When did you receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Hey family,  I read a sermon post (September 23, 1990) from John Piper http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/you-will-be-baptized-with-the-holy-spirit.  It really struck a chord with me and I believe will challenge most of us.

And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

We saw last week from verse 1 that the first volume of Luke's two-volume work, the Gospel According to Luke, dealt with all that Jesus BEGAN to do and to teach (Acts 1:1), which implies that the second volume, the book of Acts, will deal with what Jesus CONTINUES to do and to teach. The book of Acts is not only the acts of the apostles, but the acts of the risen, living Jesus.
Then we noticed that Luke mentioned three things the apostles needed if they were to be the kind of instruments through which the living Jesus could do his work and speak his Word.

1. First, they needed a Spirit-authenticated commission or command from the Lord. So verse 2 says he gave them commandment through the Holy Spirit.
2. Second, they needed verification that Jesus was really alive and triumphant over death. So verse 3a says that Jesus presented himself to them alive after his death with many proofs appearing to them for 40 days.
3. Third, they needed more instruction about the kingdom of God. So verse 3b says that he spent time during those 40 days between his resurrection and ascension speaking to them of the kingdom of God.

The Need to Be Baptized with the Holy Spirit

That's where we stopped last week. But verses 4 and 5 go on to show that there is another utterly crucial thing that the apostles needed in order to be the most effective instruments in the hands of the living Jesus. They needed to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Three years earlier John the Baptist had led a brief renewal movement among the Jewish people by calling them to repent and receive forgiveness for their sins and be baptized as a sign of their new relationship to God (Luke 3:3). But John made it clear that the Messiah was coming soon and would baptize the people not merely in water but in the Holy Spirit. In Luke 3:16 he says:

I baptize you with water; but he who is mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

So Jesus is saying here in Acts 1:5, "This is going to happen in just a few days—you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. John immersed you in water; I am going to immerse you in the Holy Spirit. John drenched you in water; I am going to drench you in the Holy Spirit. This is the fourth thing you need in order to be effective instruments of my life in the world. You need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit."
Now what was this baptism with the Holy Spirit? What did they need and what did they get when this happened?

What Happened on the Day of Pentecost

Let's begin by looking at what happened when the day actually came. Acts 2:1–4:

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Filled with the Spirit
So when the baptism with the Spirit comes, it is like a mighty wind immersing and filling all the house with sound. The effect on the disciples was they were filled with the Spirit (notice the word in verse 3: "They were all FILLED with the Holy Spirit"). Tongues of fire appeared on each of them and they began to speak in languages that they did not know.
Verse 11 tells us what they were saying: "We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God." So what they were filled with was an overwhelming sense of God's greatness and a sense of wonder at his works. The Spirit was filling them with his own vision of God and his own passion for God and his own prophetic words of praise.
Peter's Explanation
So when Peter explains what is happening in the baptism with the Holy Spirit, he says in verses 16–17:

This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: "And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy."

So when Jesus said in Acts 1:4, "Wait for the promise of the Father," what he meant was, "Wait till the promise of Joel 2 is fulfilled." The promise of the Father is what is now being experienced by the disciples. This is confirmed in Acts 2:32–33. Peter goes on with his sermon interpreting what is going on and says:

This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see and hear.

Here we see Jesus doing the actual work of baptizing the disciples with the Holy Spirit. He enters into heaven. He receives from the Father what he had promised. And he pours out what the Jews are seeing and hearing at Pentecost, namely, the rushing wind, the tongues of fire, the speaking in other languages, the prophetic praise and exultation.

What's the Essence of Baptism with the Spirit?

Now what is the heart of the matter here? What is the essence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit? Is it the sound of wind, the tongues of fire, the other languages, the words of praise, the prophecies and dreams and visions? Can we get at the essence of what it means to be baptized with the Holy Spirit, or does it have to include all these things?
I think we can get at the essence, and I want to get at it by saying first of all what I think it is not. I think that being baptized with the Holy Spirit (the way Luke means it) is not the same as being born again or being united to Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words I don't think that what Paul is talking about in 1 Corinthians 12:13 is the same as what is happening here in Acts.
Paul says, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free." The context shows that he is referring to a work of the sovereign Spirit who unites all believers to Christ. This is virtually the same as the work of conversion. When you are born again and put your faith in Christ, the Spirit of God unites you to Christ so that you are part of his body and a fellow-heir with him of eternal life.
I used to just assume that Paul and Luke were talking about the same thing when they used the word "baptism" and connected it to the Holy Spirit—in other words, that the baptism by the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:13 and the baptism with the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 were the same. Many very able scholars and teachers still make that connection. The view I am about to give you is not the only orthodox one, nor is it one you have to agree with in order to be a part of this fellowship. But it is one that I am increasingly persuaded is correct and desperately needed in the church.

