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Mar.09.05: Light for the Day - "God's Kindness"

-- Romans 3:24 
Yet now God in His gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins.

--- L.A.B. ---
Our sin points out our need to be forgiven and cleansed. Although we don’t deserve it, God, in His kindness, reached out to love and forgive us. He provides the way for us to be saved. Christ’s death paid the penalty for our sin.

It is Good News that God saves us from our sin. But in order to enter into a wonderful new relationship with God, we must believe that Jesus died for us and that He forgives all our sin.

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-- Ephesians 1:7,8
7 He is so rich in kindness that He purchased our freedom through the blood of His Son, and our sins are forgiven. 
8 He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

--- L.A.B. ---
God showered His kindness on us -- this is also called God’s “grace.” This is His voluntary and loving favor given to those He saves. We can’t earn salvation, nor do we deserve it.   No religious, intellectual, or moral effort can gain it, because it comes only from God’s mercy and love.   Without God’s grace, no person can be saved.   To receive it, we must acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves, that only God can save us, and that our only way to receive this loving favor is through faith in Christ.

-- Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so very much,
5 that even while we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s special favor that you have been saved!)
6 For He raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated with Him in the heavenly realms — all because we are one with Christ Jesus.
7 And so God can always point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of His favor and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us through Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.

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-- Psalms 145:17 
The LORD is righteous in everything He does; 
He is filled with kindness.

-- Job 10:12 
You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in Your providence watched over my spirit.

-- Galatians 5:22,23
22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: 
Love, Joy, Peace, 
Patience, Kindness, Goodness, 
Faithfulness, 23 Gentleness and Self-control. 
Against such things there is no law.

-- Jeremiah 9:24 
But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

-- Acts 14:17 
Yet He has not left Himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."

-- Romans 11:22 
Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who disobeyed, but kindness to you, provided that you continue to trust in His kindness.   But if you stop trusting, you also will be cut off.

-- Titus 3:3-7
3 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.
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
5 He saved us, not because of the good things we did, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins and gave us a new life through the Holy Spirit.
6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us because of what Jesus Christ our Savior did.
7 He declared us not guilty because of His great kindness. And now we know that we will inherit eternal life.

-- 2 Peter 1:2-8
2 May God bless you with His special favor and wonderful peace as you come to know Jesus, our God and Lord, better and better.
3 As we know Jesus better, His divine power gives us everything we need for living a godly life. He has called us to receive His own glory and goodness!
4 And by that same mighty power, He has given us all of His rich and wonderful promises. He has promised that you will escape the decadence all around you caused by evil desires and that you will share in His divine nature.
5 So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better.
6 Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness.
7 Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone.
8 The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.