Christ As Our Forbearance
CHRIST AS OUR FORBEARANCE
In Philippians 4:5 Paul says, "Let your for bearance be known to all men." Although we are familiar with the word forbearance, it is not easy for us to define it adequately. Many would say that forbearance is patience. However, this term is used at the end of a book which empha sizes the experience of Christ. Philippians is not primarily concerned with morality, behavior, character, or ethics. The subject of this Epistle is the experience of Christ. All four chapters of this book are related to the experience of Christ.
MAKING CHRIST KNOWN
As we read the first several verses of Philip pians chapter four, we may not have the impres sion that these verses still have the experience of Christ as their subject. But verse 13 says, "I can do all things in Him who empowers me." "All things" must include the exercise of forbearance spoken of in verse 5. Paul charged the saints to have forbearance. Certainly he himself lived a life of forbearance. Otherwise, he would have been hypocritical in exhorting others to make their