Holy Spirit fruit – longsuffering
Ephesians 4:2-3 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
If our relation to others is shown in these three characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit, then it is fitting that it begins with longsuffering.
Longsuffering:
Longsuffering is patience, constancy, perseverance, endurance and steadfastness. The fact that “suffer” is part of the word means that there will be some suffering on our part in regards to others. Longsuffering is a quality of God written by the prophets and others (Ex 34:6; Psa 103:8) and with it goes the idea of not easily angered or not retaining anger long.
Paul also talked about “forbearing” or enduring, literally hold oneself erect and firm. Through the power of the Spirit we are enabled to be right and righteous even in the face of ornery and testing people. Paul says the purpose of longsuffering and forbearance is so that we keep the unity of the Spirit in peace.
Longsuffering is something that we go through not the other; it means to keep sweet in face of opposition, disagreement and wrong by another.
Gentleness:
Gentleness literally means moral goodness, integrity benignity. This follows on the heels of suffering long with others. Lovingly putting up with their idiosyncrasies and obstinate and sometimes divisive ways. Instead of doing evil to them doing good to them, being a better than they are Christian. Paul tells us not to seek revenge or “tic-for-tack” but doing good to others (Rom 12:21). This may be some of what Jesus alluded to when He said, “Be wise as serpents but harmless as doves”.
Goodness:
Although similar in appearance this word means uprightness in heart. While gentleness does good to others, goodness means that it is genuinely from the heart – a heart that really is concerned for the other, even cantankerous. Someone once said after they did the right thing, “I hate doing the right thing”. We understand what they were saying – they really did not want to do the right thing toward an unlovable person, but they were doing it anyway. This is a right step, but goodne3ss means that God has made it part of our inner person so that we enjoy doing the right thing, not because of the others but because of God’s power.