2 Peter 3:15 KJV
[15] “And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;”
George Muller began to pray for a group of five acquaintances. After five years, one of them came to Christ. In ten years, two more of them were saved. He prayed for twenty-five years, and the fourth man was converted. For the fifth, he prayed until his death, and this friend came to Christ a few months afterward. For this latter friend, Muller had prayed almost fifty-two years. His prayers for these acquaintances revealed the patience required in seeing men come to Christ. This is what our verse means when it says the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation. God knows how to be patient. If the Lord dropped the hammer of judgment on us every time we failed, then there would be no hope for us. We should thank Him every day for the mercy and grace that He extends to us.
This verse is interesting because we have the great apostle to the Jews, Peter, referring to the great apostle to the Gentiles, Paul. Some time had passed since Paul’s conversion and the time he withstood Peter to his face. Paul rebuked Peter for being two-faced. But now consider how Peter feels toward Paul. Notice in the text that he calls him a beloved brother. Peter was man enough to own up to his sin and spiritual enough not to harbor bitter feelings toward Paul. This is a great example of how we should treat each other as believers. Both Peter and Paul were spiritual men. They did not allow past problems to keep them from loving each other and sticking together.
Disagreements do not have to lead to division. Whenever a brother rebukes another brother to help him, then he should receive it and love the brother for it. Paul did not speak with everyone else about the matter, but went to Peter and tried to help him. There is a right way and a wrong way to deal with a brother. One reason these men had the right attitude was their united focus on getting the Gospel to sinners. They both wanted to encourage the churches that they were connected with. Persecution has a way of flushing out petty divisions that go on among the brethren. The battles that some men fight are so small compared to eternity. They fail to remember how merciful and long-suffering the Lord has been with them. God help us to have the right attitude toward our brothers. We need to be open to receive rebuke, love those who rebuke us, and exhibit mercy when needed.