The Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness! Lesson 5 We are called to consider the kindness of our Savior! Truly we serve a good God who has crowned us with His loving Kindness!
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The fruit of the Spirit is … kindness. The fruit of the Spirit is not of human origin; it is of the nature and character of God. God has deposited this into every believer.
Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Whenever a list of the works of the flesh are listed in the new covenant, it is always followed by reminding the believer this is not who they are. Those who belong to Jesus Christ have already crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. The calls is clear. If God has brought you life in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit.
KINDNESS or GENTLENESS IN THE KJV
G5544. chrestotes, khray-stot'-ace; from G5543; usefulness, i.e. mor. excellence (in character or demeanor):--gentleness, good (-ness), kindness.
Psalm 117:1 Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples! 2 For His merciful kindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!
All us Gentiles have been called to praise the Lord! Why and for what occasion? For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Behold the merciful kindness of our Savior. He indeed has redeemed us from this present evil age. How great is this God whose kindness is great toward us?
Romans 11:22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.
This word goodness is the same Greek word translated kindness in our Galatians 5:22 passage. The command is … consider! Contemplate, think about, meditate upon the kindness of our God. Yes meditate upon His kindness and severity. The children of Israel knew the severity of God because when they heard the word of God they did not mix it with faith. If the believer continues in His goodness, found through faith in Jesus, the severity of God will never be known by the believer.
Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
God is rich in mercy, with His great love made us alive together with Christ. His kindness is so great we have been given a heavenly sitting with Christ Jesus. Verse 7 shows purpose and intent God has for us. In the ages to come He will show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Titus 3:4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
When Jesus came there was a greater revelation of the kindness and the love of God. It was the righteousness He would work in the believer not based upon their works but the perfect work of Jesus Christ. Yes, the fruit of the Spirit is kindness. He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing the of Holy Spirit; this is the work done at the point we genuinely put our faith in Jesus Christ. We are justified by His divine influence to make us heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Because God has made us a new creation in Christ Jesus we are able to put on this list of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. As the elect of God, holy and beloved put on… We are called to no longer behave like mere men; we can walk as the newly created in Christ Jesus. We can put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, and bear and forgiveness. It is what God put in us when we were joined to God Spirit to spirit.
Matthew 5:38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.‘ 39 "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 "If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 "And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 "Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. 43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.‘ 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Grace empowers us to love our enemies, bless those who curse us and do good to those who hate us. The God nature has been imputed unto us we can walk in His perfection. The Father make His sun rise on the evil and on the good so can we walk in love. Many believers who walk in defeat are doing so because they hate their enemies and curse the situations that are in front of them. We cannot afford to walk in the old man; putting on the new man allows us to love the unlovely and yes even our enemies. Do good and pray for those who hate you, spitefully use you and persecute you. Some believers still walk in defeat because they ignore the principals of grace. Jesus brought revelation to a new way of living that is the course to victory. If we ignore and refuse to make pursuit we will miss the blessing found in grace. This is living life in the proactive kindness of God.
Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
There is way of life in walking in the fruit of the Spirit. Leaving the complaint of our soul and putting a praise in our mouth is a great place to start. Bringing our emotions and intellect in line with the Word of God is so important. Bless the Lord, O my soul. When we turn our attention upon the greatness of our God we are empowered to let go of our complaint. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. A lifestyle of praise opens our eyes to His goodness and kindness. Forget not all His benefits. Here is a listing of the benefits provided at the cross of Jesus Christ. He forgives all iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from destruction, and crowns us with loving kindness. Jesus alone satisfies our mouth with good things. God calls us to look upon His loving kindness; and in the overflow walk in loving kindness.
No comments:
Post a Comment