The love is long-suffering, the love is kind … 1 Corinthians 13:4
Kindness is a disposition that puts others at ease. The riches of the grace of God are shown to us by His kindness towards us in Christ (Ephesians 2:7). It is by the kindness of God that salvation has come to men (Titus 3:4), and through His kindness we come to a change of mind to be saved (Romans 2:4).
The lack of kindness in a person’s life expresses their useless lifestyle, for they have become a liability to society due to their depraved moral character. This was the state that the human race was in prior to God the Father sending the Son, for no one showed kindness and all turned aside, becoming useless (Romans 3:12). One who is not kind has a mouth full of a curse and bitterness, with poison on their lips while being swift to shed blood. Brokenness and misery are their paths, for they do not know the path of peace and have no fear of God in their eyes (Romans 3:13-18).
We see the kindness of God in how the Gentile nations are enjoying the health, wealth, and happiness that belongs to Israel because of the Jew’s unbelief, for God did not spare the natural branch because of their lack of faith but severed them and has grafted in those from a wild tree (Romans 11:22). Paul is using symbolism here to explain God’s kindness in contrast to severity, for He will not tolerate sin and unbelief. However, we are not to take this too far, for all of Israel will be saved and grafted back into the tree (Romans 11:25-26); therefore, this in no way indicates that the Church takes the place of Israel concerning God’s promises to Abraham and his descendants.
Kindness is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). Therefore, we express kindness towards others when we are at ease with who we are in Christ, with our minds set on the things above, seeking to fulfill the desires of the Spirit. With this proper attitude and frame of mind we will then clothe ourselves with kindness as the elect of God along with compassions of mercy, humility, objectivity of mind, and long suffering while we bear one another and are gracious towards ourselves and other saints so that that above all we keep the mature bond of love having the peace of God ruling in our hearts as we express our gratitude to God as being a part of one body (Colossians 3:12–15).
Kindness does not permit a person to continue in a sinful or morally corrupt lifestyle; therefore, there is no kindness in tolerating unrighteousness. Rather, because it is an aspect of love, kindness will always seek the best for the one loved by making them feel at ease, even when struggling with sin, unbelief, or overcoming Satan and the world, while being long-suffering. For it was the kindness of God that saved us from our sins (Titus 3:4–5).
Therefore, by using the fruit from the Spirit, which requires that our minds are focused on the things above and we are seeking to identify and fulfill the desires from the Spirit, let us show kindness to other saints, making each other feel at ease, for we are all of one body and belong to each other. And let us never forget that it is by our love for other saints that we testify to the world that we are disciples of Christ (John 13:35), and it is through our love for the brethren that we show our love for God (1 John 4:20).
