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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/jim-smith/thy-gentleness/
Let us turn together, beloved, please, to the book of the Psalms, number 18. Psalm number 18, which has his title as a psalm of dear David, the king of Israel. We're going to read just one verse, please, verse 35.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. I want to think with you a little concerning that latter statement of verse 35.
Thy gentleness hath made me great. Now Galatians, please, in chapter 5, the epistle of Paul to the churches in Galatia, chapter 5, and we will read, please, at verse 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering.
Actually, the fruit of the Spirit is love, and the fruit of love is joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law. It's a very beautiful study, those fruits of the Spirit, because they graduate from one to another in our experience, but it all begins with the truth of the character of the development of love within our hearts, and each of these will grow, and it ends up, very beautifully, self-control.
And that's the problem we all have, self-control. We all realize that we have a very sad enemy within our breast, even the nature of Adam, and he never is convertible. He's an awful nuisance. One day, we shall be rid of him, but until then, we need the self-control.
And I want to notice a little with you this morning, dear Saints, concerning the truth of gentleness in the Scripture. Gentleness very often is misinterpreted, particularly when we realize that the unconverted nature that we have in Adam, the godless nature of Adam, does not admire gentleness.
What makes a person great, according to natural tendency, is to have tremendous self-confidence and be very assertive. That's being great. Then you can leave a mark. Then you can stand out. Maybe you'll become a hero.
But gentleness, gentleness is an attribute of God. And I would like to try and notice just a little in the remaining part of this meeting this morning concerning the fruitfulness as well as the power and the evidence of gentleness in the life of a believer.
I am touched by this really personally, brethren and sisters, because by nature we are all very, very conscious that we move through the different characteristics, the different areas of life. There are teenagers here today and that is the age in which we are constantly trying to blossom and manifest how much we think we know and we are reaching, and that's very automatic, and there's nothing wrong with being curious and reaching, but it's the expression of it that gives us difficulties.
And gentleness, amazingly, is to be found in teenagers in the Bible. We've just been looking at Joseph recently. Joseph was a very gentle man. He was a gentleman. He was gentle. 17 years of age. Then we move, of course, into parenthood and we realize that we have children around our grabbing hold of our legs and crying and runny noses and all the rest of the things that go with it.
Gentleness is tested very deeply, and that's when I raise my voice. I shouldn't have. That's when we find out what the pads are used for for hands. Sometimes, you know, where the pads are placed. Now gentleness is not backwardness.
Gentleness is not shallowness. Gentleness is not being delinquent. Gentleness is an attribute of power. And I would like to try and notice that even as we've been thinking of the ministry that we have been listening to this morning from God's Word.
Beloved Saints of God, Our Lord Jesus was the most gentle man the earth ever saw. And we need to learn from that, and I hope I will learn from it, first of all. So I want to try and notice with you a little concerning the characteristics, the attributes, and the blessing, the effectiveness of gentleness.
When I'm thinking of dear David, even in this psalm, David was a young man, only about 15 years of age. And when he looks back to that time when he was 15, alone with the sheep, you know what he says?
God gently led me from the sheep to lead his people. Just a boy of 50. And so there is very distinctly virtue, and there is excellency in true gentleness. And I suppose one of our greatest problems is, speaking personally this morning in front of you, I don't mean, this is not a confession item time, but one cannot help but understand within every one of us, we need growth in this virtue that is going to be seen in the person of our Lord Jesus even at Calvary.
He was gentle. It's awesome, brethren. We need to understand the real effectiveness of being gentlemen. And ladies as well, of course, that's when you are a gentleman. Be gentle ladies. I don't know what the word is for that, but be gentle.
Anyway, the gentleness that we see in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. David could have said, of course, my prowess because of what people said about him. They said he's a valiant man, and he was only a boy.
He's a good man of war, and he was only a teenager. He's a man of great, great gift. He's a musician, but he said of himself, he was a servant of Jehovah. And so the meekness and the gentleness even of David is what made him great.
The Lord could say, thy gentleness hath made me great. That is the word of David's testimony regarding his usefulness for God. I think of the time of the Lord Jesus teaching his disciples the necessity for gentleness.
They had been striving who's going to be the greatest. There was elbow-pushing. He's trying to make room. And can I say, dearly beloved saints, we have an adversary. He's a wretched adversary. He's a cruel adversary.
He has his eye on every assembly of God, and he hates every one of them. Because the name of the Lord Jesus and the person of the Lord Jesus is the center, and he will do as he did in the Garden of Eden.
He will cause a misrepresentation of the Word of God to divide the very thing that is divine. Gentleness. God preserve us, brethren, from the despotic attitude of Adam and help us to realize the gentleness of Christ.
And when the Lord Jesus was dealing with those disciples, he took a child and he set him in the midst, and he says, you must be gentle like this child. That's true humility. And so gentleness, beloved, never look upon it as a weakness.
True gentleness is really an expression of wisdom and meekness. You see, meekness is bringing all the attributes of ability into submission to wisdom because wisdom is going to give the channel and the avenue, and when it is given, it can be given with gentleness because of the confidence of that wisdom as well as meekness.
So I want to notice with you gentleness in the person of the Lord Jesus. The Apostle Paul is writing to the Corinthians, and he says he speaks of the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Now we may look at the ministry of the Lord Jesus and see the expressions of gentleness.
It's a very interesting study to notice how the Lord Jesus spoke to different individuals. We think of him, let me notice with you the positive aspect of gentleness seen in the way the Lord Jesus ministered.
With his touch, he touched a child. He touched a leper with the same touch. He touched a coffin. He took a maiden by the hand, and he took a mother-in-law by the hand. The gentleness of the Son of God in his ministry.
Now brethren, the virtue of that is what we want to recognize. What is the outcome of the gentleness of the divine person of the Son of God? In a world that is totally against him. Everything is against him.
The people, the hierarchy of the people. Sin is around him. His spirit is grieved. Three times we read, he groaned within himself. And yet in the midst of it, he was gentle. So there is a spiritual effectiveness and power in the gentleness of the Lord Jesus.
Let me note with you the result of it. When the people observed the manner in which the Lord Jesus moved in his ministry amongst the needy, it says they followed him. They heard he had gone to the other side of the lake, and they went around the other side to meet him.
There is a drawing effect to the very person of the Lord Jesus by a gentle spirit. And when I think of the Lord Jesus as well in his dealing with the Pharisees, the Lord Jesus raised his voice seven times.
It's written in the scripture. He raised his voice. But not once did he ever raise his voice to scold. He raised his voice to invite, to appeal, to call with triumph, even at Calvary. He raised his voice to make known the message of grace.
When he deals with the Pharisees, he speaks truth, but gently. What a beautiful picture, what a blessed example it is, beloved, in the handling of truth. We are prone as human beings to take a standard of truth and run with it.
That's wrong, brethren. That is what causes troubles. That is what causes self-aggrandizement, wanting to be the hero. Gentleness rests in the truth and lets the truth do the work. Truth spoken in gentleness.
That is what is seen in the person of our blessed Lord, even as he moved with his own enemies, as he spoke so solemnly, so clearly, he never held back anything of truth, but he spoke it gently. So gentleness is seen in the life and the ministry of the Lord Jesus.
Let me note with you his gentleness in his sufferings. It's marvelous to realize that throughout the ministry of the Lord Jesus, he was continually suffering, brethren. Not only in the praetorium, not only under the hand of the high priest, not only at Calvary, but through his life.
It's pictured for us really in the meal offering, in the pan, in the oven, in the fire. That's the Lord Jesus in his ministry. As he is being tested, they sought to catch him in his words. That was a simple one.
He always had a very simple answer for it, but he gave that answer gently. The reason for that gentleness, brethren, is because of all the authority that was his. So the authority that is found in his word requires gentleness in order to be effective.
I hope that we can recognize that in the times of the trials of our Lord Jesus in his ministry. He always acted, even with tears. Sometimes he spoke forgiveness and sometimes he comforted when he was being tested.
So also, dear saints, we find that in the person of our Lord Jesus, we have the example of the effectiveness of gentleness, meekness, and gentleness. So while we do have the truth of God in our hands, we're trusted with it, brethren.
We are stewards of divine revelation. What a marvelous trust. It's humbling and should indeed bow our hearts. We cannot boast, brethren, but we can glory in the utmost and fullness of revelation that's been entrusted to us, but it's the handling of it.
The handling of it is not personal authority. It's the handling of it as a steward, and that is what requires the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, he who took upon himself the form of a servant. He was gentle.
Let me notice with you the gentleness of the elders in the New Testament. Elders in God's assembly are most important individuals. Sometimes, perhaps, elders are looked upon as a sort of a hierarchy, and that is never true.
That is wrong. That is the way it has been interpreted in the world. That's the way religious bodies act. Elders become a hierarchy. But dearly beloved, elders in the New Testament are some of the most important men in the lives of young people, young believers, and new believers, and tried believers.
The elders are the men who are able to come with the word appropriate to what the need of the young is. He sees that dear young man occupied with a young lady that's not suitable, and the elder is able to help him, but he does it gently.
We find in Titus chapter 3 and verse 2, we find that the elder is to be meek and gentle unto all men, and mind you, dear saints, we must remember that our beloved elders are men who are handing very delicate matters.
They're handing spiritual things that relate to the glory of God in his testimony, in his program, in this world, and therefore, when an overseer comes to a young person, they're coming to you gently.
They're not the hierarchy that's scolding. They're coming on behalf of their Lord, and they come with gentleness. So gentleness is the heart and the hand of a shepherd. In Peter, Peter speaks of the shepherds being gentle, feeding, not taking the hierarchy, not taking lordship over God's heritage, but being examples.
One example, the example of the chief shepherd. When I think of the Lord Jesus in John chapter 10, it says concerning him, he leads them. In order for a shepherd to lead, we're seeing that he is a man that people want to follow, and the Lord Jesus attracted persons to himself.
He did not stand behind them and drive them. He led them by an example, and the people trusted him. And when we look at those dear disciples, they, that they had never heard teaching like the Lord Jesus gave me, never in their life before.
But when they heard it, they wanted to hear more. They left John the Baptist and went after the Lord Jesus just by what John said about him as he walked him, saw him walking. And they were attracted to him, and that is the work of an overseer.
Like the chief shepherd, he is one that can go before and the saints will trust him. He gently leads those that are with young. That's the character of the shepherd. But we find as well when we think of the elders and the overseers in the assembly, that we're noticing that the manner of the overseer in his gentleness is not to just say, oh, well, we'll just cover up those things and wait.
Maybe they'll all go away. No, brethren, the overseer is the handler of very delicate matters. And may I say it kindly again to our hearts today, the culture of the day in which we're living is so incompatible with the ways of God.
Totally. It's just head against head. That is why young couples are having trouble in their marriage, and that's the work for overseers, and it requires gentleness. And the gentleness, again, brethren, is not washing this thing down.
It's not holding the thing down. It's presenting that which is divine and truthful as a shepherd. And the elder is with meekness to guide those that are with young. And then when it comes to other matters in the assembly, whatever it may be, even the control of the platform, every platform, in every meeting, is to be controlled by men who are responsible to their Lord, and they do it gently.
So gentleness is a divine attribute that is to be was seen and is seen in the person of our blessed Lord, even with us today. I meant to mention that when I was speaking about the Lord Jesus. When I move through the epistles, I see the gentleness of the Lord.
How marvelous it is in restoration in your life. How does he come near to us? He breaks our heart with his love. He moves our conscience with his word. He is gentle, and the gentleness of the Lord Jesus, from the throne of heaven, with all the authority of his sovereignty, and the greatness of his glory, and the awfulness of sin, and the waywardness within our hearts.
And yet he comes to us with words of counsel. He comes to us with instruction concerning truth. And as all scripture is given by inspiration of God, for what purpose? For doctrine, for teaching. Yes, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
He comes with gentleness. But let me notice with you the gentleness of preachers. When I turn to the scriptures, we find that the beloved Apostle Paul, he reminds us when he's writing to Timothy concerning the preaching and the ministers of the word, he says, the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men.
Again, brethren, being in the place of responsibility as I am even before you today, and with that life character of preaching the gospel, it is well to remind our hearts that this platform is not a place of authority.
It is a sanctified place. It is a place where there should not be men who are in any denial of what the Word of God teaches. It is not a free-for-all. A man who handles divine truth is a herald not a hierarchy.
And as a herald, he is going to invite like the Lord Jesus invited. He is going to preach truth like the Lord Jesus preached it. For he is the one who is the prime example, the preeminent example, even for the preacher.
And so as we noticed in the connection with men who are taking public part in preaching the Word of God and the preachers who are in full-time service, we want to notice the necessity that we have in the scriptures teaching us how to speak gently.
Now gentleness does not mean to say you don't raise your voice, brethren. Sometimes you can't help it, especially when you're preaching the gospel, and the gospel of God's grace is reaching your own heart once again.
You can't help but raise your voice. But let us always remember, whether we are preaching the righteousness of divine judgment, or whether we are presenting the glory of the Savior of Calvary, resurrected in the power of an endless life, we do so with gentleness.
Now the gentleness in the preaching of the gospel is seen in the in the life and the manner of the Lord Jesus. For the example, when we turn to Nicodemus, notice how gently the Lord Jesus approached that man.
He never scolded him once, for all the truth that he knew and didn't believe. He mentions it, but never discolded him. And when we think of that wicked woman that was brought to his feet, neither do I condemn thee.
He's dealing with gentleness, not that he overlooked her sin. In fact, he mentions it. Go and sin no more! But the gentleness of his spirit, it's the character of grace that is seen in the preaching of the gospel.
Likewise, beloved, when it comes to our handling of truth publicly with the people of God, I have no authority over any of you. It's this precious word. Mine is to preach the word, and to do it with gentleness.
Because gentleness brings me into the position as a speaker where I am not taking the place of authority, but humility. So we need to understand that the preaching of the gospel is not a position of power, but it is a responsibility of stewardship unto our blessed Lord.
