The Kindness of God our Savior

Titus 3:4-But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared
:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Paul says this right after he reminds us of our own natural state before we were saved.

Father, You have me thinking about Your kindness, especially to the lost.

It began by 1 Tim 2:3 where Paul, in speaking to women, Paul tells them not to be malicious gossipers.

Of the 5 references to the word “gossips” in the New Testament, three of those references are directly spoken to women. That was interesting to me and something to take note of.
The other references are in Romans and in 2 Tim 3:3 where Your word talks about lovers of self, boastful, arrogant, haters of good, malicious gossips, …and more things that we would not want to be identified with!

Prov 20:19 He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets. Therefore do not associate with a gossip.
This word “gossip” in the Hebrew means “to be simple, entice, deceive, persuade.”

Well, Father in this Proverb You identify a gossip with a slanderer. A slanderer defames or injures another’s reputation.

Webster defines gossip as:
1. a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others
2. a rumor or report of an intimate nature

You clearly command us not to be a gossip, which is as bad as all the other sins listed in 2 Tim 3:3, which most true followers of Christ would not consider themselves a part of or want to be seen as.

What does this have to do with kindness? In remembering something that Joyce Meyer said, “People just want to be shown kindness,” the question arises “Can gossip and kindness be of one spirit? Can we be kind to someone even though we are not with them?”

Rom 2:14 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance.

In Titus 3:2 Paul is instructing Titus to remind the church to “malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle, showing every consideration for all men."

After this verse, he also then reminds them of how they themselves lived and acted foolishly before they knew Jesus.

Following this is the scripture quoted above:
: 4 "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared,"....it was Your mercy and love for us that gave us the opportunity to live freely,know You and to receive Your love. Without Jesus people walk in darkness.

So once again we, as Your Body, are reminded of Your love and kindness toward us in Christ our Living Lord.
To the extent we receive Your love, mercy, and kindness is the extent that we are enabled by Your Spirit to show the same to the lost as well as our brothers and sisters in Christ. It has nothing to do with whether we agree with their opinions, lives, or weaknesses….it has all to do with the Cross of Our Lord Jesus and the love You, our God and Father, demonstrated to us through it.

Thank You Father for reminding me to think kindness, to speak kindness, and to be kind to others.