I. Kindness (Gal 5:22)
A. Several of the fruits of the Spirit (kindness, goodness, gentleness) have to do
with our attitude and how we treat other people.
B. This word is translated "kindness" or "gentleness." Vine defines it as "good,
gracious, kind." We all know what it means to be kind.
C. Luke 6:35-36. Here God is described as kind. He gives us things freely, even
if we don't deserve them. He showers us with blessings. We, therefore,
must be kind and merciful to others like He is.
D. Eph 4:31-32. Again, kindness refers to the way we treat other people. We do
not approach them with ill will, malice, or anger. We are instead kind.
E. When we are feeling angry and bitter, we must put it away and be kind. Say
or do something nice for someone else.
F. We must be forgiving (v. 32). Other people will view this as a sign of
weakness, but we must do it anyway. We may think it's not manly, but
we still must be kind.
G. "The attribute that is here described as a fruit of the Spirit is a kind or gentle
disposition. There are some people who are extremely caustic in word and action; they are constantly hurting other people. The good that they do is undermined by the manner in which they do it. They are like a surgeon who uses an axe instead of a scalpel. Other people can say the same thing that they say but not alienate the one to whom they say it. These peoples' actions toward others are so warm and tender that friends are drawn to them wherever they go. The cultivation of this spirit and disposition is what is involved in this word." (Willis, Commentary on Galatians)

II. Goodness (Gal 5:22)
A. This word is defined as "goodness, uprightness, generosity."
B. 2 Thess 1:11. Here the word has the implication of grace and mercy toward
our sins. God is good, and as we follow His Spirit, we develop His
goodness in our hearts as well.
C. Rom 2:4. God is good, forbearing, and longsuffering. To continue in sin
would be to despise His goodness rather than mimicking it.
D. "Justice, they say, is the quality which gives a man what is due to him;
goodness is the quality which is out to do far more than that, and which
desires to give a man all that is to his benefit and his help. The man who
is just sticks to the letter of his bond; the man who is good goes far beyond
it."(Barclay, New Testament Words)
E. This obligation extends to all, but especially our brethren in Christ. Gal 6:6-
10.

III. Gentleness (Gal 5:23)
A. We will address gentleness before faithfulness because it seems in line with
the previous two.
B. Gentleness or meekness is closely akin to humility. Jesus tells us that He is
meek and lowly (Matt 11:28-30).
C. However, we must remember that meekness is not weakness. Just because we
are kind and humble does not mean we are weak, nor does it mean that we
are never to be harsh and negative. Rather, these do not define us, since
we are humble and kind.
D. God often commands us to be meek, and usually links meekness to difficult
tasks we must do. Let us consider some:
E. Eph 4:1-3. We must keep unity among Christians. To do that requires
kindness, humility, and patience. If someone refuses to be lowly, there
will be no unity in a local church.
F. If we are not gentle and humble, how easily we may hurt our brother! Jesus
would not upset a babe in Christ, but neither would He allow error to go
uncorrected.
G. Gal 6:1-2. When our brother is overtaken in a sin, we must restore him. But
we must do that in this spirit of meekness and gentleness.
H. This means understanding the weakness of one who has gone into sin. We
don't act harshly so as to push them away. We also consider our own
weaknesses.
I. This doesn't mean we are weak. It doesn't mean we pretend the sin does not
happen. We restore our brother, but we do it in the proper spirit.
J. James 1:21. Why do we need meekness when receiving God's word? Because
it is going to sting us and require changes. We'll have to admit we're
wrong. We need the humility and strength to change what's wrong.
K. 2 Tim 2:24-26. We must correct those who are in opposition to the truth, but
we must correct them with humility.
L. 1 Pet 3:15. We must give a defense, but we must do it with meekness and
fear. We don't have hope because we are better than someone else, but
hope because God has promised us and we trust Him. We are humble
rather than proud.
M. The point of all this is that we have difficult tasks to do as Christians. We
must teach at all times. We must coexist in a local church. We must listen
to God's convicting word. Yet all of these things must be done with an attitude of humility, realizing that we must always be pleasing to God. ___Jacob Hudgins