of unkindness, and yet with all that sensitiveness He showed no petulance, but bore Himself in all the calm grandeur of Godhead. He was not quick to resent an ill, but He was patient to the uttermost. As I have said before, there went with His sensitiveness the power at any time to avenge Himself and deliver Himself, but He would not use it.
Legions of angels would have been glad to come to His rescue, but He bowed alone in the garden, and gave Himself up to the betrayer without a word. And all the while He was most tender and graciously considerate of everybody but Himself. He spoke burning words sometimes; His mouth could be like the red lips of a volcano as He poured out the burning lava of denunciation upon “scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.” But the resentment was never aroused by any injury done to Himself. When He looked that way it was always gentleness; He cried, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Oh, the wondrous patience of heaven’s own Christ!
Now, beloved, what is wanted is that we be directed into this patience of Christ. The choicest saints in different ages of the world have studied most the passion of our Lord, and although nowadays we hear from the wise men that it is sensuous to talk about the cross and the five wounds, and so forth, for my part I feel that no contemplation ever does me so much real benefit as that which brings me very near my bleeding Lord. The cross for me! The cross for me!
Here is doctrine humbling, softening, melting, elevating, sanctifying. Here is truth that is of heaven, and yet comes down to earth; love that lifts me away from earth even to the seventh heaven. Have you ever read the words of holy Bernard, when his soul was all on fire with love of that dear name of which he so sweetly sang—
“Jesus the very thought of You, With sweetness fills my breast”?
Why, Bernard is poet, philosopher, and divine, and yet a child in love.
Have you studied Rutherford’s letters and the wondrous things which he says about his own dear Lord? For an hour at glory’s gate commend me to heavenly Master Rutherford. Have you never held fellowship with George Herbert, that saintly songster? Hear him as he cries—
“How sweetly does my Master sound! My Master! As ambergris leaves a rich scent Unto the taster, So do these words a sweet content, An oriental fragrance, my Master!”
O friends, I can wish you no greater blessing than to be directed into these two things—the love of God, and the patience of your Savior. Enter both at the same time. You cannot divide them; why should you? The love of God shines best in the patience of the Savior, and what is the patience of Christ but the love of the Father? “What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” May the Lord lead us into both of them at this hour, and continue upon us the heavenly process all the rest of our lives, in all experiences of sorrow and of rapture, and in all moods and growths of our spirit!
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
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