THE KINDNESS OF GOD
Jeremiah 2:2 (from “Thus saith Jehovah”); Acts 28:2
If there is one feature that our sister will be remembered for particularly, it is her kindness. It was a feature that she excelled in; she was always ready to show kindness to whoever she met. But I thought in this portion in Titus, we see how it all began. It began in the person of Jesus. It says, “But when the kindness and love to man of our Saviour God appeared, not on the principle of works …”. What that verse means is that it is not anything that we could ever do; it appeared in the person of Jesus. What had been seen in our sister had appeared in fulness in the person of Jesus, it came into this world in the person of Jesus. It had never been in this world before in that way; the kindness of God had never been seen in that way. It had been seen in certain aspects in persons who were types of the Lord Jesus, but it says, “the kindness and love to man of our Saviour God appeared, not on the principle of works …”. There is a very interesting note of Mr Darby’s in John’s gospel chapter 1, which I will just read. Note ‘e’ says, ‘So ‘grace and truth came into being.’ I am not satisfied with ‘subsists’, but then Mr Darby says, ‘They began to exist de facto down here ....’grace and truth’ go together in the person of Christ. … But its so taking place supposes its continuance’. Beloved, it came into being and it has continued, and it was seen in some measure in our sister. But this verse goes on to speak about divine mercy; it says, “not on the principle of works which have been done in righteousness which we had done, but according to his own mercy …”. Every one of us in this room today is subjects of divine mercy. None of us would be here but for divine mercy, and that divine mercy, beloved brethren and friends, was something that our sister cherished. She knew it, she enjoyed it in the circle with others. She enjoyed her own links with the Saviour and the kindness that came into perfect expression in the person of the Lord Jesus shone out in measure in our sister.
This portion at the end of Proverbs speaks of the woman of worth, and there are many features about her that are spoken of, many features which could be taken note of. It says here, “She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and upon her tongue is the law of kindness”. What a beautiful feature. It speaks of many other features in this chapter, but this is something that shone out, and shines out in what is formed of the Lord Jesus. That is why I spoke firstly of what came into perfect expression in Christ. Then in Jeremiah, the thought of kindness comes in again. God remembers kindness. God never forgets; we have a God of whom it says here, “I remember for thee the kindness of thy youth”. That might be the day when you were at your brightest, maybe the day when you said, ‘I will open my heart to the Lord Jesus’. If you have never come to know Him, come to know Him now, because He is One who is kind and full of compassion. These features originate in Christ, but God remembers things for us, maybe the day that you said, ‘I accept Jesus in my heart. I want to commit myself to Him and bear testimony in my life to the Lord Jesus; I want to live that kind of life’. Maybe you have fallen away from it, beloved, but God remembers it. Other persons may forget or may never know it, but God knows it, and He is faithful, He cannot deny Himself. It is a divine impossibility; “he abides faithful, for he cannot deny himself”, 2 Tim.2:13. Beloved, He is faithful to you today.
Finally, in this portion of Acts, there had been a shipwreck, and yet all got safe to shore, and the people of the place made a fire. The writer, Luke, obviously did not forget that all from the ship were shown “no common kindness”. Those of us in this locality who have known our sister will never forget how she showed “no common kindness” – it was exceptional kindness. She used what she had in kindness to the brethren. May this feature be seen in every one of us in this room; may it mark us all, for the Lord’s name’s sake.
Word at a burial meeting, Kirkcaldy
7 October 2017
W.K. Clark