The Lord is Kind (Part 3)

Bob RoaneLoving and Trusting God, Service, Theology, Wise living

You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in loving-kindness. Therefore you did not desert your people, even when they made an image of a calf….Show me the wonders of your great loving-kindness you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. (Nehemiah 9:17-18; Psalm 17:7)

God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) is full of love, kindness, and goodness in Himself and in His dealings with human beings. If you are reading this today, whatever troubles you face, remember that the Lord loves you, He has not abandoned you, and He’s ready to help you right now, just where you are, just as you are. God intends His loving-kindness to lead us to repentance.1

Writer C. S. Lewis asserts: I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else….Christians do not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good in Christ because He loves us….Though our feelings come and go, Jesus’ love for us does not fluctuate.

If you missed it, you can go back and read The Lord is Kind (Part 1 + Part 2).

Here are more ways God is kind to us. Use these truths to help you love Christ, trust Him, and imitate His kindness in your dealings with other people, especially unlovable ones. Kindness is treating other people better than they deserve, remembering that we never deserve God’s grace, mercy, and peace.

8. The Lord is kind. He gives Jesus’ followers a glorious, holy, happy home in Heaven, where we will be with the Lord forever. Luke 23:43 Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise. Revelation 21:3,4 Look! God’s dwelling place is now among His people, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

True believers still stumble and sin, but we cannot fall out of God’s grace. Because of His unchangeable loving-kindness, the Lord guarantees that we will persevere. We are inseparably united to Jesus our Great High Priest who continually intercedes for us. And His Holy Spirit abides in us. So true believers can never completely or finally fall out of God’s family, because His power preserves our salvation through faith.2 To Christ’s followers who overcome, conquer, and are victorious by His grace, He promises:

  1. We will eat from God’s tree of life.3
  2. We will not be hurt by the second death (Hell = eternal torment).4
  3. We will receive a new name from the Lord.5
  4. We will rule over the nations with Christ.6
  5. We will be acknowledged by Jesus and clothed in white.7
  6. We will be citizens in the New Jerusalem and never leave it.8
  7. We will sit with Christ on His throne.9

Jesus’ promises are meant to overwhelm us with grateful hope in Him and help us continue trusting and obeying Christ through many dangers, toils, and snares in this life. In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis says: Christians who do most good in the present world are those who think most of the next world. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in.” Aim at earth and you will get neither. We need to be more heavenly minded to be more earthly good. Remembering our Heavenly Home with Jesus, all because of His loving-kindness, can help us follow close behind Him, because His right hand upholds us.10

Praise the Lord! No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

9. Here’s one more rich passage about the Lord’s everlasting kindness to us in Christ: Titus 3:3-8 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.

Note how this passage ends. Having received the Lord’s undeserved kindness, love, mercy, grace, and eternal life in Christ, we who have trusted in God must be careful to devote ourselves to doing good, passing on the Lord’s kindness to other people in concrete ways. No wonder Scripture says: “Love is kind….The fruit of the Spirit is…kindness….Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”11 The Lord is kind to even ungrateful and wicked people.12 Jesus’ people must go and do likewise. Thank God, His Holy Spirit helps us do that!

God sent His Son with power to save from guilt, and darkness, and the grave: Wonders of grace to God belong. Repeat His mercies in your song.13

Go in peace (shalom=harmony, wholeness, completeness, prosperity, well-being, and tranquility), beloved. Enjoy peace with God through Jesus today and be peace-makers who bless others in Jesus’ name!

Notes (various translations used): 1 Romans 2:4.     2 See Westminster Larger Catechism #79.     3 Rev 2:7.     4 Rev 2:11.     5 Rev 2:17.     6 Rev 2:27.     7 Rev 3:5.     8 Rev 3:12.     9 Rev 3:21.     10 Psalm 63:8.     11 1 Cor 13:4; Gal 5:22;  Eph 4:32.     12 Luke 6:35.     13 from hymn by Isaac Watts (1719).