Episode 6: Kindness: Savouring it in Christ

Our passage today is from: Titus 3:3-7

What does it look like to savour God's kindness towards us in Christ, and therefore image him to those around us? Today, we're continuing to think through how gazing on Christ and growing in our knowledge of him, impacts how we increasingly bear his image and grow in the fruit of the Spirit.

• Questions to Dig into over a Cup of Tea

  1. What strikes you about the nature of God's kindness in these verses from Titus? How is it different to the world's view of kindness?

  2. What stops you pursuing costly kindness towards others?

  3. How does dwelling on Jesus help you to desire to grow in kindness?

• Sponsorship Details

  This episode is sponsored by Moody Publishers.

  A Christian publisher, they aim to resource the church’s work of discipling all people, with titles spanning from Bible commentary and reference to spiritual and relational growth.
  

• Episode Transcript

  The following is an uncorrected transcript generated by a transcription service. Before quoting in print, please check the corresponding audio for accuracy. 

  Felicity: You're listening to the Two Sisters in a Cup of Tea podcast, the Bible Study podcast for everyday life. We're here for a 20 minute burst of Bible chat over a cup of tea and an English style biscuit as we open up the Bible and drive it to our hearts. This season we're diving deep into the fruit of the spirit together. Whether you've been listening for a while or have just found us, we are so pleased you're here.

  Sarah: We’re grateful for our partnership with Moody Publishers this season. In No Greater Love, a biblical vision for friendship, Rebecca McLaughlin walks us through the highs and lows of friendship love, a love that's been neglected and malnourished in our modern world. She draws especially on Jesus in the Gospels and on Paul to show how powerful and precious Christian friendship is and how we can walk through the hurt, loss and disillusionment that comes from broken friendship trust. It's been a thought-provoking read and something that has stirred me to pray more wholeheartedly for my own friendships and how I seek to love the range of friends the Lord has given me. Pick up a copy wherever you get your books. 

  Felicity: Welcome to Two Sisters and a Cup of Tea. My name is Felicity, I'm here in the States. As ever, I'm with my sister Sarah, she's in the UK. We are really enjoying our deep dive into the fruit of the spirit and today we are all about kindness. Sarah, I take it you have a fruit tea? 

  Sarah: I have my tea. What have you got today?

  Felicity: Well, I'm just going for... Actually, I really enjoyed the Southern Sunrise of the last episode, so I'm kind of just... Yeah, I just thought I'd run with that particular fruit tea. I have had a biscuit triumph in the last week. No, I'm sort moving on from the fruit aspect in this... No, but I've kept my Southern Sunrise. I'm just drinking fruit. I just don't want to eat fruit.

  Sarah: But there's so much scope for the fruit in every part of this

  Felicity: No, but you know, I'm really trying to pursue the gluten-free biscuit world. So I can't do fruit and gluten-free. I probably could, but no. But I found this one great recipe that's so good. It's called crinkle cookies, gluten-free crinkle cookies. There's a great paleo running mama or something, great recipes. And to the extent that gluten eaters in my house didn't even realise it was gluten free. That's how good it was. Yeah, so that's been my nibble of the last few days. I don't know. you have raisins in a chocolate biscuit?

  Sarah: Mmm, that's a good sign -satisfying very good next time put some raisins in there too you'll be you know flying through the fruit. Okay, on another note, we are in episode six right now. So Felicity, we've been studying the Fruit of the Spirit, we've been dwelling on this, we've been mulling this over together in conversations over the last little while now. How has studying the Fruit of the Spirit been changing the way that you're praying at the moment?

  Felicity: It is changing the way I'm praying. We find this every time, don't we? That whatever we're digging into, whatever we're talking about, it infuses our prayer life. And I think the best thing I've found is that I'm really desiring the fruit of the Spirit more. And I do think that has a large part to do with the fact that we are beholding Christ as we then look at the fruit of the Spirit. I just find it really attractive. I'm really wanting to be kind loving in the ways that Christ is loving. I'm really finding that I am praying quite specifically into Christ-like ways and I know that's... feel like previously when I've been praying that I would bear the fruit of the Spirit I've just kind of prayed quite generally, Lord help me to bear the fruit of the Spirit and to be kind or whatever. Whereas I think in response to what we've been talking about I'm just a bit more kind of like, Lord help me to be kind like Jesus is kind in this way and that's just been... it's always good to have specific prayers isn't it? I feel like this made my prayers a bit more specific. What about you?

