PROOF OF LIFE: KINDNESS

PROOF OF LIFE: Kindness

Galatians 5:22-25

5/29/2022

Greater life has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ga 5:22–25.

What do God’s people DO?

As God does, we should do. As God is, we should be.

The WHY is love.

The WHAT is kindness.

Unpacking “kindness”

“Chrestotes”

“Love in practice.” Kindness is something we do that is driven by our internal convictions. We practice kindness the way a doctor practices medicine.

God’s Kindness.

Jesus SAYS he is kind:

28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 11:28–30.

Jesus tells us our Father in Heaven is kind:

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. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Lk 6:35–36.

Paul tells us God’s kindness has a purpose:

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ro 2:4.

God’s Kindness in US.

We do kindness because God does kindness.

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 and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is 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. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Mt 5:43–48.

Love causes kindness.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Co 13:4–7.

A fruitful life in Christ is filled with kindness.

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Pe 2:1–5.

The spiritual sacrifices we offer are the things we do: the kindness we act out.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), 1 Pe 2:9–10.

We represent God to the world around us.

God called us out of darkness: that was kindness driven by love.

Kindness is God’s loyal love applied to the world around us.

As God acts, so we should act.

Jesus fed hungry people, so we feed.

Jesus healed the sick, so we should heal.

Jesus went out of his way to reach outsiders, so we should go out of our way to reach others with the gospel.

Prompt: Are you doing kindness?

Good Samaritan