Gentleness Is The Approachable Life

The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – GENTLENESS #4

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things.” [Galatians 5:22-23 NLT]

Ruth Works In Boaz Field

In Ruth 2:19-22 NLT says, “19 “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!” So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.” 20 “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.” 21 Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”
22 “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”

In Verse 20 describes, The man is . . . one of our next kinsmen – lit. “one of our redeemers” or “protectors” (Hebrew go’el), on whom fell the right and duty to protect the defenseless members of the family, such as a widow like Ruth; to purchase lands owned by them to keep them in the family (Leviticus 25:25); and to marry a childless widow of a brother or next kinsman (cf. Jeremiah 32:8-25). While Naomi said, “one of our next kinsmen,” she knew that there were not many so close, and undoubtedly hoped that he would turn out to be the closest. She now schemes to bring Boaz to the point of assuming the role of the closest male kin. In Exodus 6:6, God is described as the go’el Redeemer of Israel.

In Verses 21 describes that Ruth discloses Boaz’s invitation to continue to work throughout the harvest season. Wheat harvesting came later, in May in low country, in June in the highlands.

In Verse 22 describes that it is good . . . that thou go out with his maidens – a prudent recommendation to Ruth to stay under the protection and immediate eye of Boaz. In other fields she might run the risk of being molested (as a foreigner and therefore as fair game), and of displeasing him by apparent indifference to his kindnesses. However, the observant Naomi has already spotted the attraction of Boaz to Ruth, which Naomi intends to increase.

In Provebrs 10:12 NLT says, “Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.”

Litigations. love covereth all sins – by forgiveness and forbearance (1 Corinthians 13:7; James 5:19-20; 1 Peter 4:8).

In 1 Corinthians 13:7 NLT says, “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

After explaining what love does not do (1 Corinthians 13:4-6), Paul listed four positive attributes of love. Love never gives up, but willingly protects others. The word in Greek means “cover” or “hide by covering.” This does not refer to hiding hurtful sin but to protecting someone from embarrassment, gossip, or any other such harm. When believers love one another, they refuse harmful gossip and protect one another from those who would try to inflict harm.

Love never loses faith. It is willing to think the best of others. It does not mean that believers must be gullible, trusting everyone; instead, it means that they are willing to think the best as opposed to the worst of others. Love gives the benefit of the doubt. With real love, believers can deal with conflict lovingly. When everyone willingly thinks the best of everyone else, people are freed to be honest and open.

Love is always hopeful. Believers who love look forward, not backward. They seek for growth and maturity in the church, knowing that God is working in every person.

Love endures through every circumstance. Born-Again Christian believers who love are both active and steadfast in their faith. They hold on, no matter what difficulties they face. Hardship and pain do not stop love. When believers persevere, they face suffering within the body. They face persecution. They hang on when the going gets tough. They strive to save their marriages despite disappointment, to continue to trust God despite setbacks, and to continue to serve God despite fear or sorrow. When Born-Again Christian believers truly persevere, nothing can stop them.

Restore Wandering Believers

In James 5:19-20 NLT says, “19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.”

In Verse 19 describes about anyone among you refers to a believer who has fallen away from the faith by becoming involved with idolatry or heresy. No one in the group is immune from wandering. The anyone could be us. To “wander” means a serious departure from the faith – otherwise known as “apostasy.” Truth, as used here, does not refer to peripheral doctrinal concerns, but to the central truth of the Christian faith – namely, that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord and Savior who died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Choices and actions that lead us toward denying the lordship of the living Lord Jesus Christ carry us away from the truth.

When someone wanders away, the church or Christian community fellowship ought to try to bring him back again, not for judgment, but for repentance and restoration. When a believer is aware of another believer’s wandering, that knowledge carries with it responsibility for action. All these images portray a community where people care deeply for each other, and wanderers are not allowed to slip through the cracks unnoticed. Are we willing to try to bring back someone who has wandered, or do we simply wring our hands while the person goes off into darkness?

In Verse 20 describes the error of the wandering sinner is so serious as to lead to death – spiritual, eternal death – if he or she is not brought back (see 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 John 5:16). But when the believer repents and returns to God, God will forgive, cover over, and forget that person’s sins (see Psalm 32:1; 1 Peter 4:8).

The context is somewhat unclear about the identity of the wanderer. Is it a person who is a believer wandering away, or is it a person in the group who has not truly believed and is wandering away? Christians disagree over whether or not it is possible for people to lose their salvation, but all agree that those who move away from their faith or who are not genuine in their profession are in serious trouble and need to repent. The point of this verse is clear, though: we are to bring the wanderer back – not debate whether or not the person would be lost if we didn’t.

What began with a challenge to endure hardship with joy now closes with an appeal to watch out for each other. Believers are to pursue their faith, together. It is God who saves and keeps, but He allows us to be involved in one another’s Christian life.

It is an unforgettable sight to witness the Christian welcome of someone who has strayed and returned, watching God’s forgiveness work through the body of Christ as believers accept the person who is repenting. From the view of eternity, it must really be like a cover being pulled over many sins.

