Gentleness

What is Gentleness?

Story of Luggage and Grandpa, with the rum.

Gentleness means acting in a manner that is gentle, mild and even tempered and is related to meekness.

We do not see many people gentle today throughout our society. A society of me.

A Christians Gentleness, God’s Gentleness, and Our Inheritance

These are not works of the flesh but fruits of the Spirit

Transition

As with all the fruits, if you want to understand the true definition of what is good, we must examine the only perfect one. What does it mean that God is Gentle?

The Gentleness of God

The Hebrew word associated with Gentle in the OT, Na-WA refers to act kindly or in humility. Used selectively, but when used of God..… it takes on this definition.

Although the word itself is rarely used, it expresses the typical condescension of the divine Judge, whose refusal to exact the full demands of the law lifts up those who would otherwise be crushed under its condemnation. The adjective epieikēs describes one of the qualities of the Christlike believer. 

God did not have to show us Gentleness. He could have shown us simply justice. Think of the OT Sacrificial system....

Goats and Lambs, they are not you. You sin and the payment is for your death. You transgressed against a holy God. But God provided a way to gently deal with your fighting him.

It is gentle and or Humble for God to deal with us in anyway that is not death. He has the authority. The Right and the power....but he deals with us as if we are his spouse. Whom he loves unconditionally.

Read Psalm 18:35

What is David’s point? The Lord loves me, he cares for me and he deals with me in a unique way. He deals with me not in the way he could deal with me.

Transition

God deals with us gently, Christ says so! Matthew 11:29

The last 3 fruit are selfward, the state of your own soul but keep in mind that fruit is to be seen and eaten by others. No Drax here.....

Perhaps this is why Christ says in Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.”

A Christians Gentleness

We lose sight of what it means to be Gentle, what it means to be humble or meek. We think we can wear it. We think we can take it off. Christians can tote Grace, mercy and peace and restrict grace, mercy and peace from others for differing reasons. They have made me upset. They wronged me. They slandered me. Now I will deal with them harshly.

Online wars. Wars in Church. Wars in the home.

2 Timothy 2:22–26 “Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But reject foolish and ignorant disputes, because you know that they breed quarrels. The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but must be gentle to everyone, able to teach, and patient, instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth. Then they may come to their senses and escape the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.”

Why is Paul Writing this to Timothy? Who is Timothy? Paul’s Farewell address.

We become influenced by people around us. You catch yourself perhaps saying or using their mannerisms. For some reason when I am with a bunch of people with a thick accent, I get a draw.....I can catch myself doing it! That is weird when you do that, because that is not how I normally act.

So as when I am close to my Lord. I am supernaturally able to be look past someones hateful or degrading remarks. I don’t do that.

Upon reflection, or the aftermath I get upset and want to have said something that was quick, witty and would have made my point! It would have vindicated me! In that moment I realize that God was with me, because I did not say what I obviously wanted to say.

James 3:13–16 CSB

Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.

Spurgeon “He who lies on a bed of spices will naturally find his garments smell the same.”

What is the mood of the air when you walk in or walk out of a room? While Gentleness is an action accomplished inside of us, it can only be seen with interaction with others.

Transition

2 Timothy 2:6–11 “The hardworking farmer ought to be the first to get a share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and descended from David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer to the point of being bound like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound. This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: For if we died with him, we will also live with him;”

Paul said I endure all things for the elect. I endure all things for those whom Christ has died. What kind of love is this? It is love that results in valuing others greater than yourself.

Our Inheritance

Titus 3:2 “to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people.”

Opposite of what we think. Many bible lessons are about you. Many circles today have cut off the possibility to teach gentleness by feeding us meism.

What is meism? When we find ourselves saying the words, what about me? I work so hard....why don’t i get.......I want that......I seek......Perhaps woe is me! How about this, you get the I ams

I am tired of doing this, I am upset with you, I am wronged, I am not being fulfilled.....

“A mirror upon which the sun is shinning is bright itself and flashes it’s reflected rays.” Spurgeon When you act, especially when wronged or when you think you are wronged, what are you reflecting?

Wrestling. Where the head goes, so does the body.

Ephesians 4:15 “But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ.”

He directs me.

Documentary my wife was watching with an ungentle pastor.

Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the humble, for they will inherit the earth.”

Such simple words.… what about the end? Revelation 21:5–8 “Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life. The one who conquers will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son. But the cowards, faithless, detestable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars—their share will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.””

Conclusion

Gentleness is not a cloak that you put on in a world full of miserable rain. Gentleness can not be completely summarized when you refuse to exact justice as your heart desires. Gentleness is an embrace of your savior. Humility only comes when you realize the Holy God. A Christian soldier who attacks his fellow brother or sister, or a Christian soldier who promotes others to sin is a treason.

We look at our military and think of how dishonorable it is for a soldier to leave their post. How could someone train for years alongside these men and women, who could say they are willing to die for their country and we place our freedom in their hands run away from that?

Yet when a professing Christian acts selfishly we attempt to justify it. Or brush it off. If you have experienced the gentle hand of God, how could you do that? If you have experienced the hand that came down from heaven, the arm that was revealed of the Lord, that picked you up from your sins, how could you act that way towards your brothers and sisters? The Lord does not change.

He has not stopped being Gentle to you. Even in your sins he does not treat you as he justly could! The wages of sin is death and every single moment you sin, and your eyes are still open is evidence of his gentle hand holding you. God would be just to smite us all and start over. However, how could we ever know God is gentle if not a personal relationship like so? How do we know how to act in the New Heavens and New Earth? Because of how our God treats us in this small span of time before me eternity.

He is so Gentle that he came down from his throne. He came to the lowly of low, he lived as gentle as one could, he became as us, in every way. What was his mind? Philippians 2:5 “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,”

He died. A humiliting death, cast outside by his people, the ones whom he would indeed save. So that he could say....come to me all who are weary and heavy ladden, for I will give you rest.

The day as it is God extends his goodness.

“Paul Washer demonstration of God’s wrath, and mercy, in between is his gentleness”