Fruits Of The Holy Spirit - Kindness - Pursuing Intimacy With God

Fruits Of The Holy Spirit – Kindness

In our previous studies of the Fruits Of The Holy Spirit, we learned about God’s supernatural Agape Love, Joy, Peace, and Patience. Now we will study the next of the fruits of the Holy Spirit – Kindness.

Kindness is a characteristic missing in many people today. Love and kindness typically go together. Love is kind… When you love others like God does you will be kind to others. Love and kindness are not words that can be used to describe many people these days.

The Bible tells us how people will be in the end times. We are certainly in the end times, and more and more people are just as God’s Word said they would be. One of the interesting things about the following verses is the last phrase “having a form of godliness but denying its power.” This is describing people in the church, not just sinners outside of the church.

“People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power.” – 2 Timothy 3:2-5

The Fruits Of The Holy Spirit

The Fruits Of The Holy Spirit – Kindness

Just like God’s love, His kindness is far above and beyond human kindness. Our capacity to love and to be kind are very limited compared to God’s capacity.

“The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” – Psalm 145:9

God is even loving, kind and compassionate to the wicked, giving them chances to repent and turn back to Him.

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance ?” – Romans 2:4

God’s Love And Kindness Leads To Repentance & Salvation

God by nature is loving, kind, and compassionate. Slow to anger, and merciful. When Moses sought to know God more, God revealed Himself to Moses.

“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty…” – Exodus 34:6-7

Because of God’s great love and kindness, He desires all to be saved. To have a restored personal relationship with Him.

“God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:4

God’s love and kindness led Him to send His own Son Jesus to suffer and die on a cross. So that we could enjoy His salvation and a restored relationship & fellowship with Him.

“so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” – Ephesians 2:7-8

“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us. Not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” – Titus 3:4-5

The Fruits Of The Holy Spirit – Kindness

God Calls His People To Be Loving And Kind To Others

God calls Christians to be the light in the world. To love others and to be kind to all. Even our enemies. This is beyond our human capacity to love and be kind.

We need God’s grace and the Holy Spirit to develop in us God’s very own love and kindness. God’s supernatural love and kindness is far greater than our own. God wants to display in you and your life His glory, and His love and kindness to others.

Why is it important for us to love others and be kind to them, even to our enemies ? Because God’s main desire in His heart is for all to have a restored relationship with Him. He wants all men to be saved.

God uses us to reach the lost. If we are actively sharing Jesus and the Gospel with others, but are not sincerely loving and being kind to them, then our witness will not be fruitful. We must be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit, so that God can display His supernatural love and kindness to those who still do not know Jesus personally as their Lord and Savior.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32

We Need God’s Grace & Help To Love Others & To Be Kind

Jesus commands us to love and be kind to others, even to our enemies. His commands are beyond our human capacity to love and be kind. Why would Jesus command us to do things that are not within our human capacity ?

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” – Luke 6:35-36

It is so that we will understand our need to completely depend on Him and His grace. The Christian life is not only too difficult for us to live, it is impossible with God’s help and grace. That is why God sent the Holy Spirit. Not just to guide us when we need guidance and wisdom. It is to empower us.

In order to be filled with the Spirit, like Ephesians 5:18 tells us to be, one must completely surrender his or her all to Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit is free to come in and completely fill and control, and live out the very life of Jesus in that person’s life. A life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness…

“…but be filled (completely controlled) with the Spirit.” – Ephesians 5:18

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” – Colossians 3:12

May we all be God’s light shining in this dark world, so that many others may come to know Jesus personally.

Next week we will study the next of the fruits of the Holy Spirit – Goodness.

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