Forbearance Sermon Ideas
Forbearance in the Bible is the expression of God's love that enables God to suspend righteous judgment on human sin so that the Holy Spirit might create room for repentance. Our prayers and sermons can celebrate the fact that God practices forbearance both for the good of human beings and for God's own glory.
Forbearance in Scripture
In the Bible, God's forbearance is central to God's character. It is a point of praise for the psalmist and the hope of the prophets (Jonah being the noteworthy exception). While the Bible makes clear that God's willingness to restrain wrath against human sin is vast, it makes equally clear that it is not infinite (see 2 Peter 3:8–10 and Revelation 16). When writing sermons on forbearance, preachers will need to carefully consider their context to determine which point demands greater emphasis.
- Genesis 6, God's forbearance in establishing a covenant
- Exodus 34:6–7, God's forbearance at Sinai
- Psalm 103:8, the Lord is merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love
- Psalm 145:8, the Lord is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, andabounding in love
- Joel 2:13, God is gracious and merciful and relents from punishing
- Jonah 4:2, Jonah's plea for forbearance
- Mark 12:1–12, limits to God's forbearance
- Romans 2:4, God's patience is meant to lead to repentance
- 2 Peter 3:9, God is patient, not wanting any to perish but all to repent
- Revelation 16, limits to God's forbearance
Sermon ideas about forbearance
A sermon on forbearance can use an illustration from parenthood. Every parent has been there: A child disobeys. A warning is issued. The child disobeys again. Another warning is issued. The child disobeys a third time. A third warning is issued. Finally, after the fourth offense, the parents' patience reaches its limit. They explain to their protesting child that that even though it was not their desire to punish, they have not been left with any other choice. Love and justice demand it.
This simple scenario gives us one picture of the way God chooses to relate to God's human children. The key difference, however, is that instead of punishing us, the triune God chooses to absorb the consequences of our disobedience. This is the Lord's gift to us in Jesus Christ—if only we will receive it.
The Bible and Christian tradition describe a God who is patient, long-suffering, and slow to anger (or, more literally, "long of anger"). Thanks be to God for our God's long, slow, abundant patience.