Receiving Extraordinary Power for Ministry

We are trying to answer the question: What is the heart or essence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit? I have said that I do NOT think the essence is new birth or conversion or being united to the body of Christ. What then is it? And why do I not think it is the same as what Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 12:13?
I think the essence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is when a person, who is already a believer, receives extraordinary spiritual power for Christ-exalting ministry. So let me try to show you the reasons why I think this is the heart of the matter.
Jesus' Focus on Being Clothed with Power
First, let's start back at Luke 24:49. Keep in mind as we turn there that in Acts 1:4 Jesus said, "He charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father," namely, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Now in Luke 24:49 Jesus says virtually the same thing. "And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city, until you are clothed with power from on high." What is important here is to see that what Jesus focuses on, of all the things he might focus on in the baptism with the Spirit, is being clothed with power. So that is the first pointer that the heart of this matter of baptism with the Holy Spirit is a matter of empowerment. He told them in Luke 24:47 that they are to preach to all the nations. And the point of verse 49 is we cannot do that with greatest success unless we are clothed with power from God—that is, unless we are baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Pictured as Power for Witness
The second pointer that this is the essence of being baptized with the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 1:6–8. Right after Jesus says that they would be baptized with the Spirit (v. 5), the disciples say, "'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be my witnesses.'" So here the baptism with the Spirit is seen as a "coming upon" that gives power for witness. So that is the second pointer to empowering as the heart of being baptized with the Spirit.
Issues of New Birth/Conversion Not in View
Notice that neither of these texts suggests that what is happening in the baptism of the Spirit is rebirth or conversion or union with Christ. There are good reasons for believing that these disciples were already born again and converted and had the Holy Spirit dwelling in them (John 13:10; 15:3; Romans 8:9; John 3:5). But even more important than that is the fact that the issue of the new birth and conversion of the disciples are simply not in view at all in Acts 1 and 2.
Jesus doesn't say, wait in Jerusalem until you are born again or converted or put into the body of Christ. He says wait until you are clothed with power. He doesn't say, You shall receive membership in the body of Christ when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. He says, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you."
And notice, in the third place, that when Peter explains what promise of the Father is being fulfilled in the baptism of the Spirit, he focuses on the promise in Joel 2. There are promises that might have stressed the promise of the Spirit to bring new birth (like Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26f.). But that is not what Peter or Luke focuses on. Peter says that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a fulfillment of Joel 2; and what Joel 2 promises explicitly is not new birth or conversion or membership in the body of Christ, but a new power to prophesy. "I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams" (2:17).
Described as Filling with the Holy Spirit
The fourth and final reason I give this morning for seeing baptism with the Spirit as a special empowering for ministry is that it is described as a FILLING with the Holy Spirit, and this idea of filling is almost always associated with this extraordinary power for ministry in the book of Acts. Notice that when the baptism with the Spirit happens in Acts 2:4, Luke says, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." The effect of that filling was a powerful and even miraculous testimony to the truth of Christ that resulted in 3,000 people being converted (Acts 2:41).

• In Acts 4:8 Peter is again filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks with such power that the Jewish leaders were amazed at his boldness in spite of his being relatively uneducated (4:13).
• In Acts 4:31 other disciples were praying and the place where they were was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The effect of their fullness was that they spoke the Word of God with extraordinary boldness and Christ-exalting power.
• In Acts 6 we meet Stephen who is full of faith and the Holy Spirit (v. 5). And Luke tells us in verse 8 that he was therefore full of power and did wonders and signs among the people, but especially in verse 10 the leaders could not resist the wisdom and Spirit with which he spoke. His fullness gave him an extraordinary power for Christ-exalting ministry.
• In Acts 9:17 Paul is filled with the Holy Spirit at his conversion and the result was that he spoke with such extraordinary power that the Jews of Damascus were confounded (9:22).
• In Acts 11:24 Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and faith and the effect Luke mentions was that "a large company was added to the Lord" (as at Pentecost).
• In Acts 13:9 Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit as he spoke to Elymas the magician and God gave him the extraordinary power to pronounce Elymas blind for a season (13:11).

Conclusion

So here is my conclusion: being baptized with the Holy Spirit is when a believer in Jesus Christ receives extraordinary power for Christ-exalting ministry.

