Having been allowed by God to see thousands of natives in the Solomon Islands turned from the darkness of their devil worship to the light of the Gospel, I can confidently witness that this has been accomplished wholly through the Word of God, the only textbook this island church has ever known.
I want to emphasize five simple words from that Word, which should be at once a comfort and a challenge to all Christians. They are found in Romans 2:7: “. . . patient continuance in well doing.” This simple phrase is one of the truest and most concise descriptions of the believer’s life and service for God.
“Patient continuance” represents one word in the Greek, yet these two English words helpfully and truly stress two of the qualities most needed for every Christian in character and service. Hebrews 10:36 urges: “Ye have need of patience.” Yet why should I need to be patient? Why should I have to put up with people and unkind circumstances? Why does not God make the Christian life smooth and easy? One reason is that “the whole world lieth in the evil one” (1 John 5:19, A.S.V.), and the enemy of souls is not going to make life an easy path for us.
But there is a far deeper reason. It is found in Galatians 5:22, which reads, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace . . .” These first three qualities are essentially enjoyable. Who does not want to be loved, and to be lovable? And joy — well the word denotes that it too is enjoyable. And peace and a quiet heart are so desirable in these days of anxiety and world unrest. These first three quiet virtues are all delightful to experience. But longsuffering, which comes next in this analysis of “the fruit of the Spirit,” gives us pause. Actually the word here rendered longsuffering is translated in Hebrews 6:12 as those “who through patience inherit the promises.” Thus suffering and patience are almost synonymous and represent the same exercise of soul.
Longsuffering! We feel instinctively we would rather avoid it. We would rather be without this emotion of the soul. Yet we cannot, for it is part of the indivisible “fruit of the Spirit.” It is His beneficent outworking in our souls, just as much and just as essential as the love, joy, and peace. Our Sa- viour was not exempt from this emotion. True, He was “anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows,” yet He was at the same time supremely “the Man of Sorrows.” Just as in the meal offering, which typified the perfections of Christ in its evenness and balance, in which no quality was in excess, and no quality was lacking, so in the experience of Christ both joy and sorrow were needed in the perfect balance of His emotions. And so they must be with us, if we are really to have “the mind of Christ.” We may habitually dwell in joy, the keynote of the Christian life; yet we must at times also experience the suffering of patience. Let us remember that, though the tree needs the sunshine to make it grow up, it also needs the storms to make it grow down, to become “rooted and grounded.”
So James 1:4 urges us, “Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Here the exercise is personal, and in the soul. It represents the growth of Christian character. Slow it may be, but it is so needful. Then Romans 5:3-4 outlines both the process and product of patience in exercise. “We [know],” writes Paul “that tribulation” suffered and accepted in the will of God, “worketh patience.” Here is one process by which patience is developed. It does not come full-orbed to the believer, but needs to grow steadily and gradually, as we accept tribulation as God’s will for us. Next its product is stressed, for “patience” works and enriches “experience,” and experience accumulated and remembered works and increases “hope,” a “hope [that] maketh not ashamed.” Here is a blessed sequence of operations which knows no finality, one of the chief assets of growth in grace and character.
In James 5:7 we have the other aspect of the need and gracious operation of patience: “The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it.” Here this difficult virtue is stressed in regard to service. And how needed and often how difficult it is in exercise, most Christian workers will readily agree. Of course, some fruits ripen more slowly than others. We may have to wait long, till God’s time comes, and then how often He rewards us with such a harvest!
Then we have the word “continuance.” Here is the other quality so vital in our service for God, yet at times so difficult. It is true that “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.” Yet, thank God, when things have seemed most hopeless, He graciously surprises us with showers of blessing and gracious results. Of course, the only safe basis of successful work for God is as of old: “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42), for only the pure Word of God is “quick and powerful.” Yet there is such a thing as “a dead orthodoxy,” men holding the truth which does not hold them. So I think we must add to this another condition: “If ye continue in My Word.” That goes deeper and implies a glad acceptance of His will in our lives day by day. Then John 15:9 goes right to the heart of things: “Continue ye in My love.” It is only as we daily exercise this most compelling power that we can be successful in life and service.
Acts 6:4 stresses still another absolute requisite for us. “We will give ourselves continually to prayer.” For if we are too busy to pray, we are too busy. Then will follow its inevitable sequel: “I continue,” cries Paul, “I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great” (Acts 26:22). So the ardent apostle lived. God give us grace and determination that we too shall so continue!
Finally, we have “well doing.” What a simple, concise, and yet accurate summary of much of Christian life and service! Just “well doing,” day by day, with nothing spectacular or romantic or exciting! Just “the daily round, the common task.” After all, how much of Christian life and service is composed of small daily duties, and simple acts of kindness and self-sacrifice, often unnoticed by anyone but Him. Yet little things can be made great things, when they are deliberately made God’s things. Did not the Saviour stress this great truth when He specially noticed and commended the value to Him of the widow’s mites and the cup of cold water? He was watching then. He watches still such acts of devotion done for others yet done with our eyes on Him. As the age draws to its close soon, there may come a complete cessation of earthly service. When He comes, the tense of the word “well doing” will be changed. May it be “well done” for each of us in that great day.