The Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness and Goodness
Fruit of the Spirit • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The Kindness and Goodness of God
The Kindness and Goodness of God
God’s Goodness and Loving-Kindness Defined
God’s Goodness
God’s Goodness
Goodness In Himself - possessing in himself absolute perfection, the fount of everything good
Goodness is an added feature in our lives, but it is the essence of God.
Thomas Manton - God is essentially good; not only good, but goodness itself: the creature’s good is a superadded quality, in God it is His essence. He is infinitely good; the creature’s good is but a drop, but in God there is an infinite ocean of good. He is eternally and immutably good, for He cannot be less good than He is; as there can be no addition made to Him, so no subtraction from Him. God is the highest good.
Psalm 52:1 - The Goodness of God endures forever...
Goodness seen in creation -
All that God made was declared Good!
Psalm 33:5 “the earth is full of the goodness of God...”
The colors of the sunset, the beauty of creation - all demonstrate a God who is in and of himself good. God doesn’t just provide for our needs, but does it in a way where we find pleasure in what we eat and drink, beauty in what we see and hear...
Goodness towards mankind
Because God is good, His every dealing with man is abundant in goodness - there is a general benevolence, goodness towards his creation
God’s Kindness
God’s Kindness
Loving-kindness or mercy, benevolence, compassion and generosity,
God’s tender dealing with the weak and poor…
Ho 11:4 “I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.”
Ac 14:17 “Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.””
Matt 12:20 “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory;”
Rom 2:4 “God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?”
God’s Goodness and Kindness Towards Us
God’s Goodness and Kindness Towards Us
What We Once Were
What We Once Were
Titus 3:3 “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.”
Like the passions of the flesh in Galatians 5, these are the things that once dominated our lives
What God Has Done For Us
What God Has Done For Us
(Note - an eloquent, succinct, yet thorough statement of the Gospel of Grace, and a great example of Trinitarian theology in the N.T.)
God Gave His Son
To clearly reveal God’s goodness and kindness
These qualities of God were seen before Christ, for God was always good and kind
The Psalms - the goodness of God
When Christ came, the goodness and kindness of God was fully revealed
God Saved Us
From what we were, and from the wrath to come
Not because of our works (we bring nothing)
Because of:
Washing of regeneration (being born again) by the Spirit
Renewal of the Holy Spirit
God poured out his Holy Spirit upon us
Pentecost - yes - but this is the gift given to every believer
God made us heirs of eternal life
Having been justified by grace, we live in the certain hope of everlasting life.
The Fruit of God’s Kindness and Goodness In Our Lives
The Fruit of God’s Kindness and Goodness In Our Lives
The work of the Holy Spirit is to make us more and more like Christ, sanctifying us, transforming us, shaping us
Those in Christ will be full of the kindness and goodness of God
Living in the Loving-Kindness of Christ
Living in the Loving-Kindness of Christ
(philanthropia) Not just a random love of others, but a covenant, relational love, committed to and for one another
Generosity - giving first and foremost to the Lord, through our giving to the needs of one another
Hospitality - opening our homes, our hearts
When we see a need in the church - how do we respond
“I wish someone would do something about that…” OR
“How is God opening my heart to see this need and step up”
Making the church more inviting
Investing in the next generation; walking with the young parents, caring for our aging members, visiting the lonely, engaging in mission
How do we reflect the relational loving-kindness of God in the way we do church together?
Living in the Goodness of Christ
Living in the Goodness of Christ
Seeking that which is good, which is from above - set your mind on these things
Pursue goodness, turn from that which is wicked
Is this good, is it true, is it loving, is it helpful
Would I watch, listen, say, or do this knowing Christ were in the room? He is.
Living godly, upright lives in this age