The Kindness of God

Because God displayed immeasurable kindness to us through Jesus while we were still his enemies, we too must show kindness to our own enemies on Earth.

INTRODUCTION

Back into our series on the fruits of the Spirit, this week we will be focusing on kindness.

It is important to notice that for each of these fruits of the Spirit, we have not been focusing on characteristics of humans but on characteristics of God that he gives to his children through his Spirit.

When we think of kindness we often think of nice things that we have done for our friends or our family. We think about how we started a meal train for a couple with a new baby, or how we let someone take the last piece of pizza, or how we were there for a friend when they were going through a rough time, or even used our own money to pay for a friend’s meal. These are all good things, and they are certainly kind things. But even though these things are kind, it only begins to scratch the surface on what kindness really is.

The true test of kindness is not your attitude or actions towards friends, and the true test is not even with strangers, but the true test is when you are faced with an enemy.

When I say enemy it can become a very vague term, and we don’t often go around calling people enemies, so what is an enemy?

Can be someone who treats you poorly, someone who has bullied you, stolen from you, or just someone you don’t get along with really well. It can be someone you disagree with very strongly.

Luke 6:32–34 ESV

“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.

We are called to be different from the world around us. We are supposed to show a certain type of kindness that the world is not used to seeing. To be kind to your friends is nothing different, even gangs do that. But if you are kind to your enemies, that makes a statement. People notice that.

In fact, a lot of people would probably view it as weakness and get upset that you would want to show kindness to someone who has been evil to you.

Does that mean that we are not allowed to be upset when someone has been evil to us? Do we just have to accept what they do? Never, and we shouldn’t accept evil. But hating the person is different from hating evil.

Why is that foreign to the world? It’s because we are all corrupted, fallen versions of what we were created to be. We all have evil tendencies inside of us.

Genesis 8:21 ESV

And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.

Does God suddenly become ok with sin? Of course not. But he understands our wickedness, has every right to get rid of these evil creatures that are causing him nothing but immense pain and sorrow, and shows us immense kindness despite that.

:21m

Do you show immense kindness to those people that have created nothing but pain and sorrow in your life? You should never approve of evil behavior. If someone is evil to you, should you call out that behavior for what it is? Yes. Should you challenge them to change? Yes. Should you pray for them? Absolutely. Should you hate that person or act unkindly to that person? Never.

AND HERE IS WHY:

Luke 6:35–36 ESV

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:

Two reasons why we can and should be kind:

1) God is not asking us to do anything more difficult than he has already done for us.

First, before I get into this Scripture, I want us to remember exactly what sin is. Sin is pure evil, it is an active rebellion against God. It is us actively trying to dethrone God, even if that means killing him. It indeed cost the Son of God his life. It is with that in mind that I read this Scripture:

Romans 5:7–8 ESV

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Do you see what is being said here? Most good husbands, Christian or not, will die for his wife or kids. It is often that gang members die because they are standing up for their fellow gang members. But dying for an enemy? For a sinner? For someone who is evil? That looks foolish to the world. But praise be to God that this is the kindness he has shown us through the death of Jesus Christ.

Does God accept our sin and allow us to continue in it without punishment? Of course not. Is he kind to us even though we have been evil? More so than we could ever hope to understand.

2) God is not asking us to do anything more than he has already equipped us to do.

We know that the intentions of our hearts are evil even from youth. So how can God ask us to be kind?

We have been given the Holy Spirit! And the Holy Spirit bears the characteristics of God in men. Are we living by this Spirit? Nourishing the Spirit within us? Giving ground in our hearts to the Spirit? Or are we nourishing our flesh and our evil desires that still remain within us?

In giving us His own Spirit God has given us everything we need to show the same type of kindness that he showed to us.

So listen to the call of Jesus

Luke 6:35–36 ESV

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

Luke 6:25–26 ESV

“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. “Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Luke 6: