God's Loving Kindness # 1

God's Loving Kindness # 1

In the closing paragraphs of our March cover-page article, reference was made to the faithfulness of God; here we propose to engage the reader with another of His excellencies - one of which every Christian has received innumerable proofs. We turn unto a consideration of God's loving-kindness, because it is our desire and aim to maintain a due proportion in treating of the divine perfections, for all of us are very apt to entertain one-sided ideas and view of the same. [there will be three or more articles titled the same but with other of God's perfections].

There is a balance to be preserved here (as everywhere), as appears in those two summarized statements of the divine attributes, "God is light" (1 John 1:5), "God is love" (1 John 4:80. The sterner and more awe-inspiring aspects of the divine character are offset by the gentler and more winsome ones. It is to our irreparable loss if our minds dwell almost exclusively on God's sovereignty and majesty, or His holiness and justice; we need to meditate frequently (though not exclusively!) upon His goodness and mercy. Nothing short of a full-orbed view of the divine perfections as they are revealed in Holy Writ should content us.

Scripture speaks of "the multitude of His loving kindness" (Isaiah 63:7), and who is capable of numbering them? Said the Psalmist, "How excellent is your loving kindness, O God!" (36:7). No pen of man, no tongue of angel, can adequately express it.

We read of God's "marvelous loving kindness" (Psalm 17:7), and surely it truly is. Familiar as may be this blessed attribute of God's unto people - yet is it something entirely peculiar unto divine revelation. None of the ancients ever dreamed of investing his gods with any such endearing perfection as this. None of the objects worshiped by present-day heathens is conceived of as possessed of gentleness and tenderness: very much the reverse, as the hideous features of their idols exhibit! Philosophers regard it as a serious reflection upon the honor of the Absolute - to ascribe such qualities unto it. But the Scriptures have much to say upon God's loving kindness, or His paternal favor unto His people, and His tender affection towards them. The first time this divine perfection is mentioned in the Word is in that wondrous and glorious manifestation of Deity which was vouchsafed unto Moses, when Jehovah proclaimed His "Name" - that is Himself as made known. "The LORD, the LORD GOD, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth" (Ex. 34:6); though much more frequently the Hebrew word "chesed," is rendered "kindness" and "loving kindness."

In our English Bibles, the initial reference, as connected with God, is Psalm 17:7, where David prayed, "Display the wonders of Your loving kindness!" Wondrous it truly is - that One so infinitely above us, so inconceivably glorious, so ineffably holy, should not only deign to notice such worms of the earth - but set His heart upon them, give His Son for them, send His Spirit to indwell them, and so bear with all their imperfections and waywardness as never to remove His loving kindness from them.

Consider some of the evidences and exercises of this divine attribute unto the saints:

"In love, having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself" (Eph. 1:4-5); and, as the previous verse shows, that love was engaged on their behalf before this world came into existence!

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him" (1 John 4:9), which was His amazing provision for us as fallen creatures.

"I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you" (Jere. 31:3) - that is, drawn unto Myself, by the quickening operations of My Spirit, by the invincible power of My grace, by creating in you a deep sense of need, by attracting you by My winsomeness.

~A. W. Pink~

(continued with # 2)