“And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not.”
(Revelation 2:21)
The patience of God toward sinners is one of the gracious displays of His goodness in that He does not always execute judgment immediately but rather gives space for repentance. Such delay is not due to an indifference toward sin nor uncertainty concerning its guilt. It is simply God’s mercy extended that sinners might turn from evil and seek His forgiveness.
Yet this gracious patience can be gravely abused. Instead of using the time given for repentance, sinners may use it for further sin. God grants another day, and that day becomes another occasion for disobedience. He prolongs life, and the added time is spent in the very conduct from which the sinner should turn.
The goodness of God should soften the heart, yet evil desires can turn goodness into hardness. Men often mistake longsuffering for approval and continued opportunity for permission. Such that the very mercy designed to lead sinners toward repentance is abused to strengthen rebellion.
Justification through faith in the righteousness of Christ is among the sweetest truths of the gospel. Yet this grace must never be twisted into encouragement for sin. The abundance of grace does not give us license to abound in wickedness. Any idea that we may sin freely because God freely pardons is to turn the grace of the gospel into an occasion for rebellion.
The lives of those who profess the gospel must therefore display something of its power. Meekness, humility, compassion, charity, heavenly-mindedness, and holiness should characterize the believer. When these are absent, the inconsistency brings reproach on the gospel professed. The failures of Christians do not justify the unbelief of others, but those who give occasion for offense bear a solemn responsibility.
The proper response to divine patience is earnest supplication.[1] We should ask for a tender heart that receives patience as a call to repentance and free grace as a call to holiness, perseverance as an encouragement to diligence and gospel truth as something to be displayed in life. Because eery gracious doctrine should accomplish the purpose for which God has given it.
Contemplations:
- Make Your Patience Soften Me. You have given me time, warnings, opportunities, and repeated calls to repentance. Do not let me misuse these mercies. I do not want Your patience to harden me through my own corruption. Rather, let it soften me. Make me more ashamed of sin because You have been so patient, more ready to confess because You have given space, and more willing to obey because Your goodness has not dealt with me according to what I deserve.
- Keep Me from Abusing Free Grace. Let me never conclude that sin may be indulged because mercy is abundant. Your grace is too precious to be treated as permission for rebellion. Instead, teach me to receive pardon with humility, gratitude, and a renewed hatred of sin. And let the greatness of Your mercy make me more eager to please You, not less.
- Make Perseverance Produce Diligence. You preserve Your people by Your grace, but I do not want to turn that comfort into spiritual laziness. Because You work in me, make me more diligent to examine whether Your work is producing faith, repentance, and holiness. Let confidence in Your preserving power make me more watchful, more prayerful, and more earnest in obedience.
- Make My Life Adorn the Gospel. Let my conduct display meekness, humility, compassion, charity, watchfulness, and a mind set on heavenly things. I know that the sins of believers do not excuse unbelief in others, yet I do not want my life to give occasion for Your truth to be despised. Let those who see my life have reason to recognize the transforming power of the gospel rather than an excuse to speak against it.
Prayer (Supplication):
Gracious and patient God, give me a heart that rightly receives Your longsuffering. You have given space for repentance, and I ask that I never turn that mercy into an occasion for further sin. Make every delay of judgment awaken humility, gratitude, and a readiness to turn from evil.
I rejoice that sinners are justified freely by Your grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ, but do not let me use that comfort to excuse disobedience. Make Your mercy a powerful motive to holiness.
Preserve me also from presumption concerning perseverance. Make me diligent, watchful, prayerful, and earnest. And give me grace to examine my life honestly and to seek the fruits that accompany true faith.
Let Your patience lead me to repentance, Your pardon to gratitude, Your perseverance to diligence, and Your gospel truth to holy living.
And give me a tender conscience, a responsive heart, and a life increasingly shaped by the grace You have shown me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Further Scripture References:
Rom. 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9; Prov. 1:30; Zech. 7:12
[1] Vincent Alsop, Decus & Tutamen, Or, Practical Godliness the Ornament and Muniment of All Religion, (London: Printed for John Barnes .., 1696), 101-105.
