“Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus“– Revelation 14:12

We generally tend to think of “patience” as being a passive virtue, the ability to not fret or fume when things are not going our way. However, here we see patience described in terms of action and faithfulness.

The mark of sanctified patience, we are told, is keeping the commands of God and holding to the faith of Jesus, even in the midst of great personal struggle, pain, or discouragement. It is continued and committed action in the face of overwhelming challenges.

This is not the patience that we are used to contemplating or aspiring to. This patience is not merely waiting; it is also working. But doesn’t this truth coincide with your experience as a Christian?

One of the greatest weapons the devil uses against us is discouragement. If he, then, can render us dormant and inactive by sending trials our way, then he has effectively silenced our Christian witness. The only solution for the Christian who is facing opposition or tragedy or uncertainty is therefore to continue the Christian walk, obeying their Lord’s commands and persevering in the faith of Jesus.

All of us have a tendency to just shut down—or at least slow down—when difficulties come our way. But the way of patience is to endure the trial with faithful, continual service to Jesus Christ.–Baptist Bible Hour

Guessing about God isn’t acceptable,and even sincerity isn’t sufficient. Our beliefs about God must be according to the truth, not tradition; the Scriptures, not suggestions or subjective experiences; fact not fantasy. Indeed, Sunday morning just might be “the greatest hour of idolatry of the week”. Your “god” might not be God at all. We cannot “worship God as we please”–as people say. True worship must be “in spirit and in truth“(John 4:24). To do anything else you might as well be dancing around a totem pole, worshiping the creature rather than the Creator. If we are not worshiping the true and living God one religion is just as good as another and it is idolatry– even when done on Sunday morning in a church.

“And He marvelled because of their unbelief.” – Mark 6:6

Unbelief is represented as filling Jesus with surprise; and is it any wonder, especially our unbelief? Consider what God hath done to remove doubt. He hath sent His character, “God is love.”

He hath made a proclamation, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.’ He hath given an invitation, “Look unto me, and be ye saved.” He hath employed entreaty, “As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

He hath issued a command, “This is His commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.” He hath sworn an oath, “That by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation.” He hath given His Son as a pledge, to assure us that “whosoever believeth on Him shall never perish, but have eternal life.” He hath added the testimony of all His saints.

Well then may He marvel at our unbelief. Never let us attempt to excuse it, but let us plead and pray against it, until we conquer it.—James Smith, 1840