Loving into the Body - Part 2 - 2 Kinds of Kindness

We are coming up to 500 years since the Protestant Reformation, an event that started small in several different places, but whose effects echo through our lives today. The writings of Paul, and Romans and perhaps Galatians in particular.

Some of the Reformers, like Martin Luther, probably saw themselves like Paul, trying to teach the truth and battling against an older regime of religious leaders - Jews in Pauls' case, and Roman Catholics in Luther's.

One piece of the building conflict that sparked off the Reformation was the question of whether being a Christian meant the same thing as being a good, kind person. 500 years later, we can look back and say, no, just being a kind person does not automatically make you a Christian. However, if those early disciples of Luther might look at us and wonder if we could say with our mouths one thing, but not always live out what we say we believe. The truth is, every generation, maybe even every person, has to grapple with most of the aspects of faith that those Christians of the Reformation did 500 years ago.

Kindness defined

We:

2 Types of Kindness

1. Niceness, Small things done to show appreciation even if undeserved or unasked for.

2. Usefullness to God - Chrestotes - related to Christ, which means "annointed".

- Does God only use truly kind people?

- Or is true kindness the mark of being set apart as God's people?

God:

Romans 3:9–18 NRSV

9 What then? Are we any better off? No, not at all; for we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, 10 as it is written: “There is no one who is righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God. 12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.” 13 “Their throats are opened graves; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of vipers is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 ruin and misery are in their paths, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 3:12 NRSV

12 All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.”

All have turned aside, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, there is not even one.”

Worthless/Unkind/Unprofitable/Useless - No one God can use!

"None Is Righteous” from: (; )

(; )

“There is no one who is righteous, not even one;

there is no one who has understanding,

there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned aside, together they have become worthless;

there is no one who shows kindness,

Romans 10:1–4 NRSV

1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

there is not even one.”

“Their throats are opened graves;

they use their tongues to deceive.”

“The venom of vipers is under their lips.”

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and misery are in their paths,

and the way of peace they have not known.”

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” "

https://ref.ly/Ro3.9-18;nrsv

Paul's view of his own people:

"Unenlightened zeal" - heart in the right place but not going about it the right way. Trying to do God's job and in doing so, not doing their own job - submitting to God's righteousness.

Alas, They are still useless by the Psalmist’s standards.

Romans 10:5–15 NRSV

5 Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Salvation Is for All

The Commands of God - How to Live as God’s People - How to have Eternal Life

Salvation Is for All

Say not in thy heart. In thy heart is added by Paul. The phrase say in the heart is a Hebraism for think, compare ; ; . Usually of an evil thought. Compare ; ; .

“The word is near you,

on your lips and in your heart”

(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11 The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13 For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15 And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

Say not in thy heart. In thy heart is added by Paul. The phrase say in the heart is a Hebraism for think, compare ; ; . Usually of an evil thought. Compare ; ; .

Who shall ascend into heaven? The Septuagint adds for us, and bring it to us, and hearing it we will do it.

To bring down. Interpreting the Septuagint, and bring it to us.

7. Descend into the deep. Rev., abyss. Septuagint, Who shall pass through to beyond the sea? See on . Paul changes the phrase in order to adapt it to the descent of Christ into Hades. The two ideas may be reconciled in the fact that the Jew conceived the sea as the abyss of waters on which the earth rested. Compare . Thus the ideas beyond the sea and beneath the earth coincide in designating the realm of the dead. Compare Homer’s picture of the region of the dead beyond the Ocean-stream:

To bring up. There is no need. He is already risen.

8. The word is nigh thee. Septuagint, Very nigh thee is the word. The word is the whole subject-matter of the Gospel. See ver. 9. Moses used it of the law. See on . The whole quotation in the Hebrew is as follows: “It (the commandment) is not in heaven, that ye should say, Who will ascend for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and make us hear it that we may do it? And it is not beyond the sea, that ye should say, Who will go over for us beyond the sea, and bring it to us, and make us hear it that we may do it? But the word is very near thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, to do it.” The object of the passage is to contrast the system of faith with the system of law, and that, especially, with reference to the remoteness and difficulty of righteousness. Moses says that the commandment of God to Israel is not incapable of accomplishment, nor is it a distant thing to be attained only by long and laborious effort. The people, on the contrary, carries it in its mouth, and it is stamped upon its heart. Compare ; . In applying these words to the system of faith, Paul, in like manner, denies that this system involves any painful search or laborious work. Christ has accomplished the two great things necessary for salvation. He has descended to earth and has risen from the dead. All that is necessary is to accept by faith the incarnate and risen Christ, instead of having recourse to the long and painful way of establishing one’s own righteousness by obedience to the law.

Rich young ruler:

"What must I do to have eternal life?"

Put your life in Jesus's hands.

Romans 10:16–21 NRSV

16 But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. 18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” 19 Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, “I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry.” 20 Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, “I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.” 21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

How can some "disobey the good news"? Isn't news something you just have to hear?

18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for

“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,

and their words to the ends of the world.”

19Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,

“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;

with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”

20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,

“I have been found by those who did not seek me;

I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”

21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Rejection

How can some "disobey the good news"? Isn't news something you just have to hear?

No, some have not believed it enough to do something about it.

The gospel is not a weather report of partly cloudy with a chance of rain, it is a report of a flood coming. Those who did not believe the good news when Noah gave it to them perished in the flood.

Some were trying to give their lives to Moses, or Jacob, or Abraham - but Moses and these others could not save them. None of them had come from heaven to earth, or from death, back to life. Only Jesus could do that.

So what do we do with those who, like the rich young ruler, will try anything but Jesus?

We let them go.

We will let them see God leading us and see what they are missing out on.

Uncle Dale and his racism that cost him his own family.

You:

Letting someone live a lie is not love. It is not kindness. It is not being useful to God.

Who do you need to speak and show the truth in love to, so that they can be set free from sin and live?

Are you and I that person?

Are we useful to God?

When we meet Jesus

Bekah and Matt Sealy (Goofy person like Ed Pavy) yesterday at Church Beyond

We:

- “Well done good and faithful servant.” and “Go and sin no more.”

Which is Jesus telling you today?

The greatest kindness you can offer someone is to adopt them into your family. Not your biological family, or the family you live with today… but the family you will live with for eternity. God’s family. Are we truly showing kindness to others or are we still focusing too much on ourselves.

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