Loving Kindness

Ken Vail demonstrates that kindness is a fundamental character trait of God the Father. The famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, exemplifies the widely held view of God as an erratic, vengeful, angry being who is eager to destroy sinful men. Yet God is described in the Bible as a merciful, loving father. Which perspective of God motivates your relationship with Him?

God is perfectly righteous, so a relationship with Him is demanding. How we live matters. He gives us the necessary instruction to conform to His way. We ought to view this standard positively, not fearfully; it is a rubric to becoming like God. It is something we should desire eagerly. Seeking, developing, and showing the fruits of the spirit should be central to our lives. They described God`s character, whom we emulate.

God is Love

Love is a fruit of the spirit, which is described as kind; i.e. an active expression. Human beings are capable of good deeds apart from God, but not consistently, nor always with right motives. Conversely, God is love; it flows from Him as the essence of His being.

We must establish in our minds that God as real, present, and active. God is a kind Father, scooping us up, binding our injuries, feeding us, and guiding us to safety. He is our creator and sustainer. He tends his begotten gently, waiting eagerly for their birth into His family. His character is a perfect constant, serving as a safe foundation for our development. These kindly characteristics are the great hope for all mankind.

Reflect His Glory

As His children, we have the capacity to reflect either shame or glory upon Him. We can either represent Him truthfully to the world, or instead obscure Him by our actions. For better or worse, we directly impacting the relationships of our friends, neighbors, and co-workers with their creator. Being separated from God is a miserable condition. So it is great kindness to uplift others into a relationship with Him, which we do by accurately reflecting His image. Moreover it is selfish and malicious to contribute to separation from Him. Thus, living an unleavened life requires kindness.

Keywords:

II Peter 1:1 — John 15:8 — John 13:34 — fruits of the spirit — Godly character — bearing fruit — Romans 8:14 — love — kindness — intimacy — Titus 3:3 — Psalms 107:1 — Deuteronomy 32:11 — Isaiah 54:8 — Matthew 7:7 — Ephesians 4:41 — Love they neighbor — Colossians 3:12 — Matthew 5:34 — I John 3:11 — in deed and in truth — Romans 13:9 — spiritual blindness — Luke 13:18,