1. FRUIT OF THE SPIRITFRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
“KINDNESS”

2. Galatians 5:22, 23Galatians 5:22, 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no
law.
relationships
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control. Against such there is no
law.

3. Defining “Kindness”Defining “Kindness”
• Gk. “chrestotes” (noun) “gentleness” (KJV)
– Arndt & Gingrich
1 “goodness, uprightness”
2 “goodness, kindness, generosity” (p. 886)
– Vine’s “It signifies ‘not merely’ goodness as a
quality, rather it is goodness in action, goodness
expressing itself in deeds; yet not goodness
expressing itself in indignation against sin, for it is
contrasted with severity in Rom. 11:22, but in
grace and tenderness and compassion” (p. 165)

4. Defining “Kindness”Defining “Kindness”
• Gk. “chrestos” (adj)
– "For My yoke is easy and My burden is
light" (Matt. 11:30)
– "And no one, having drunk old wine,
immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The
old is better’" (Lk. 5:39)
*conveys a mildness, pleasantness, mellowness

5. Romans 11:22Romans 11:22
“Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: on those who fell,
severity; but toward you, goodness, if
you continue in His goodness.
Otherwise you also will be cut off.”
“Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: on those who fell,
severity; but toward you, goodness, if
you continue in His goodness.
Otherwise you also will be cut off.”
“Therefore consider the goodness and
severity of God: on those who fell,
severity; but toward you, goodness, if
you continue in His goodness.
Otherwise you also will be cut off.”
“chrestotes”

6. “Consider the goodness and the
severity of God” –Psalm 107
• The Redeemed (vv. 1-9)
• The Chastised (vv. 10-16)
• The Foolish In Sin (vv. 17-22)
• The Mariners in Peril (vv. 23-32)
• The Downtrodden (vv. 33-43)
Romans 2:4 “Or do you despise the riches of His
goodness (Gk. chrestotes), forbearance, and
longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness (Gk.
chrestos) of God leads you to repentance?”

7. • God’s Kindness Is Available to All
– even the wicked (Lk. 6:35, 36)
35 "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.
36 "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also
is merciful.
“Consider the goodness and the
severity of God”

8. • God’s Kindness Is Available to All
– through sending His Son (Titus 3:4-6)
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our
Savior toward man appeared,
5 not by works of righteousness which we have
done, but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Spirit,
6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ our Savior,
“Consider the goodness and the
severity of God”

9. God Calls Us To KindnessGod Calls Us To Kindness
• We are challenged to be “kind” to all
– to the ungrateful and evil (Lk. 6:35, 36)
– to our brethren (Col. 3:12, 13)
A FULL SPECTRUM!

10. Kindness QuestionsKindness Questions
• Is my first response to others clothed in
kindness?
• Am I a polymorphic Christian?
• Are others “at ease” in my presence or
“on edge?”

11. KindnessKindness
• Its not as Jewel supposed in “Hands”
– “. . .in the end only kindness matters”
• Yet, “kindness” does matter!
– it is the Fruit of the Spirit

12. Being KindBeing Kind
• Doesn’t mean that we tolerate sin
– Jesus was kind and compassionate, yet
called men out of sin
• Doesn’t mean that we cannot be
forceful and bold
– Jesus was kind and compassionate, yet
forceful and bold

13. Being KindBeing Kind
• Should make us sensitive to another’s
need (Jas. 2:14-18)
• Should make us treat everyone the way
we want to be treated (Jas. 2:1-13)
• Should make us deal with others the
way God deals with us

14. “This Christian kindness is a
lovely thing, and its loveliness
comes from the fact that
Christian kindness means
treating others in the way in
which God has treated us.”
(Barclay)

15. Eph. 4:31-32, N IVEph. 4:31-32, N IV
• "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and
anger, brawling and slander, along with
every form of malice. Be kind and
compassionate to one another,
forgiving each another, just as in Christ
God forgave you"

16. • Kindness starts with caring — being
tenderhearted and compassionate
toward others.
• If God wants us to be kind to animals,
how much more to people! (See
Proverbs 12:10).

17. Next,Next,
• We must make it our goal and habit to
be actively looking for opportunities to
show kindness.
• When we see one, we need to act
quickly before the opportunity is gone.

18. • The Greek word for "kind" is chrestos.
Part of its meaning is useful, which
makes it clear that biblical kindness
involves action. "Dear children, let us
stop just saying we love each other; let
us really show it by our actions" (1 John
3:18, New Living Translation, emphasis
added throughout).

19. • Action includes some kind of self-sacrifice and
therefore generosity on our part, especially of our
time. (That doesn't mean we neglect sufficient rest
and whatever is needed to refill our own well.)
• Of course, the emphasis on deeds over mere
words does not mean words are unnecessary.
Action includes words. Encouraging words of
comfort, courtesy, compliments and even
correction can be heartwarming acts of kindness.
Several biblical proverbs attest to this.

20. • What to say and not say should be
guided by awareness of the sensitivities
of others. We must help people heal
from their emotional wounds rather than
rubbing salt in those wounds. Sadly,
when people know what "buttons to
push," they often use that insight to
further hurt each other.

21. • Our motive for "charitable deeds"
should not be to impress people
(Matthew 6:1-4). The greatest rewards
from God come when our acts of
kindness are done humbly, quietly and,
when practical, anonymously.

22. • Doing someone a favor to get a favor in
return is not wrong unless it's illegal or
unethical (like bribery). But a favor done
to get some benefit is not true kindness.
Genuine kindness is lending a helping
hand when you expect nothing in return.

23. • Kindness should begin with our kin.
Ironically and tragically, many people
display their most unkind behavior with
the ones they should love the most.
God is not unaware of this hypocrisy.

24. • And Jesus Christ emphasized that we
must be kind to everyone, not just our
family and friends (Luke 6:31-34). If you
do this, "your reward will be great, and
you will be sons of the Most High. For
He is kind to [even] the unthankful and
evil" (verse 35).