• This is true because Luke says that being baptized with the Spirit is being filled with the Spirit, and being filled with the Spirit is always for extraordinary power in ministry.
• It is true because Luke says that being baptized with the Spirit is a fulfillment of the promise of Joel 2, and Joel 2 promises an upsurge of prophetic power among God's people.
• It is true because Luke describes being baptized with the Spirit as receiving power for witness when the Holy Spirit comes upon you (Acts 1:8).
• And it is true because Luke says that being baptized in the Spirit is being clothed with power from on high so that message of Christ can be taken effectively to all the nations of the world (Luke 24:49).

The implications of this for us are, I think, very great. And we will turn to that in the weeks to come.

Question: "What does the Bible mean that we are not to judge others?"

Answer: This is topic has confused many church folk. On one hand, we are commanded by the Lord Jesus, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged” (Matthew 7:1). On the other hand, the Bible also exhorts us to beware of evildoers and false prophets and to avoid those who practice all kinds of evil. How are we to discern who these people are if we do not make some kind of judgment about them?

S. Michael Houdmann. states: Christians are often accused of "judging" whenever they speak out against a sinful activity. However, that is not the meaning of the Scripture verses that state, "Do not judge." There is a righteous kind of judgment we are supposed to exercise—with careful discernment (John 7:24). When Jesus told us not to judge (Matthew 7:1), He was telling us not to judge hypocritically. Matthew 7:2-5 declares, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." What Jesus was condemning here was hypocritical, self-righteous judgments of others.

In Matthew 7:2-5, Jesus warns against judging someone else for his sin when you yourself are sinning even worse. That is the kind of judging Jesus commanded us not to do. If a believer sees another believer sinning, it is his Christian duty to lovingly and respectfully confront the person with his sin (Matthew 18:15-17). This is not judging, but rather pointing out the truth in hope—and with the ultimate goal—of bringing repentance in the other person (James 5:20) and restoration to the fellowship. We are to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). We are to proclaim what God's Word says about sin. 2 Timothy 4:2 instructs us, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction." We are to "judge" sin, but always with the goal of presenting the solution for sin and its consequences—the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Why I Believe in the Doctrine of Election

Hello Again Friends, I just read an excellent Post by Bryan Loritts: Tomorrow at Fellowship we continue in our series on the book of James by looking at 2:1-13.  Our investigation of the text necessitates that I take a few moments to discuss the doctrine of election.  The reason for this is because James, in his argument that Christ-followers are never to show partiality, argues that God did not play favorites based on worldly categories of status when he saved us.  In fact, James would go onto say,  “Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (emphasis mine). 

The word chosen in verse 5 points us to the beautiful doctrine of election.  The doctrine of election simply means God’s sovereign initiating choice to save certain individuals, adopting them into His family, independent of prior merit.  The doctrine of election postures God as the Divine Initiator, and not me.  In essence, the doctrine of election says that God chose me, and I did not choose him, i merely responded to his incomprehensible act of initiating grace.

Election has unfortunately been the focal point of much controversy throughout church history, and I am not here to pick a fight with anyone.  In fact, I write this post primarily to the members and attenders of Fellowship Memphis.  I will say it in my message tomorrow that belief in the doctrine of election is not necessary in order to be saved, and therefore it is not necessary to join our church.  There have been many wonderful saints of God throughout the years who have thought and taught very differently from me on this subject, and I am sure they will be seated much closer to King Jesus than I when we get to heaven. 

Time in my message does not permit me to give all of the reasons why I believe in the doctrine of election, so let me lay out eight reasons why I have come to embrace this doctrine:
1. The Bible Teaches It.  I am amazed at how the doctrine of election keeps coming up in every section of the Scriptures.  God chose Israel- Psalm 33:12; Deuteronomy 6:7; Isaiah 41:8-10.  Jesus chose the disciples- John 6:70.  God chose us the church- Romans 9.

2. Jesus Taught Election.  This is similar to my first point, but it’s so significant that it warrants it’s own point.  Calvin did not coin the term election.  Election is a thoroughly biblical word that Jesus used a lot, centuries before Calvin was even born.  Matthew 24:15 and following, Mark 13:27 and Luke 18:7 are but a few examples of Jesus teaching on election.

3. Total Depravity.  I believe in the doctrine of total depravity which says that every aspect of my life has been marked by sin because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the garden.  The doctrine of total depravity does not say that I am as sinful as I could be (degree), but there is nothing in my life that has not been touched by iniquity (extent).  If this be the case, then I could not possibly choose God on my own initiative without God initiating with me.  Dead people (Ephesians 2 description of us) do not make choices.

