The entire Bible reveals the divine forbearance. We may even say that the Bible is a book of forbearance and that, as revealed in the Scriptures, God Himself is forbearance. Hence, if you ask me to define forbearance, I would say firstly that forbearance is God.
As we have pointed out in foregoing messages, Christ Himself is our forbearance. The four Gospels reveal that the Lord Jesus lived a life of forbearance. He was forbearing with Judas and in His dealings with Peter. When He was twelve years old, He exercised forbearance toward His mother, Mary, and Joseph. In case after case, the Lord displayed understanding, wisdom, patience, mercy, kindness, and love. He was kind toward Judas, and with Peter He was full of grace.
An excellent example of Christ’s forbearance toward Peter is found in Matthew 17:24 and 25. Those who received the half-shekel for the poll tax came to Peter and asked, “Does not your teacher pay the half-shekel?” (v. 24). Immediately Peter answered, “Yes.” When he came into the house, the Lord Jesus did not rebuke him. Rather, He spoke to him in a way that was full of forbearance. Eventually, the Lord Jesus even gave Peter a means of supply to pay the poll tax. By exercising forbearance toward Peter the Lord Jesus also taught him forbearance. No doubt, when Peter was waiting for a fish with a shekel in its mouth, he had a good opportunity to be forbearing.
In John 11 we see the Lord’s forbearance with Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. Instead of acting in haste, when He heard that Lazarus was sick, the Lord deliberately delayed. Through this delay others were exposed. In dealing with this situation the Lord exercised much understanding, wisdom, consideration, mercy, and kindness. Eventually there was a great supply of life manifested in the resurrection of Lazarus.
Paul’s life was also a testimony of forbearance. He wrote the book of Philippians from a prison in Rome. Paul was suffering and, according to chapter four, he was short of supply and in want. Among all the churches, the church in Philippi was the best in caring for Paul’s needs. But for some reason, according to the Lord’s sovereignty, there was a period of time when the Philippians seemingly forgot Paul and his need. This was the reason he says in 4:10, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you caused your thinking for me to blossom anew.” This word implies that Paul had passed through a “winter” of suffering and that “spring” had come with the blossoming anew of the Philippians’ concern for him. But even though Paul was suffering imprisonment, persecution, attack, negligence, and the lack of supply, he still exercised forbearance and could declare, “I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to be in want. I can do all things in Him who empowers me” (4:11-13). Before he charged the saints to let their forbearance be known to all men, he exercised forbearance himself. No doubt, Paul’s forbearance was made known to those around him. He was full of understanding, wisdom, considerateness, sympathy, mercy, and kindness. He was also full of the life supply.
If we read the book of Philippians carefully, we shall see that 3:17-21 is a separate section. This means that, spiritually speaking, 4:1 is the continuation of 3:16. After exhorting the saints to walk by the same rule, Paul charges them to “stand firm in the Lord” (4:1). Then he urges them to rejoice in the Lord (v. 4) and to let their forbearance be known to all men (v. 5). Later in chapter four he testifies that he can do all things in the One who empowers him. Thus, Paul could make his forbearance known to the saints because he was in the One who empowered him. Furthermore, he was content, having learned the secret both how to be abased and how to abound.