  Sarah: Yeah, big time. I think particularly the specifics of how I'm praying for others. think my husband often picks up that he knows what book we're studying by. How I'm praying and what I'm praying for our children and for others. I think that's a good sign, isn't it? That actually it is impacting the way that I'm praying. And as you've been saying, that hunger and that desire to pray for this in our own hearts, in our own lives and in the hearts of others because I think the more that we're in this, the more we're seeing how crucial it is for the Lord to be at work. That it's not just something to tick off the list, is it? It's something that we desire and by the Spirit's enabling, we can produce and we can bear the fruit of this. And we long for that, for those around us as much as we long for those, yeah, for in our own hearts. that's, yeah, that's definitely been the way that I've then been praying for our listeners as well, as we commit to praying for you guys who listening along, I really sense the way that my prayers have been shaped and shifted by what we've been studying. So it's been good to see that and pray that it would continue really.

  Felicity: And I think it's just freeing actually isn't it? To know and to remember and be convinced that this is the work of the Lord and so it is something we can pray for. We should pray for in fact that God is doing this, this is what he is doing. He's transforming us into the likeness of Christ and so we can pray that we bear the fruit of the Spirit in light of that.

  Sarah: Yeah, big time. Well, Felicity, why don't you read for us? So we are in Titus today, Titus chapter three, verses three to seven, and Felicity is going to read that for us.

  Felicity: At one time, we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that having been justifiedby his grace we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

  Sarah: Thank so much. I don't know about you but I'm freshly struck as we read this again by how Jesus is described here. So it says, when the kindness and love of God our saviour appeared. So Jesus is kindness in flesh. Like he is kindness incarnate. Like he is being described as the essence of kindness here.

  Felicity: Yeah, I love that. actually in the ESV translation, it's always quite helpful to have a look at a few different translations, isn't it? In the ESV translation, they just really kind of blend those two together and say the loving kindness. This is God's loving kindness. there's a, it's literally that is the outworking of God's character, isn't it? So God is lovingly kind and therefore Christ embodies that character. And I really, this is an interruption of God is an interruption to what well the direction that we are heading before that we see that really clearly in these verses because we have that contrast Paul loves to have these contrasts doesn't he we have such a description of sinful living and deceived enslaved following passions and pleasure malice envy hatred and then this wonderful big the but when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us. So our saving, our not being like what's described in verse 3 there, is entirely dependent upon God's kindness to us in Jesus.

  Sarah: I love that. That's so great. It's so clear here, isn't it? That contrast. And so clear that actually without the kindness of the Lord Jesus, without his interrupting kindness, we would still be in verse 3, wouldn't we? We would still be stuck there, in that trajectory, on that path, without hope. That our only hope is that the kindness and love of God appeared in Christ and was able to save us not because of anything that we can contribute, but because of his mercy.

  Felicity: Hmm and in that the kindness I feel like the verse is a bit like a waterfall that the kindness kind of overflows into then the mercy which is so overflows into the salvation the saving and the washing the rebirth the renewal by the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us So that we are then justified so that we have become heirs of that hope so the kindness this interruption of God's kindness towards them and when we think of that is Christ himself putting our concerns, our need, our fundamental need above his own. So care for us over himself and the result of that is, well it's just seismic isn't it? This is just like everything changes as a result.

  Sarah: Yeah. Yeah, it's that, it's the costly nature of it, isn't it? That he would put ourselves above himself at the cost of himself because of the eternal need that he was going to meet in that. And I think that's what's really struck me as we've been dwelling on this passage, it's the eternal nature of kindness here. That it's not just random act of kindness. It's not the kind of be kind and sticker you have on the back of the car, whatever it is. This is so much more. You can't even get close to comparing them. Like it feels like it would be a disservice to use the word kindness if you're just using it in the same category as, you know, the random acts of kindness kind of thing. It's such a different level, isn't it? 

  Felicity: And I think that is just a really helpful distinction to draw because be kind is something that many, many people in the world would say. It would be a rare person who said, don't be kind. That would be kind of weird, wouldn't it? But also there is then a difference between what it is to be kind in a Christ-like way and as Christians who are united to Christ as we seek to be more like Christ as we seek to be kind we're seeking to be like Jesus in that and that is different because I don't know about you but sometimes it can feel like as a Christian you're just supposed to be the nicest person around you know like sometimes it's like my witness is kind of dependent upon how nice I am how kind I am and that's just not true actually because to be kind, like Jesus is kind, there's more to that than just being the nicest person around. Kindness, what we see here as Jesus appears, he's not actually coming and saying, yeah, yeah, carry on with everything that's going on there. Your sin is fine. He's saying, no, no, everything needs to change. You need new birth. And so there's truth that comes with kindness as much as there is just kind of being really nice to someone.

