Featured Image: Hill and road captured near sunset, TN
“Even the smallest gesture of kindness carries the fragrance of grace, illuminating another’s world with boundless brilliance… The smallest spark of kindness can ripple outward, igniting a radiant blaze of hope and joy, and becoming a blessing that lights another’s path like sunshine.” The Light In the Heart, Roy T. Bennett.
Images captured by author unless cited in captions. Scripture references are from Berean Standard Bible (BSB) online at biblehub.com
Alive in His Kindness
Ephesians is one of my favorite epistles as Paul writes about Jesus’ grace and kindness in making us alive in His Mercy.
Ephesians 2:1-10: Alive with Christ
1And you, being dead in your trespasses and sins— 2in which once you walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom we all also once conducted ourselves in the desires of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of its thoughts; and we were by nature children of wrath even as the rest.
4But God, being rich in mercy, because of His much love with which He loved us, 5even us being dead in trespasses, made us alive with Christ—by grace you are saved— 6and He raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages that are coming, He might display the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8For by grace you are saved through faith, and this not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are His workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Fading sunlight and grassy hill captured by author mid August, TN
Commentary and Insights
God makes us alive! His grace works to regenerate/renew us. This is a gift from God in which He exercises kindness. He “seats” us together with Christ. What does it mean to be seated with Christ?
Commentary Quote 1: Raised to New Life in Christ
“Since Christ is seated “at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms,” so too are we in a spiritual sense. Since we have been “raised to new life with Christ,” we can now set our sights “on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand” (Colossians 3:1, NLT). Physically, we still live in the natural world. But God, by His great power, and because of His immense love, mercy, and grace, raised us from our spiritually dead status to new life in Christ. We now sit in heavenly places.”
Source: https://www.gotquestions.org/seated-in-heavenly-places.html
His Kindness leads to Royal Privilege
Commentary Quote 2:
“We have been given the royal privilege of being enthroned with the Son and will one day partake of His glory. If we let this spiritual truth sink in, it will change the way we think and live. Because we are seated with Christ in heavenly places, our position in heaven is secure, but we must never forget that we don’t deserve our place there. We did nothing to earn it, but God graces us with it anyway (Ephesians 2:8; 4:7; 2 Corinthians 3:5).”
Source: ibid.
Saved by and through His Grace. Eliminates pride and self-sufficiency in terms of being made righteous before Him. We rest secure in His grace and mercy knowing that His grace holds us firm.
Access to His Power
“As we sit in heavenly places while still living on earth, we have access through Jesus Christ to all of heaven’s privileges and spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3–14). The power of God that raised Jesus from the dead is available and working on our behalf as we walk in this world (Ephesians 1:18–19; Acts 17:28; 1 John 4:9).”
Source: Got Questions “Seated in Heavenly Places”
Resource: Topical Bible: Kindness
A topical Bible is a helpful tool in studying and applying God’s Words to our daily faith journey. Topical Bible allows you to search across the entirety of Bible by subject matter to develop a “big” picture approach on concepts, terms.
https://biblehub.com/topical/k/kindness.htm
Unlikely friends the pup and the cat enjoying a moment together. Photo by Andrew S on Unsplash
Command to be Kind: Virtue and Fruit
Be Kind
Ephesians 4:32
32And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as also God in Christ forgave you.
Colossians 2:6-7
6Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, 7rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Clothe Yourself
Colossians 3:12-14
12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Bear with one another and forgive any complaint you may have against someone else. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity. 15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, for to this you were called as members of one body. And be thankful.
Fruit of Holy Spirit
“Kindness is also listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 : “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.” This indicates that kindness is a natural outgrowth of a life led by the Holy Spirit.”
Summary:
“Kindness is not merely an optional virtue but a reflection of the transformative power of the Gospel. It is a tangible expression of the love of Christ and a witness to the world of God’s character. As believers grow in their relationship with God, they are called to increasingly reflect His kindness in their daily lives, serving as instruments of His grace and love to others.”
When others experience our kindness, it points them to Jesus: Our Kind Savior!
Excellent Read on Christ’s Kindness: currently reading through this great work.
Mount Cook, New Zealand Photo by Pablo Heimplatz on Unsplash
Words of Grace & Hope 