The letter of James is Christianity with its sleeves rolled up. It is the working person’s practical guide to living the Christian faith. It spells out what it means to follow our Lord Jesus Christ day by day. James emphasizes faith in action. Theories are for theologians, but James is interested in life! Right living is the evidence and result of faith. The church must serve with compassion, speak lovingly and truthfully, live in obedience to God’s commands, and love one another. The body of Born-Again Christian believers ought to be an example of heaven’s principles applied on earth, drawing people to our Lord Jesus Christ through love for God and one another. If we truly believe God’s word, we will live it day by day. God’s word is not merely something we read or think about, but something we do.

Our Lord Jesus Christ Blesses The Children

In Mark 10:13- 16 NLT says, “13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering Him. 14 When Jesus saw what was happening, He was angry with His disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 15 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” 16 Then He took the children in His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them.

In Verse 13 describes that It was customary for people to bring their children to a rabbi for a blessing. Thus, people were bringing children to our Lord Jesus Christ so that He could touch them and bless them. The disciples, however, thought the children were unworthy of the Master’s time. In the first century, Jewish households were patriarchal – men came first, women and children next. Considering their inability to have any quiet time together, the disciples may have viewed these parents and children as another intrusion and drain of time and energy. So they told the parents not to bother our Lord Jesus Christ. Once again Mark emphasized that the disciples misunderstood both our Lord Jesus’ compassion and His mission.

In Verses 14-15 describes when our Lord Jesus Christ saw His disciples rebuking the people for bringing their children, He was very displeased with their insensitivity. They thought children were a waste of time, but our Lord Jesus Christ welcomed them. He, in turn, rebuked the disciples, giving them in a double command to let the children come and don’t stop them. Our Lord Jesus Christ explained that little children have the kind of faith and trust needed to enter the Kingdom of God. Anyone of any age who exhibits their kind of faith and trust is promised access to our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Kingdom. Children represent the essence of discipleship, coming to our Lord Jesus Christ in humility and receiving His blessing as a gift. Unless we can completely trust in God, we will never get into the Kingdom of God.

In Verse 16 describes that one by one, our Lord Jesus Christ took each child into His arms, placed His hands on their heads (rather than just “touching” them as he had been asked, Mark 10:13), and blessed them. Our Lord Jesus Christ took time with each child. Our Lord Jesus Christ did not rush through the process or pass it off as unimportant. It probably brought Him great joy to spend time with little children whose faith and trust were so pure and simple. The receptiveness of these children was a great contrast to the stubbornness of the religious leaders, who let their education and sophistication stand in the way of the simple faith needed to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and the dullness of the disciples, whose self-centeredness continued to blind them to our Lord Jesus Christ’s true mission.

In Hebrews 5:1-3 NLT says, “1 Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins. 2 And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses. 3 That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.”

In Verse 1 describes that the Hebrew readers would have known that a high priest is a man chosen to represent other human beings in their dealings with God. A high priest had two primary jobs: representing God to the people by teaching the word of God, and representing the people to God in making atonement for their sins (Leviticus 1–4; 16). The high priest served as the “boss” over all the other priests, so he was in charge of presenting the people’s gifts to God and offering their sacrifices for sins. Every sin required a penalty and a sacrifice in order for the worshiper to receive forgiveness. No person could offer a sacrifice without the aid of a priest as a mediator. The idea of mediator is central to the Bible. Humans subject to sin and by nature inclined to sin need mediation in order for them to establish any relationship with a holy God.

In Verse 2 describes the Jewish high priest was only human, subject to the same weaknesses as other people. This verse pictures a high priest who, fully alert to his own sinfulness and mortality, empathizes and deals gently with the people he represents, even though they are ignorant and wayward. The priest’s knowledge of the people is intense, personal, and empathetic.

In Verse 3 describes that of all people, the high priest should understand how humbling a job he had – and how vital a role he played. Without his mediation, the people would perish. He had to offer sacrifices, both for their sins and for his own sins. The high priest, while holding an honorable and prestigious position as mediator between God and the people, was not absolved from penalty for his own sin. Neither was he in a special category of human beings or exempt from the law himself. This passage is a reminder to all of us Born-Again Christians that every person has been saved from a life of sin and alienation from God.

Let’s never get over the effect of God’s saving transformation on people’s lives. People who were lost in sin, filled with anger and bitterness, give up their hatred and become approachable. That is, of course, why we minister to others. Those of us who minister are not people to whom gentleness comes naturally. We are people who have been remodeled by grace. We thankfully leave our old natures far behind as we embrace gentleness in our treatment of others.

When we consider that we are all sinners, saved by grace, our ministry to others becomes gentle. We understand where we came from – a world of hopeless despair without our Lord Jesus Christ. We also understand where we are going – to a bright future with God forever. In the meantime, we gently bring hope to others, so that they will find us approachable. Only then, we will have opportunity to share the grace of God with them.

Zion’s Coming King

In Zechariah 9:9 NLT says, “Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem!
Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet He is humble, riding on a donkey – riding on a donkey’s colt.”

