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WEEKLY
Volume 4 Number 9
26 July 2009
A Gentle and Kind
Heart
(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the
Worship Service, 2:00 pm, July 26, 09)
Text:
Col 3:12-14
We have learnt about a loving heart, a
joyful heart, a peaceful heart and a longsuffering heart, which is the
fruit of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of sinners who sincerely repent
of their sins, humbly submit to the Lord and His Word and enjoy God’s
gracious work in their hearts day by day. We must give thanks to the
Lord always for His grace, mercy and good work in our lives. God’s
purpose is not only to save us from our sins and condemnation to Hell,
but also to transform us into the image of His dearly beloved Son, the
Lord Jesus Christ, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be
the firstborn among many brethren” (Rom 8:29). Praise the Lord!
Today we are learning about a gentle
and kind heart. Do you and I really have a gentle and kind heart? We
have met many who are very gentle, kind, nice, and friendly in this
world, and with much impression, we say, “Thank you so much. You are so
kind!” or “How gentle, nice and friendly he/she is!” However,
understanding the totally corrupt, depraved and sinful nature of human
beings, we know that those good qualities will not last long if they are
not from the Lord or the fruit of the Holy Spirit. I have a relative who
is not a Christian and is usually so polite, gentle and nice, but one
day she exposed her angry and retaliatory reaction when she was
misjudged and criticized. Knowing the sinful human nature, I just prayed
for her and gave her some advice and thank God that she could calm down
and did not retaliate against the offender. I also received an email
from a nice, gentle, and friendly pastor of a church in Singapore a few
years ago. He desired to visit our church with his message or a Bible
seminar. I have my responsibility and accountability before God to keep
our brethren here in His Word and His Truth, so I asked that pastor
about his stand for the VPP (Verbal and Plenary Preservation) of the
Scriptures because I did not want our brethren here to be confused and
misled. Do you know how his reaction was? He sent me an email full of
strong and insulting words!
My friends, the people in this world
understand that if they appear to be kind, gentle, and friendly, they
will be more acceptable. Even many “Christians” willingly compromise
God’s Truth, God’s Word, moral standards or principles and even their
integrity for the sake of being accepted and acknowledged by the
majority. Then, you and I should not be deceived and impressed by their
gentleness, kindness, and friendliness because when we, out of God’s
love, tell them the Truth to bring them back to God’s Word, they will
expose their true colours or their corrupt and sinful nature. They will
not be gentle and kind to us any more, but they may even persecute us as
heretics!
My dear friends, time and situations
will test and prove our genuine faith and good qualities. If you and I
are not born again and controlled by the Lord and His Word, sooner or
later our sinful and rebellious nature will be exposed. May God help you
and me know His gentleness and kindness and grant us a gentle and kind
heart like our Lord’s.
Gentleness and Kindness
The term “gentleness” in Galatians
5:22 is from the Greek term, chrēstótēs, which means “good” (Rom.
3:12); “kindness” (2 Cor. 6:6; Eph. 2:7; Col. 3:12; Titus 3:4); and
“gentleness” (Gal. 5:22). It is the grace which pervades the whole
nature, mellowing all which would be harsh and austere (Zodhiates).
It denotes “goodness, kindness, generosity” (BAGD). This term has
10 occurrences and the KJV translates as “goodness” four times,
“kindness” four times, “good” once, and “gentleness” once.
There are some synonymous terms in
Greek like epieíkeia, which means clemency or gentleness
(Acts 24:4; 2 Cor. 10:1) and é̄pios,
which means placid, gentle, mild, easy, compliant (1 Thess. 2:7;
2 Tim. 2:24), and chrēsteúomai,
which means to be kind, obliging, willing to help or assist (1
Cor 13:4), and Philanthrōpía, which is translated as “kindness”
(Acts 28:2) and “brotherly kindness” (2 Peter 1:7), and which is
transliterated in English as “philanthrophy,” is that “disposition
which does not always think of self, but takes thought for the needs and
wishes of others. It denotes that apparent and ready goodwill usually
manifested in a friendly, considerate demeanor, and (especially in the
practice of hospitality) readiness to help, tenderheartedness,
cherishing and maintaining fellowship. The philanthropist serves his
fellow citizens, protects the oppressed, is mindful of the erring,
gentle to the conquered, and self–renouncing in reference to his rights”
(Zodhiates).
