"The hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel" (Colossians 1:5).
The question is asked, Why does not God deal in summary judgment with the men whose ungovernable and devil-inspired ambitions break up the peace of the nations? But if God were to judge all the bad men in the world, how many would escape? "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" (Ps. 130:3). God is not indifferent to the unrighteousness of men, He has said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, " we may rest in that, but this is not the day of judgment but of mercy: it is the day of God's long-suffering, and "we account the long-suffering of our Lord salvation." "The Lord is not slack concerning this promise as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet. 3).
If God is long-suffering with men, we may well be, especially as we consider that this long-suffering has been shown in all the grace of it to us, but we need patience, or endurance while we wait for the Lord.
The Scriptures recognise this. Paul rejoiced in "the patience — or enduring constancy — of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, " that was one of the evidences of the true conversion of the Thessalonian believers, and he prayed for them that "the Lord would direct their hearts into the love of God and the patient waiting for Christ, " or as a better reading gives it, "the patience of Christ." The thought is a moving one. "He is waiting with patience for the hour of His supreme joy and for the glory of His universal throne, and we share His waiting time: we have part in His patience as we shall have in His glory. But the power of God only can maintain us in this patient waiting, apart from that power we are sure to be moved from our hope, hence we read "Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all PATIENCE and long-suffering with joyfulness" (Col. 1:11).
We do not now speak of the signs of the last days that abound, we are not looking for signs but for Him, and the most blessed sign of all that His coming is near would be an increased desire in the heart of His church for His coming. It is the Spirit and the Bride that say Come, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." If the distresses of these days turn our thoughts more thoroughly to Him it will be well, and will hasten the day of His appearing. He cannot appear to judge the world in righteousness and bring peace to the nations while His church is here. And while we look onward to His appearing and pray "Thy Kingdom Come, " we wait for the realisation of our hope which is to be for ever with the Lord.