Contrary to the world and many in Christendom today. True believers are NOT to be sandpaper to the world. But instead, the Lord admonishes us to be kind, gentle and what is probably most difficult… we are to be PATIENT WITH THE LOST & EVIL WORLD AROUND US.

The Lord Himself is the epitome of patience…as the apostle Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:15;

and consider that the longsuffering (or patience) of our Lord is salvation (of who or what? ‘mankind’)—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,

II Peter 3:15

Paul writes Holy Spirit inspired of course, in 2 Timothy, that we are to be kind, gentle, and patient with both fellow believers and the lost world around us.

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

2 Timothy 2:24-25