4. Intensifies My Worship.  For God to choose a wandering sheep, wayward sinner, totally depraved man like me who was mired in self-righteousness and in rebellion against God defies awe and comprehension.  Quite frankly, if I believe that I chose God, like one would choose what they would have for dinner, where’s the amazement in that?  The doctrine of election keeps me on my face before God, bringing a depth and intensity to my worship over the one who would choose me in spite of me.

5. God, Not Me.  The doctrine of election sets the trajectory of my salvation on the sovereignty of God and not on the free will of man.  This then promotes a faith that is God made, and not man made.  God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Sweet Holy Spirit are at the center of my affections, not me.

6. Intensifies Evangelism.  Because God pursues me, he also calls me to be a vessel that he uses to pursue others.  Let me remind us that the same guy who wrote Romans 9 (that great passage on election/predestination) is the same one who logged thousands of miles on land and sea preaching Christ, sharing his faith, and seeing many come to the Lord.  Paul, the greatest writer on the doctrine of election, was at the same time one of the greatest evangelist’s.  Evangelism and election are not foes, they are joined at the hip.

7. Freedom in Evangelism.  Also, the doctrine of election frees me in evangelism.  Isn’t it liberating to know that because it is God, not our choices who saves?  Because of this I need not depend on clever arguments (though I want to be prepared) or trendy presentations in witnessing, I just need to, well, witness, testify what God has done in my life and share the good news with others, leaving the results to God.  The pressure really is off!

8. I’m in Good Company.  There are a host of godly men and women throughout church history who have believed passionately in the doctrine of election.  This is both comforting and affirming.  The only two names I will call is Jesus and Paul.

Twelve Reasons Why Membership Matters

1.It’s biblical. Jesus established the local church and all the apostles did their ministry through it. The Christian life in the New Testament is church life. Christians today should expect and desire the same.

2. The church is its members. To be “a church” in the New Testament is to be one of its members (read through Acts). And you want to be part of the church because that’s who Jesus came to rescue and reconcile to himself.

3. It’s a pre-requisite for the Lord’s Supper. The Lord’s Supper is a meal for the gathered church, that is, for members (see 1 Cor. 11:20, 33). And you want to take the Lord’s Supper. It’s the team “jersey” which makes the church team visible to the nations.

4. It’s how to officially represent Jesus. Membership is the church’s affirmation that you are a citizen of Christ’s kingdom and therefore a card-carrying Jesus Representative before the nations. And you want to be an official Jesus Representative. Closely related to this…

5. It’s how to declare one’s highest allegiance. Your membership on the team, which becomes visible when you wear the “jersey,” is a public testimony that your highest allegiance belongs to Jesus. Trials and persecution may come, but your only words are, “I am with Jesus.”

“The very boundaries which are drawn around the membership of a church yields a society of people which invites the nations to something better.”

6. It’s how to embody and experience biblical images. It’s within the accountability structures of the local church that Christians live out or embody what it means to be the “body of Christ,” the “temple of the Spirit,” the “family of God,” and so on for all the biblical metaphors (see 1 Cor. 12). And you want to experience the interconnectivity of his body, the spiritual fullness of his temple, and the safety and intimacy and shared identity of his family.

7. It’s how to serve other Christians. Membership helps you to know which Christians on Planet Earth you are specifically responsible to love, serve, warn, and encourage. It enables you to fulfill your biblical responsibilities to Christ’s body (for example, see Eph. 4:11-16; 25-32).

8. It’s how to follow Christian leaders. Membership helps you to know which Christian leaders on Planet Earth you are called to obey and follow. Again, it allows you to fulfill your biblical responsibility to them (see Heb. 13:7; 17).

9. It helps Christian leaders lead. Membership lets Christian leaders know which Christians on Planet Earth they will “give an account” for (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2).

10. It enables church discipline. It gives you the biblically prescribed place to participate in the work of church discipline responsibly, wisely, and lovingly (1 Cor. 5).

11. It gives structure to the Christian life. It places an individual Christian’s claim to “obey” and “follow” Jesus into a real-life setting where authority is actually exercised over us (see John 14:15; 1 John 2:19; 4:20-21).

12. It builds a witness and invites the nations. Membership puts the alternative rule of Christ on display for the watching universe (see Matt. 5:13; John 13:34-35; Eph. 3:10; 1 Peter 2:9-12). The very boundaries which are drawn around the membership of a church yields a society of people which invites the nations to something better.

