Kindness, as a fruit of the Spirit, is not mere politeness or being “nice.” It is a deliberate choice to work for the good of others—especially when they don’t deserve it, don’t appreciate it, or even oppose us—because we have begun to grasp how lavishly God has treated us in Christ.
In this week’s episode, we explore:
- How the New Testament uses “kindness” to describe actively pursuing someone else’s good, not just refraining from anger or retaliation
- The way God’s kindness is displayed in salvation: washing, renewing, and justifying foolish, hostile sinners by His mercy in passages like Titus 3 and Ephesians 2
- How God’s ongoing kindness sustains our daily lives now while also holding out a future hope of eternal riches in Christ
- Paul’s picture in Romans 11 of both the kindness and severity of God—and why real kindness doesn’t mean He overlooks sin or abandons justice
- How Jesus’ teaching in Luke 6 and His parable of the two debtors in Luke 7 show that understanding how much we’ve been forgiven fuels genuine kindness toward others
- Paul’s call in Ephesians 4 to put away bitterness and wrath and instead be “kind…tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you”
- Why Christians are often perceived as unkind, what part of that charge is unfair, and where it may reveal a drift into self-righteousness or a shallow grasp of the gospel
- How the Spirit slowly grows kindness in us over a lifetime, moving gospel truth from theory to the practical choices we make with spouses, coworkers, neighbors, and even enemies
After listening, you’ll see kindness not as a personality trait for naturally “nice” people, but as a Spirit-produced response to the staggering kindness God has shown you in Christ.
Series: Fruit of the Spirit
Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available now wherever books are sold.
Support the show