  Sarah: Absolutely, there's a meeting of multiple needs, isn't there? So of course we want to be nice and kind to people, and actually of course we want to meet people's physical needs where we can and where we're called to, and the Bible is littered with commands to do just that, isn't it, to those who are in need. But if we do that at the expense of seeking to take people to Jesus who will meet their eternal needs, we're doing them a disservice, we're not actually being this kind of kind are we? And I think that's you know we've been dwelling on them Philippines - I can't say it! We've been dwelling on Philippians haven't we as well and the verse in chapter 2 verse 4 where says each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others and just the reality of that very costly nature of kindness as it's played out in our everyday lives. It's very easy to think this you know to do dramatic big kind of acts of kindness I don't know, for people far flung across the world in some way, but actually, no, no, in the everyday interactions that I have, what is it like to put others' interests before my own? What is it like to be kind in a way that actually illustrates Christ, puts flesh on Christ? Because we are, we are Christ's hands and feet, we are united to Christ, we are his witnesses to the world, aren't we? But it takes a very different shape when it's cruciform-shaped, when it's putting the interests of others before our own at cost to ourselves.

  Felicity: Yeah, I think that's right. So allowing ourselves and our own desires to be interrupted by our kindness, like we want to be kind and as we seek to be kind, that is likely going to interrupt our own desires like the path that we were on especially I think for me you know comfort is a big thing or just kind of quite like my routines my rhythms and and if I do I really want to put those out of kilter for someone else well well actually yes Philippians really makes it clear that this is what it is to be Christ like I love them there's a Spurgeon quote here that we we we came across and he said he says if there is one virtue which most commends Christians that is that of kindness. Imitate Christ in your loving spirit. Speak kindly, act kindly and do kindly that men may say of you he has been with Jesus." Wouldn't that be an amazing thing if someone said, she knows Jesus because of the way that she's being kind and there's a distinction there because it's not just, they're just a really nice person. This is like, there's something about them that reflects the kindness of Christ.

  Sarah: Really, really good that, it? And as we go back to Titus, I mean, the rest of the letter, as we talked about when we studied this book a few seasons ago, does really seek to, he implores the people he's writing to to be kindness to others, doesn't he, in the way that he's exhorting them that the gospel makes a difference, that the gospel is to be lived out in everyday life and to be like Jesus in this.

  Felicity: Yeah. I was really encouraged and well I was inspired actually. I recently heard an older saint who I look up to, she's a friend of mine, I heard her described as being distinctly and consistently kind. And the person who was praising her was making the point that the ministry work this person does therefore clearly comes out of the heart of Christ. The spirit is dwelling in her and so she's able to be kind. And there was just a real direct connection between the character of Christ that was embodied in her, so just in the way that she was interacting with people and that just really qualified her ministry because actually this is then clearly she knows Jesus. think Spurgeon would say like she's she's been with Jesus because that's the way that she... I was just really that's just really inspiring and a real testimony to the spirit being at work in order to bring about kindness in this Christ-like way. It's just really distinctive isn't it? think that's something that's really struck me as we've been dwelling on this is just the distinctiveness of Christ-like kindness, the interrupting kind of kindness in that sense.

  Sarah: Yeah, the interrupting kindness is really, I think it's just really, really helpful to think about that. So how does this cash out for you this week, Felicity?

  Felicity: The desirability of it is therefore more, like we were saying actually in the start of our conversation, we talking about how we having our prayers shaped by this. As I desire, as I see Christ and I desire his kindness, as I love his kindness, so I want to be more kind like him. And I'm really noticing this actually in the way that I speak to my children, because I think be kind. I'm always telling them, I've got two boys, I mean, they often need to be kinder to one another. Like that is just a constant command. But actually, have you seen Jesus? Because he's really kind. Let's be kind like Jesus. think so it's not a floating command that just sits in our of everyday dialogue but actually check out Jesus he's really kind here let's be kind like Jesus and to me myself like what does it look like as I you know I'm waiting by the school gate as I'm interacting with church family as I'm loving my husband like what does it look like for me to be interruptingly kind like like going beyond what I would do just for my own comfort or my own needs what about you?

  Sarah: And yeah, and the reality that none of that is ever wasted, is it? None of those opportunities, a bit like what we talking about last time with the kind of training ground and seeing the opportunities that we have to grow in this route. Like none of these tiny little momentary opportunities are a waste of our time, of our effort, of our thoughtfulness to intentionally think through and praying to that end that we would be those who are increasingly kind. Why don't you pray for us, Felicity?

  Felicity: Yeah. Father we praise you so much for the loving kindness that you show in Jesus. Thank you for your grace towards us that interrupted and continues to interrupt. And we pray that we be those who are kind like Jesus. Father please would you work in us by your spirit. Please would you shape us into the likeness of Christ. We long to be kind. And so we pray that that would be a mark of who we are that people would look at us and say she's been with Jesus. We pray this in your name.

  Sarah: Amen. Well if you haven't already, do hop onto our website twosistersandacupoftea.com and download Fruitful, which is our printable PDF full of verses and prayers that correspond with each episode of this season. We pray it's a blessing to you as you seek to perfectly respond to God's word with us. We look forward to seeing you next time as we continue on in A Fruit for the Spirit. We'll see you next Friday.

  Felicity: See you then. This season is sponsored by Moody Publishers.

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