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The Law Of Kindness

The Law Of Kindness. Ephesians 4:32. I. What Is Kindness?. 1 Originally: “good quality” of things. ‘Fine’ gold: Dn.2:32 ‘Well-conditioned’ yoke: Mt.11:30. Justin Martyr (d. A.D. 165): as a carpenter, Jesus used to make plows and yokes for oxen. His kindness reached beyond animals.

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The Law Of Kindness

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  1. The Law Of Kindness Ephesians 4:32

  2. I. What Is Kindness?

  3. 1Originally: “good quality” of things • ‘Fine’ gold: Dn.2:32 • ‘Well-conditioned’ yoke: Mt.11:30 Justin Martyr (d. A.D. 165):as a carpenter, Jesus used to make plows and yokes for oxen. His kindness reached beyond animals.

  4. 1Originally: “good quality” of things • ‘Fine’ gold: Dn.2:32 • ‘Well-conditioned’ yoke: Mt.11:30 • Wine that is ‘mild’ and ‘sweet’: Lk.5:39 Some food does not ‘agree’ with us

  5. 2Divine attribute Benevolent, favorable, merciful • Ps.100:5 • Lk.6:35 • 1 Pt.2:3 Unthankful… Lk.17:17 Kind: useful, good, gracious

  6. 3Attribute of princes & rulers Evil-Merodach and Jehoiachin And he spoke kindly to him and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon– Jer.52:32

  7. 4Virtue of honest people • Behaves properly; honest, good morals • 1 Co.15:33, ‘good’ morals • NT: describes virtue of – • Apostles, 2 Co.6:6 • All Christians, Ga.5:22 KINDNESS IS MOST COMMON VIRTUE MENTIONED ON ANCIENT TOMB INSCRIPTIONS

  8. 4Virtue of honest people “Kindness or sweetness …means both – is a mild, tender, tranquil virtue, prepared to share its goods; it invites to friendship; it is sweet in its speech, moderate in its morals. Stoics define it as a virtue spontaneously disposed to doing good. Goodness proper is not far removed from kindness…but it differs in that goodness can be a bit somber, frown-ingin moral austerity, no doubt doing good and giving what is asked but w/o being sweet and w/o attracting people by its mildness”

  9. 5Expression of love • 1 Co.13:4 • Kindness, sweetness • No kindness, no love

  10. I. What Is Kindness? II. What Accompanies Kindness?

  11. 1Calm emotions during provocation Or do you despise the riches of His good-ness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? – Ro.2:4 1. Goodness: kindness 2. Longsuffering: long-tempered; patient w. people 3. Forbearance: to be patient with, in the sense of enduring possible difficulty

  12. 1Calm Emotions During Provocation2Charity But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior towardmanappeared… – Tit.3:4 1. Love of God toward man: “philanthropy” 2. Cyrus & Croesus / Jews

  13. 1Calm emotions during provocation2Charity3Consistency • Present tense; command • Our example: God in Christ . . . • Not on again, off again And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. – Ep.4:32

  14. Simon, Jesus, and the woman (Lk.7) Simon Woman Jesus KIND KIND But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil – Lk.6:35 His own Lk.6:32

  15. Love of Christians amazed pagans • “Behold, how they love one another” • Kindness was largely the character of Jesus’ ministry • Tertullian: ‘Christus’ became ‘Chrestus,’and ‘Christiani’ ‘Chrestiani’ (‘made up of mildness or kindness’)

  16. I. What Is Kindness? II. What Accompanies Kindness? III. Who Needs Kindness?

  17. 1. Society • Lk.10 • Enemies no more • “Don’t wait for people to be kind; show them how” “Kindness is the language that the blind can see & the deaf can hear”

  18. 1. Society2. Family ‘…the law of kindness…’ • Prov.31:26 • Devoted love as of God to Naomi, Ru.2:20 • Devoted love as of Ruth to Boaz (Ru.3:10) • Husbands / wives. Ps.52:2 • Parents / children. Col.3:21 “denotes love showing itself in kindness & gracefulness”

  19. 1. Society2. Family3. Friends • Lk.15, false friends • David, down and out (2 Sm.15-16) • “What he deserves” (Shimei) • “What I deserve” (Absalom) • Friends: 1. Newcomer 2. David is down 3. Dangers Barzillai: Food, support Hushai: Emotional support Ittai: 15:18-23; 18:2

  20. 1. Society2. Family3. Friends4. Church • Ep.4:31-32. • Ja.4:1-3 Kindness removes . . . Animosity Rage Resentment Threats Slander Malice

  21. 1. Society2. Family3. Friends4. Church5. Lost • Ep.2:7 • Tit.3:4 • Jn.8:1-11 • Col.3:12 Gn.1:26-27, image Ep.5:1, imitation He cannot overlook her evil. He can be kind (unlike Phar.) Being clothed does not just ‘happen’

  22. The last word • Gal.6:7-8 • Gal.6:10 “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted” – Aesop “I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to a fellow creature, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall never pass this way again.”

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