Bible – Galatians 5: 16-26. 

Title – Fruits of kindness. 

Key Verse – Ephesians 4:32. 

             

             Praise the Lord everyone. I believe that all of you will be very happy today because we can be able to praise and worship God in this garden today and rejoice in the name of the Lord. But along with all these things, I request all of you that you may also put your attention to today’s message. I believe that all of you know that a series of our messages is going on. But on the basis of the series could anyone tell from where today’s Bible is and what is the message based on which topic?

 Today’s message is on the fruit of the spirit “grace”, which is also called mercy. It is not as easy to get the fruit of the spirit as we understand. It takes time. This is a process which you practice continuously.

 For this you have to go through physical and mental troubles. Many times you have to deny all the things you have learned from this world. This fruit is different from the knowledge and from that education that you learn from your parents, from family members, from people around you. You have to fight with your desires to get these fruits. You will also have financial losses along with physical and mental loss. All you might be thinking is that I am demotivating you today.

 No, I am not demotivating you but I want you to get ready in every way to get the fruits of the spirit. I do not want you to be like a balloon in which hydrogen gas is filled. Do you know what happens with that balloon?? It flies up in the sky for some time but after a few hours it is on the ground. But you have to run a long race and that too without stopping like a runner runs. 

Your life should not be like that balloon which flows in the air for some time. In the beginning it is good but its end is sad.

 That’s why strengthen yourself for those challenges which you will face in your coming life. Do you know what this challenges filled life called? This kind of life is called spiritual life for which you have been called. Whoever wishes to get these fruits of the spirit in his life, he also acknowledges that it is a challenging life. And this is also the way that it has been described in Matthew 7:14, it reaches eternal life.

 Let’s go in today’s topic. Today is the subject of grace (mercy) Before talking about this topic, I want to remind you a parable which Jesus Christ had told Luke 10: 25-37. Here is a Samaritan person who is part of such society which was rejected by the other societies. He is a part of a small society which is tortured. Which has been disqualified to be involved with the people of another society? Here’s the matter of high status and low status. You can understand something like that at one time in our country it used to be that the people of low caste were seen by disgusting eyes by the high caste. They did not even touch them.   They used to humiliate them. And they considered them ineligible for any work and they did not have any existence in the society.

In this parable there is also a similar person who has been called a Samaritan. Second and there is also a person who is Jewish, who is going to Jericho from Jerusalem. He is a part of a high society. Like in India, there is a Brahmin, Pandit, and other types, which you know better. There is no similarity between these two people. Samaritan person is not eligible to come in front of that Jew.

 But an incident happened with this Jewish person, he was robbed by some bandits. He was hit-beaten, his clothes were also snatched and came in such a situation that he is not able to get up from his strength. He is laying there like half dead person. And after some time, A person of the small society passed through that path. And he saw the Jew that he has been in the plight. Now what do you think, what this person who belongs to a small society should do? 

Should that Samaritan remember the things which happened to the people of his society? Should he remember the persecution? Or that hateful eyes which he have faced many times in his life? Or the words of insult which he has listened in his life? This person did not pay attention to all these things. He forgot all his turmoil of his life and he helped that Jew. He could have gone without helping him. He could go by ignoring that Jew who has been laying half dead side of the road without clothes. But he did not do it. Samaritan person showed mercy on that Jew and put oil on his wounds and stripped his wounds, and took it to a Inn, took his service. And he gave money to the owner of that Inn that the Jews should be taken care of and also said that if there will be more expense for treating him so he will also pay that when he will return.

Here we see the true fruit of the spirit “mercy” which is done to people by rising above all things.  It is not just based on words or any advice that we give to people. 

 Kindness is an action which we bring to our work while living our  life.  Ephesians 4:32.  It tells us to be merciful to one another, just as Christ forgave our sins, in the same way we should be kind to people by forgiving them, forgetting their words and forgetting their deeds.  As Jesus showed His mercy to all of us, He came into this world because of our sins.  And because of our own sins he suffered the death of the cross.  Jesus forgave our transgressions.  He wants us to forgive the sins of others.  He forgave many people in his life such as the Samaritan woman, the adulterous woman and also the soldiers who despised him on the cross.  To forgive these things without mercy is astonishing. Unless you are merciful, it is also impossible to forgive people. Therefore, it is very important to bring the fruit of this spirit “kindness” in your life.  You don’t have to show your kindness according to the actions of others. You have to have mercy on people because of Jesus’ works because of his love because of his kindness.  

Irrespective of the thinking of the person in front, you have to show mercy according to your teaching that you get from Jesus Christ.*

    Luke 6:35-36.  It tells that God is merciful to even on those who do not give thanks.  Therefore, as your father is merciful, so must you.  We often misunderstand the meaning of kindness, such as helping an elderly person cross the road, helping a small animal or bird, giving some money to a poor person, or giving a little help to a Christian brother.Take your time and money.  It is not wrong to do this, you can do this.  Helping the poor is a good deed, and so is the teaching of the Bible, as Proverbs 19:17 says.  He who helps the poor will get his reward.  But it is not sufficient.  Because the limits of mercy are unlimited.  You will also have to make your limit of work to the unlimited.  

Although you will have to start with small tasks in the beginning but it is not limited to the people of your house, friends, church.

       You have to show kindness to your enemies as well.  1 Corinthians 4:12-13 and also those who persecute and call you evil.

      The fruit of the Spirit “kindness” is one of those fruits that teaches us to love and care for people.

          When I started the message I told you that kindness is a practice that you will have to practice and you will suffer mental, physical and financial pain while doing it.

        This is a harsh truth but that does not mean that we should not practice it.  Christians who want to be strong spiritually must practice all the fruits of the Spirit.  It is necessary for spiritual life.  And it is not that those who are merciful will lead a miserable life.  Rather, the fruit of the Spirit “kindness” strengthens you spiritually, mentally and physically.  

This fruit helps you to feel a joyful and peaceful and loving life.  By showing kindness to people, you feel alive. Proverbs 11-17 tells that those who are kind do their own good.

       In Proverbs 19:17 we read that those who are gracious to the poor lend to the Lord.  On the basis of this verse, I want to tell you that those who show mercy to others are rewarded by the Lord Jehovah.  Due to which that man gets many blessings.

           Amen.