(This  is an excerpted from Jonathan Leeman’s forthcoming book What Is Church Membership? From Crossway, 2012).

What Kindness Looks like...

In this text, Paul urges the Galatians to walk by the Spirit, bear each other's burdens, and do good to everyone. 

I. What does the Spirit of Kindness look like? 
Being a Spiritually-led Believer

Kindness is a by-product of being a Spiritually-led believer—having a right (or intimate) relationship with God and one's neighbors.

a. Walk by the Spirit

Gal 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Gal 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Tim Keller defines Kindnes:

Chrestotes – kindness

Definition – Practical kindness with vulnerability out of deep inner security.

Opposite – Envy. Unable to rejoice other’s joy

Counterfeit – Manipulative good deeds. “Right hand knowing what left hand is doing.”

Self-congratulation and self-righteousness..

The purpose of the Spirit

The ultimate purpose of the Spirit’s operation in the Christian is to change us into the likeness and character of Jesus Christ. (cf. Rom.8:29 – “He predestined us to be conformed to the likeness of his Son.” and Eph.4:13 – “Till we reach maturity, the fullness of the stature of Christ.”) So the ultimate goal is not some kind of general comfort, strength or power, but concrete, practical change in our character — how we think, feel, and act habitually and naturally.

b. Walk in Healthy Relationships with others= Love God=we can help to love others

Gal 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Gal 5:15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

 

c.   Walk in submission to the Power of The Holy Spirit 

 Gal 5:17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

 Gal 5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

 Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,

 Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,

 Gal 5:21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Walk in submission to the Power of The Holy Spirit  is bank on the mercy of God and entrust ourselves to his Spirit for help:

John Piper writes …the mentality behind the fruit of the Spirit is the mentality of faith depending upon grace. People who bear the fruit of the Spirit know they are worthy only of condemnation. They know that the only pay they can earn is the wrath of God. Therefore, they have turned away from self-reliance and look only to mercy in Christ who "loved us and gave himself for us" (2:20). They do not expect anyone to be their debtor because of their worth. Any satisfaction will be a free gift of grace. They bank on the mercy of God and entrust themselves to his Spirit for help. And out of that mentality of faith depending on grace grows not "works" but "fruit": love, joy, peace, patience, kindness . . .

Gal 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Gal 5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Gal 5:25 If we live by the Spirit(community with the Spirit) let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Gal 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Live in community with our neighbors)

 

Let’s recap--What does it mean to Walk in submission to the Power of The Holy Spirit ? 
First, it means that the Holy Spirit lives in you (communion)and you desire the things of God vs 17. Second, it means to be open and sensitive to the influence of the Holy Spirit and not the Law. vs. 18. Third, it means to pattern your life after the influence of the Holy Spirit and not the flesh. In verse 18-20, let's look at the patterns of the flesh again...

II. What are some Bible illustrations of kindness?

Kindness In The Word

Chris Evans who wrote the book Fruit At Work, God encourages us towards kindness throughout his word, when giving the law God call us to out for others in the community

 Lev 19:9 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest.

 Lev 19:10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the LORD your God.

If you want to see what a little kindness can do, read the book of Ruth. By letting the poor pick the remaining rain from his field, Boaz ended up with Ruth as his wife (which created the family line that bore King David and, ultimately, Jesus). Another very applicable verse is in Leviticus that deals with kindness, seen in chapter 19:33-34.

 Lev 19:33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.

 Lev 19:34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

 

III. What does the gospel say about kindness and what does it look like?

The life of Jesus Christ--that's the greatest, most complete picture of kindness we'll ever know. God saw a whole lot of hurt, brokenness and despair. He saw people with no hope of breaking free from pain and suffering. And so He sent his Son to the rescue. There wasn't any logical reason for him to do that. No one deserved His kindness—we really brought the suffering on ourselves (see Romans 3:23).

Romans 2:4 “God’s kindness leads us to repentance”. (NIV)

God’s kindness and love changes our hearts so that we are not bound to the spiritual death associated with our ultimate loving of other things. His kindness changes us from desiring the things of the world, and gradually directs our affections to find a better, greater contentment and joy in Him. In essence, His kindness trumps sin in terms of what our hearts value and love! That’s incredible!

In other words, the more attractive we find God, the less our hearts desire ungodliness. Finding Him as our pleasure changes our hearts (repentance), turning our affections from sin and onto Him. And the more we pursue after Him in love, the greater victory we have over sin. Our hearts change. Repentance