In the Old Testament, we have
synonymous terms as “gentleness” (2 Sam 22:36), “kindness” (Ps 31:21),
“loving kindness” (Ps 17:7) and “goodness” (Ps 145:7).
God’s Gentleness and Kindness
God is loving, longsuffering and kind
as love (agape) suffers long and is kind (1 Cor 13:4). Without God’s
love, longsuffering and kindness, we only deserve eternal punishment and
condemnation in Hell due to our sins and unrighteousness. We must thank
God for His everlasting kindness, “In a little wrath I hid my face
from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy
on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer” (Isa 54:8), and for His great
merciful kindness, “For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and
the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD” (Ps
117:2; 119:76) and for His loving-kindness, “We have thought of thy
lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple” (Ps 48:9), and
His gentleness, “thy gentleness hath made me great” (2 Sam 22:36;
Ps 18:35). It is so comforting to hear and trust in God’s kind words,
“For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my
kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my
peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee” (Isa
54:10), and “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jer 31:3), and
“And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto
me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in
mercies” (Hosea 2:19).
God desires you and me to know and
understand His loving-kindness, “But let him that glorieth glory in
this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which
exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for
in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jer 9:24). Knowing God’s
goodness, kindness, and gentleness, we shall thank and praise Him and
trust in Him more, “Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his
marvellous kindness in a strong city” (Ps 31:21) and “How
excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men
put their trust under the shadow of thy wings” (Ps 36:7).
God has manifested His loving-kindness
toward mankind by blessing them with many good things (Ps 145), helping
them and delivering them when they cry unto Him for help (Ps 107),
forgiving their sins when they repent (Ps 51), especially giving His
only begotten Son to be an atoning sacrifice for their sins, “But
after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the
Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:4-5) and “That in the ages to come he might
shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7).
Looking at the life and ministry of
our Lord Jesus Christ, we may understand more of God’s loving-kindness
toward us. He was so kind to the helpless and the needy. He prayed for
them, ministered to them, taught them, healed them, delivered them, and
comforted them and sometimes He did not have time to eat or rest (Mark
6:30-34). However, due to His righteousness and holiness, our Lord did
not compromise nor lower His holy standards, but had to rebuke the
hypocrites and ungodly leaders (Matt 23) and to drive out those who
merchandised in the temple (John 2:14-17; Matt 21:12-13). Our Lord did
not judge the woman taken in adultery, but kindly forgave her with His
righteous warning, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more”
(John 8:11). Our Lord was so kind to Judas Iscariot that other disciples
did not know that he was the betrayer. Our Lord looked at Peter with His
prayer and with His gentle and kind eyes so that this poor disciple
could repent and stand firm despite Satan’s attack, “And the Lord
turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the
Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me
thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:61-62).
How to Have a Gentle and Kind Heart
Be Transformed by the Lord:
We cannot produce any true fruit of the Holy Spirit by ourselves, but we
must be transformed by the Lord. Paul used to be a blasphemer and
persecutor and injurious (1 Tim 1:13), but the Lord was able to
transform him to be His humble, gentle, kind but powerful servant, who
said, “But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her
children” (1 Thess 2:7) and “Now I Paul myself beseech you by the
meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you,
but being absent am bold toward you” (2 Cor 10:1), and “By
pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy
Ghost, by love unfeigned” (2 Cor 6:6). Praise the Lord! Dear
friends, shall you and I wisely submit to the Lord and His Word in order
to enjoy His gracious work in our hearts and lives?
Acknowledge God’s Kindness and Keep
Ourselves in His Kindness:
It is very vital for you and me to know, understand, and appreciate
God’s loving-kindness and keep ourselves in His kindness “Well;
because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be
not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches,
take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and
severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee,
goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be
cut off” (Rom 11:20-22).
Die to Self and Show God’s Kindness to
Others: We
cannot truly have a gentle and kind heart if our sinful “self” still
control us. The only way is that “I am crucified with Christ:
nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me” (Gal 2:20)
and “For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God… Put on
therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against
any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye” (Col 3:3, 12-13).
Conclusion
Dear friends, the wisdom from above is
“first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full
of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy”
(James 3:17). We can have a gentle and kind heart if we have a loving,
joyful, peaceful and longsuffering heart by the Holy Spirit. May God
control our hearts and help us humbly keep ourselves in His kindness,
die to self and show His kindness to others. Can others see Christ’s
holy gentleness and kindness in our words, deeds and lives? May God
transform us into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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