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Many Christians exhibit the attitude that not everyone is privileged enough to experience their favor. They are like salt and pepper—a little salt here, a little pepper there—a little kindness here, a little judgment there.
From the most elite restaurant in a huge metropolitan complex to the humblest village cafe, salt is universally identical. It tastes the same no matter where one shakes it.

Just as salt is "no respecter of restaurants," the fruit of kindness is no respecter of persons. Regardless of how unsavory a person or a situation might be, it always has the same quality and always produces the same flavor.

"But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law of transgressors" (James 2:9). Being respecters of persons is one of the most widespread sins in the Body of Christ today.

Yet believers do not realize that they are sinners committing sin and thus in need of forgiveness when they allow themselves to have respect for other people.

Many Christians exhibit the attitude that not everyone is privileged enough to experience their favor. They are like salt and pepper—a little salt here, a little pepper there—a little kindness here, a little judgment there.

Undeveloped Kindness
This is sin, and the reason it exists within the Body of Christ is because the fruit of kindness has not been developed in the individual lives of believers.

In Mark 9:50, Jesus said: "Salt is good: but if the salt has lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another." Since the fruit of kindness enables believers to always be the same regardless of where they are or whom they are with, it also enables them to be at peace with everyone.

Of course, there will always be those who oppose, but that doesn't bother the "salty" believer; he can be at peace in any situation.

One area in which we believers need to remain "salty" is with unbelievers. Knowing that there is a truth in the Word concerning our being separate from evildoers, many Christians go to such an extreme to separate themselves from sin they become unkind to sinners.

Separation from the world, however, does not imply being rude to those who are in the world. How can the people of the earth be salted if the salt loses its savor every time they come in contact with it?

In other words, how can we believers expect to fertilize the hearts of sinners if we are not kind to them?

Serving Up Favor
To illustrate, let's take the example of a group of believers who go into a restaurant to order a meal. Let's imagine that they are sensitive to the needs of others about them, but that the waitress is surly and rude as she comes to serve them.

Suddenly, however, she overhears them talking about Jesus, and her whole disposition is transformed right before their eyes. She boldly approaches them, smiles sweetly with a knowing look, and says, "Excuse me. Are you talking about Jesus?"

Those at the table are startled at the abrupt change, but dare not ask, "What happened? Aren't you that rude woman who was waiting on us a few minutes ago?"

Proudly she continues, "I just knew you were Christians; I am too. I go down to 'First Church' myself."

What happened? Her disposition and manner toward these people changed when she realized they were Christians.

Many people are like this waitress in that they are rude around unbelievers, but can turn the kindness on and off at will to accommodate those whom they suspect of being Christians.

That is not the way we believers should act. We should be as kind to unbelievers as we are to the members of our own church body.

God desires that the fruit of kindness so permeate a local body of believers that anyone He might send their way can walk through the door, be saved, filled with His Holy Spirit and ministered to out of hearts abounding in the love and the compassion of God Himself.

The Father desires to trust His children to the point that He can enlarge their spiritual family by sending anyone, regardless of his station in life, into their fellowship, and know that he will not be treated according to what he can or cannot do for the benefit of either the individual members or the church as a whole.

In other words, God desires that the fruit of kindness be cultivated and developed among His people to a greater degree than ever before, because today "the harvest truly is plenteous" (Matt. 9:37)—and the time of harvest is come.