The promise of final deliverance from all earthly enemies leads directly into the promise of the coming of the Messiah. Rejoice greatly . . . shout – The prophet Zephaniah made a similar call to exult at the arrival of “the king of Israel . . . the LORD“ (Zephaniah 3:15). thy King cometh unto thee – The emphasis in this phrase is on the fact that the coming King has the best interests of the people in His heart.

Alexander the Great had conquered that area, satisfying only his own interests; this King, however, would come to serve His people. He is just – i.e., He is righteous (Hebrew tsaddq). This is a quality always ascribed to the Messiah in connection with the salvation He provides for His people (Isaiah 45:21; 53:11; Jeremiah 23:5, 6). having salvation – He does not simply pardon the sinner, but rather supplies the necessary righteousness for the sinner who accepts Him in faith.

The justice of God is not destroyed by this action of the Messiah, but rather is made more perfect, since a way is opened for the sinner to be made righteous (Isaiah 42:1, 21). Since our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah has conquered death and hell (Revelation 1:17, 18), He is able to give salvation to others. He has in Himself the righteousness necessary for the justification of sinners (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 2:1). This is again in contrast with Alexander, who seems only to have destroyed. It is true, however, that the Messiah will destroy His enemies before He begins His reign (Malachi 4:1, 2).

Lowly – His lowliness was not shown by the fact that He was riding on a donkey’s colt, since this was no measure of rank. Kings and beggars both used this means of transportation. Lowliness might better be understood in this passage as referring to His gentleness in dealing with sinful men/women, who deserved nothing more than judgment. He came in loving sympathy to deal with men/women, yet His glory was so great that the entire universe could not contain it. His meekness only serves to provide more of a contrast for His exaltation (Philippians 2:7-9).

Riding upon . . . a colt the foal of an ass – This prophecy was explicitly fulfilled by our Lord Jesus Christ the Messiah as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; it is also a pledge that He will return again to complete the fulfillment of the prophecy. The Jews will universally (Psalm 118:26) say, as some did on Palm Sunday, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21:9); they will also shout “Hosanna!” which means “Save now, I beg you!” Palm branches, often used as an emblem of triumph, were in the hands of the people on Palm Sunday (John 12:13), and will be present when He comes again in His glory (Revelation 7:9, 10).

Childlikeness is the heart of gentleness. For Born-Again Christian believers, this inner self has been transformed by the Holy Spirit. To be “gentle” means showing humility, consideration of others, not insisting on one’s own rights, not being pushy or overly assertive (see also Galatians 5:23). To be “quiet” refers to the same attitude as that described by “gentle,” also focusing on not causing dissensions with inappropriate words or gossip.

We can imitate the gentle life by working for our Lord Jesus Christ and His kingdom. God is a balm for the pain of the gentle. His touch in a life can inspire worship through the difficult experience. If we would know gentleness as a way of winning others and thrilling in personal worship, then observe a hopeless old woman become an ancestor of the Son of God. And see Ruth, a Gentile woman, contributing her bit of DNA to the makeup of Mary’s baby a thousand years before His time. Gentleness is a part of the life of Ruth, and can be a part of our lives and worship is the life lived for God.

Sunday by Sunday as we come to worship, we may have confidence that the Bible is true. In the book of John, John and the other witnesses have certified it. May we be as gentle in our ministry of certainty as John is in his reporting it.

Gentleness is a great evangelist. It is the best witness of the gentle living and the best witness of the gentle dead. Gentleness is God’s demeanor in all of the tender ways He relates to us. He is gentle in His relationships to all His children. It is God’s purpose to counter the heinous crimes of tyrants with gentleness. The world is all too often a brutal and ugly place, but God steps into the world’s terror and horror and gently reminds us of His purpose.

Let me encourage our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and I want my readers and listeners to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others’ needs. Because all, we as Born-Again Christian believers are strong in certain areas and weak in others, we constantly need to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

In these GENTLENESS Series of Podcast, we will learn the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

1. Learn To Humble Ourselves Like A Child – Podcast Gentleness #1
2. How To Receive Healing Touch Of God – Podcast Gentleness #2
3. Know A Way Of Winning Others To Our Lord Jesus Christ – Podcast Gentleness #3
4. The Approachable Life – Helps To Speak Of Friendliness And Cheerfulness – Podcast Gentleness #4
5. Learn The Art Of Ego Displacement – Podcast Gentleness #5

Observation: What do these passages say to you?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean to you?

Application: How do the meaning of these passages apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer, please take a look of one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Suggested Prayer: Father God, we come into your presence in our Lord Jesus Christ name, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Your agape love and forgiveness. Thank you Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage and strength. We cling, yield, plug-in and tune-in to you Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Words and obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in Jesus name, Amen!

God bless you all and our families!

In Malachi 3:10-12 AMPC says, “10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it”, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [Malachi 2:2.] 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruits before the time in the field,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight”, says the Lord of hosts.

If the people would obey God, giving as they should, God would flood His people with blessings. There would be an overabundance of God’s blessing if He was given what He requested.