God's Kindness

"Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" -Romans 2:4

"Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off." -Romans 11:22

"But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." -Titus 3:4-7

God's kindness... we cannot be quick to forget that the very reason for our existence is the love, patience, and kindness of our Heavenly Father. These verses remind us that God's kindness has been given to us in its fullest measure! We have been saved, by the kind, intentional will of God our Father, through the work of Christ Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.

Kindness is like the vice president of the love department of our lives. It is controlled by love, and yet it is also an individual branch of the believer's life. And where does this love and kindness get its origin in us? They both come from the modeled characteristics of God. If you have any doubts about God being the ultimate example of kindness... think again! The very fact that you and I are able to fill our lungs with air, thousands of times a day, is evidence of His goodness and provision in our lives. Let's look a little deeper into the kindness of our God!

We are a sinful people- the entire human race- and God could have quite simply allowed us to live "happy" lives here on earth, but never save us from our depravity! And that would have been completely just of Him! God's holiness does not allow for sin in His presence, and His sovereignty means that He doesn't need another's permission to carry out or withhold anything from us. God, therefore, demonstrated His lovingkindness towards us in that, by sending His Son, He allowed for us a mediator between His holiness and our sinful souls. God's kindness is evident in the work that was finished on the cross! His love was demonstrated towards us in that moment of the sinless Lamb being slain for my sins and yours...

Now, let us once again argue the kindness of God... look around you. What do you see? Be completely blatant and simplistic in your answers... walls? furniture? your cat? What blessings has God bestowed on your life? How often do you attribute these things to the kindness of God? Or do you not know that "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17)? There should be no doubt in your mind, as to the kindness of God, if you were to simply look around you at the blessings that you have!

Let's look deeper once more! Look at your soul... obviously not in a literal sense, but examine yourself! Do you have the peace of Christ within you? For therein is seen the kindness of our God, who comforts us in times of trouble... Do you have the hope that comes from knowing Christ? You know that this comes from the greatest sacrifice ever made... the kindness made known through the love displayed on Calvary! Do you have joy that endures through trials? This can only be the gift of God, through the hope that you have in Him! For joy comes from the hope of salvation, which comes from the faith that we have in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The kindness of God is truly a wonderful thing to experience. The fact that we have a chance, at all, to hear of His love for us and to understand the sacrifice that He made on Calvary is evidence of His kindness and love...

Friends, do not forget the kindness of our loving Savior! For it is the model of our own kindness towards others! Giving of self, even when other people do not apparently deserve our efforts. This is no more than should be expected of us! God has showed such great kindness towards us... let us not soon forget it!

Grace and Peace!

Questions or Comments? E-mail me at afflquestions@yahoo.com .