Love is Kind

Title: Love Is Kind                                 Text: I Corinthians 13:4

Introduction: What is kind to one person may not be perceived as kindness by another. Ill. – Holding the door open for my wife and another lady. Snort! “Chivalry lives on!”

I. Kindness’ Definition: “Disposed to do good to others, and to make them happy by granting their requests, supplying their wants or assisting them in distress; having tenderness or goodness of nature; benevolent” (N.W. 1828).

II. Kindness’ use in Scripture:

A.   An attribute of God:

Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

Titus 3:4 “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,”

Ephesians 2:7 “That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.”

B.   A virtue in man:

Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

2 Peter 1:7 “And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”

C.  A quality in a minister of the Gospel:

2 Corinthians 6:6 “By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,”

D.   A command for believers:

Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;”

Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

III. Kindness’ examples in the Old Testament:

A. Joseph asked for a return of kindness from his fellow prisoners (Genesis 40:14).

B. Rahab showed kindness to the spies and then made a covenant with them for kindness in return (Joshua 2:12-14).

C. Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 2:20, 3:10).

D. David acknowledged the kindness of the men of Jabeshgilead when they buried Saul. He then asked for God’s kindness to be upon them and rewarded them (II Samuel 2:5-6).

E. David showed kindness to the house of Saul for Jonathan’s sake (II Samuel 9:1-7).

F. Lack of kindness led to the division of the kingdom (II chronicles 10:6-8).

G. The virtuous Woman of Proverbs 31, verse 26 says, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”

H. God’s kindness toward rebellious Israel (Isaiah 54:8-10; Joel 2:13).

IV. Kindness’ examples in the New Testament:

Barbarous people showed kindness to Paul and those shipwrecked with him (Acts 28:2).

“And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold.”

Conclusion: What kindness can you do for someone this week?

Next Study: Love Envieth Not