The Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness
The Fruit of the Spirit • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Galatians chapter five gives us a great lesson on how the concept of the Trinity is played out. We see in Galatians 5:13 that God the Father calls us. We see in Galatians 5:24 that the God the Son died for us. We see in Galatians 5:16-23 that God the Spirit dwells within us. In our scope of study this summer, we have focused on verses 22-23 that give us the Fruit of the Spirit. We have seen how each attribute in this great list gives us character in which God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit instill in us to be and do what we are called to be and do. As we continue this study, we are reminded that these attributes helps us focus on God, others and ourselves. We come to the attribute of gentleness. We will see how gentleness is represented in scripture, how it is radiated from God and given to us as believers, how it is received from the Father to the Son to the Spirit and then to us, and we will see how we are to take gentleness and reciprocate it to others.
Gentleness Represented
Gentleness Represented
The Greek Philosopher Aristotle defined gentleness as the mean between excessive proneness to anger and the incapacity for anger. Gentleness refers to that person that exhibits meekness or a mildness of disposition. Words like considerate, humble, and tender also mark the person of gentleness. It is listed as the eighth of nine attributes of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit. However, it is not just in this list do we see gentleness.
We see gentleness being used by Jesus as an idea of being submissive.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
From the Sermon on the Mountainside, Jesus taught the very heart and will of God. His first words in this great sermon were these that help us see our poverty before God. “Poor in spirit” indicates an understanding of gentleness and the example of what God desires.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
There is no doubt that the greatest example we could ever see of gentleness is that of Jesus. In this statement, He is saying that gentleness is not a burden but a way of finding rest and it implies a found confidence in living in His love.
“Say to the Daughter of Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”
Jesus quotes a bit of prophecy from Psalm 118:26. The people expected a ruler to come with sword and a warhorse, but Jesus comes gently riding on a donkey proclaiming a way of life that was centered on humility and gentleness.
We also see in scripture that gentleness represented being teachable.
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Sometimes are become unteachable when we do not humbly accept the word that was sown in us. We have to have an attitude of being teachable and by doing so we are practicing gentleness.
A third way of gentleness represented is by being considerate.
What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
All of us would rather receive a gentle spirit than a whip. Paul uses that same idea in his second letter to the Corinthian church and as an example of Christ.
By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away!
Peter also shows gentleness represented as being considerate. In 1 Peter 3:15, he says:
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Gentleness is represented throughout Scripture and it is also radiated to mankind and we can experience it more fully if we understand just how this has happened.
Gentleness Radiated
Gentleness Radiated
In Psalm 18:35, there is a statement in the King James Version that I feel is gives us great insight.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation:
And thy right hand hath holden me up,
And thy gentleness hath made me great.
That last statement, “Thy gentleness hath made me great,” is one which we need to look closer.
The New King James says:
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
King David is making this statement. It may be helpful to think about the context in which he made it. We first learn about David as a boy is that he was the youngest in his family. He seems to have been despised by his parents. When Samuel comes to review the sons for the successor as king, David is not even invited to the party. Yet, the Lord chose him to be the king. David experienced first hand the gentleness not from his earthly father, but from his heavenly Father. His earthly father sent David to the army as a sandwich maker and not a soldier. Yet David took on the giant with small stones and a sling and was victorious. The giant made fun of David, just like his father and brothers, yet the gentleness of God empowered him to conquer that foe and go on to win many more battles. Saul hated David but God’s greatness kept David in a position of prominence. There were many times David should have been defeated and completely ruined, but the gentleness of his Heavenly Father made him a “man after God’s own heart.” God used that gentleness to sustain him and to help him become the King from whose lineage would come the Son of God. At times when he seemed to be crushed, the gentleness of God prevailed.
There are hundreds of stories that could be told like this one. Perhaps like me, you think of David’s story and remember highlights from your own story of how the gentleness of God intervened in your life. I am reminded that though my sin should have given me great punishment, God in His gentleness chose to separate sin from me.
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
We also learn from Micah 7:18-19 that God has cast our sin into the depths of the sea.
Who is a God like you,
who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
but delight to show mercy.
You will again have compassion on us;
you will tread our sins underfoot
and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
Gentleness radiated from God and was given to mankind and to me to because of His love and great mercy.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Right in the middle of the command to rejoice and not be anxious we are called to let our gentleness to be evident to all. We can do this because of the pattern of how gentleness was received.
Gentleness Received
Gentleness Received
We see in throughout scripture that gentleness originates from the Father. Jesus sees the Father’s gentleness and imitates the Father.
Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
So if the Father does gentleness, the Son will also because He has received it from the Father. The Son will never do anything that the Father has not instructed Him to do.
Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
The Son has received gentleness and in turn gives it to the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is connected to both the Father and the Son.
Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”
This is where it gets exciting! The Holy Spirit is so excited about what the Father and Son have given, that we in turn receive all of these attributes from the Holy Spirit.
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
We are able to discern through wisdom and revelation and received this gift. As we receive it, we are able to testify that Christ lives within us with all of the same attributes He had because of the work of the Spirit!
Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
We are given this list of attributes of the Fruit of the Spirit so that we might exemplify Christ as we share our lives with others. We are given attributes like gentleness for one reason: to share it with others. In other words, we are to take gentleness and reciprocate it.
Gentleness Reciprocated
Gentleness Reciprocated
There are many ways that the Bible gives us to reciprocate gentleness. Paul shares them in his various letters.
He mentions to the Corinthian Church that gentleness should be used in discipline.
What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?
Of course a gentle spirit is a better alternative.
When dealing with restoring folks that have gone wayward, we are instructed in Galatians to do so gently.
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
Paul tells the Colossians that gentleness should be shared even in our everyday lives. We have mentioned this before with other attributes, but it is also mentioned with gentleness.
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Titus instructs this also in using the words considerate and humility.
Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.
Paul reminds the Thessalonians how he and the other apostles shared gentleness in showing care.
but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
Paul tells young Timothy to share gentleness as a leader.
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Also in 1 Timothy 6:11 the leader is told to flee unrighteousness and pursue gentleness.
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.
Paul says to share gentleness in instruction and especially so to those that oppose us.
Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
One can see from the progression that has been made in this message today that the ultimate goal is to take that which has been given to us and to share it with others. This is a teaching that I hear and say, “okay, how can I be more gentle?”
On the outline, I have given another section to think about in the application area. I want to challenge you to take some time and go through these thoughts.
Application:
Another point of discussion that needs to be considered is Gentleness Reflected. As you reflect (think about gentleness), how you can also reflect (mirror, echo, copy) gentleness in all these areas listed above.
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the most gentle, where do you rank? What needs to happen to improve this in your life?
Why is it important for us to practice gentleness especially today?