And so those of you who are young, and let me say very kindly to my beloved brethren who are young, when you're preaching the gospel, never forget the spirit of your master and how he preached. Preach like him, like him, in the greatness of his spirit, in the gentleness of his love, as he presented the truths which are eternal, truths which determine the destiny of humanity, truth that can bring the unspeakable joy and peace of everlasting salvation.
Speak it gently. That is God's requirement in those who would preach the word. The servant of the Lord must be gentle. I want to speak of gentleness in marriage, just for a few minutes together. When I turn to Ephesians chapter 5, I find three words that are really most expressive, and particularly today where it is in the very poles of our world that less than 50 of people living together are married.
It's a sad world, beloved. It must grieve the heart of our glorified Lord. He gives to every one of them breath, and it is only by divine grace and mercy that we are here today. But let me say to you, dear younger couples, the principles of thinking in our world are determined to undermine divine principles.
They're determined to do that. No commitment. And can I say, that is something that is so definitely and needed amongst us as believers to remember. The day that you were saved, you committed 100 to the Lord Jesus.
That's the way it should be every day. You gave him everything because you had nothing. You cast yourself upon him, totally committed, and that's the way it should be in your marriage. Never anything less than total commitment.
It's picturing Christ in his church. That's what the Lord Jesus wants us to see. The three statements let me note with you that speak of gentleness in marriage in Ephesians chapter 5. The first thing he says, you love your wife, husbands, as you love yourself.
How do you love yourself? With harsh words, scolding, you're better than she is in judgments. That's not the way you love yourself, brother, and you know it, so do I. Gentleness. Gentleness is a mark of love.
You know when you were courting your beloved, you manifested gentleness very carefully. So it should be continually. Likewise, you dear sisters who are married and you dear young couples. Let me point out to you the word subject.
Wives be subject. Now that doesn't mean be a mat on the floor, and he's gonna walk all over you. He's wrong, and you're wrong if that's the case. That is not the case. It's gentleness. The word for being subject there means manifesting dependence.
See, that's the working together. 100 each way. That's gentleness. So subjection in marriage is the idea of manifesting a trust of dependence. That's gentleness, and can I point out as well in that same passage?
Parents with their children. I'm a great grandpa. Of course, I was a great grandpa when I had my first grandchild. I thought it was a great grandpa, but now I am legitimately a few times over, and I love every one of them.
But let me just point out to you concerning parents at home. We're reading Ephesians, and we're reading Colossians. What a parent should not be like. The parent should not be rough and crude. He says what it's going to produce in the child is what you have to watch.
Gentleness. Now gentleness does not mean to say there's no licking's gonna be had. Yes, there's gonna be a few licking's and whatever else there may be too. But you know, I remember my niece. You know, she came home from school, and she said to her mom and dad, you can't discipline me anymore, because if I, my guidance counselor said, if I, if you touch me by any means, I'm to tell her, and you'll be in trouble.
So they said, that's okay, fine. So she tested them out, and you know, they put her up in her room with nothing but her Bible. And it wasn't only 15 minutes, and she opened the door, and she said, Ma, come and give me a licking and get it over with.
That's a lot of humbug. But whether the licking or not is not what I'm saying. The point is, there has to be a discipline that is gentle. It's not the hollering. It's the consistency, and that's where gentleness comes in.
Gentleness and consistent discipline works far more than that which is spoken of as roughness in the New Testament. Children, children, listen to God. You young people who are still at home with your mothers and fathers, it's His honor.
You know what the word honor means there? Honor thy father and thy mother. That means you're giving credit to them. To be the advisors of your life. That's the idea of honoring them. You're giving them the credit for being the advisors for your life.
Ah, but they're old. They don't know how we think as young people. No, I'm afraid we don't know. But we were young once too. Believe it or not. And furthermore, what God is saying is, particularly to those young people who are in God's assembly, part of the testimony of the assembly of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is a spirit of gentleness with children to parents and parents to children, wives and husbands together.
And he writes over the whole little section, as Christ loved you. Gentleness. Now, I know, dear saints, that perhaps this subject is, you're wondering just what the whole point of the matter is. But can I just point out to you that the very truth of gentleness, as we see it in the person of the Lord Jesus, and as we see it in our Heavenly Father towards us, I realize His gentleness every day.
He is so gentle. His words are gentle, even when He chideth we sing. Tender is His tone. May God cultivate within every one of our hearts a likeness to the Lord Jesus in elders, in preachers, in fathers, in mothers, wives, husbands, and children.
And may the cry of our heart be the meekness and gentleness of Christ we can say with David, Thy gentleness hath made me great. May we depend upon it and be like Him for His name's sake.