We
are called to be careful how we live. People will be watching us wherever we
go; how we are, and what we are will be scrutinized. Therefore, we must strive
to do our best, so our Lord is represented with excellence through us. Even if
we never do wrong, we may be accused of wrong. However, character always
triumphs because it convicts those who do not have it. They will see Christ
through us, but we have to remain firm in our trust and obedience in Him.
Others have the option to believe in Christ, but the key may be in how you
remain faithful to Him as His witness (1 Peter 2: 11-12)!
We
are to act nobly to others in spite of how they may treat us. We are to watch
our conduct by working out a biblical character. This is formed by our growing
faith as well as a balance between exhibiting holiness and setting boundaries
from potential harm. In Peter and Paul's time, Christians were accused of being
cannibals because of the Lord's Supper, of being disloyal and atheists because
they did not worship Caesar (John 19:12), of causing civil unrest (Acts
16:16-24), of being hateful because they did not participate in pagan practices
(Col. 2:16), of teaching that slaves are free (1 Cor. 13:13; Gal. 3:30), and of
being antisocial (Acts 15:29). Thus living honorably, even in the face of
oppression and enticement is paramount, as the Epistles tell us. This is a call
and challenge for us to see the world differently so we can respond in kindness
and virtue. The world, with all of its lusts and evils, is not to be the place
of our identity or the place in which we want to be enveloped; rather, it is to
be the place we are to influence.
We
can be influencer's even if we are being influenced from the wrong areas and
guidelines. Our guidelines come from the character and teaching of our Lord
Jesus Christ. If they come from any place else, our thinking is influenced, and
thus, all we think and do becomes inclined toward the negative. Then, we become
the carnal Christian who repels people from the Lord, giving the message that
Christ is not sufficient or adequate.
We
are on a journey in life. Basically, we are not made for this world; we are
made for eternity. We are here on this earth to live and learn, to experience
and grow so we can personally and passionately know Christ and make Him known
to others. We do this best with our good character and virtue, seeking Him, so
all that we are (as in our will, thinking, heart, and direction) is permeated
by His care and call. This all comes down to how we are in this world and that
all we do is to be glorifying to God. When we are lined up to this, then our
conduct is honoring to God and others.
Character
only comes from our submission to God, which produces love, kindness,
gentleness. This happens when we are changed by what He has done. You have to
ask yourself, "Am I doing this? If not, why not?" When we profess
Christ as Lord or make a public testimony, we are declaring that Jesus Christ
has a hold on our lives¾from now through eternity¾that transcends human
understanding. We are no longer of this world, but belong to Him as His
child¾saved and redeemed. This is the start of our personal relationship with
Jesus Christ as not just Savior, but as LORD over all, over our desires, needs,
and plans. This is imparted to us though our intimacy with Him (Psalm 15;
36:9). True intimacy with God is not found in our feelings, works, deeds, the
saying of creeds, or even by having the right theology in mind, which is
important. Rather, real, true intimacy is a deep affection and knowledge of
Christ that is generated by our heartfelt devotion, commitment, and trust. This
is, in turn, demonstrated by our willingness and the action of moving forward
in our journey of faith.
We
can learn more on this character and apply it better when we give careful
scrutiny and conformity to the will of God; His work in us forms our obedience,
dependence, gratitude, and then submission to what He has clearly revealed in
His Word. Remember, this comes from our heartfelt worship of Him first!
The
Bible calls us to a higher level of excellence than that of others around
us¾one of truth, love, honesty, and functionality. This is His Fruit of
the Spirit and Character in action; it is the implementation of His Ways in the
practice of our daily Christian lives. We are adhering to His rules, morals,
and principles (Zech. 8:16-17). This means we, as people of the faith, will
place character, without excuse, ahead of our ambition and will. Most of all,
we will have the focus to glorify God and not our circumstances or ourselves.
In so doing, we will be doing the right thing all the time with no guilt or
fear and nothing to hide. So, we do what we say we will do from the practice of
God's Truth and Character that He has for us. We must be willing to do this
regardless of our comfort, convenience, challenge, or controversy¾without
excuses. (In addition, to do what is contrary to His Word and say we must do it
because we said we would for integrity's sake is also evil). His ways give us
meaning, and leading a righteous life gives us satisfaction.
We
become a Christian by the work of the Spirit. But, our maturity in Christ and
how we practice our faith is determined by the choices we make from the
conviction and confidence of our beliefs. We choose to take the faith He gives
and make it more real and effective. We choose to make the right choices or
not, so we have no excuse when our life is messed up by neglect or poor
choices. Yes, we have forgiveness and grace, but we are still left with a life
that could have been so much more. So, we have to make the determination and be
willing to align our lives to His Word and precepts so our behaviors represent
who we are in Christ. After that, we need to be more conscious of the decisions
we make, both large and small, without the compromise of solid ethics.
Building
Character
First
look up the Character in an concordance or Bible dictionary and read the passages
associated with it. Or you can use our Character Bible Study series that list
the passages along with questions and commentary. Now ask yourself and then God
in Prayer, or in a small group or mentorship setting:
What is the definition of this Character?
Is this character working in me?
How do I now exhibit this character
in my daily life?
How should I exhibit this character?
How can I use this character to
develop a better willingness to respond to others-especially to the ones I
love-with a since of awe, and fear of God, and respect for people?
What blocks this character from
working and being exhibited in me?
How can I make this character
function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?
What part does this Character
play in your relationships with fellow church members, friends, coworkers, and
family?
What issue is in your life that
would improve with more of this Character?
Think through the steps you would
take to put this character into action in a specific instance, or, to improve
it. Consider the examples from the passages in God's Word.
Then
remember the real building of Character is not just knowing about the
Characters or the Fruit of the Spirit, it is the building of your faith, your
learning and application of God's Word, your prayer and devotional life that
exhumes and exhibits the Godly life that shows a Christ Character driven life!
To
achieve more intimacy with and function for our Lord, we must be willing to
take a look at ourselves to see where we are and on what foundation our lives
are built!
So,
let us, without regret, lead lives that are worthy. Our call is to do as we
teach, to do as we say, and to act as we teach others to act. Integrity
is of the utmost importance for the Christian (Exodus 8:28-32; 1 Thess. 2:
10-12)! Why? Because God is righteous and just, and wants us to be our best in
this area, too. The reason the Pharisees are equated with hypocrisy is that
they were worshipping not the God of the Jews and the Law, but a made-up god that
suited their own thoughts, schemas, and pride. They also covered truth and integrity
with their hidden agendas and deceit (Psalm 103:1-14; Matt. 23; 1 Tim. 3:2-7; 1
Pet. 5:10)!
We
have to see the magnificent aspect of what Christ has done for us. We need to
see the joy (Rom. 5:1-11; James 1:2-4) and the hope (Heb. 6:18-19) we are
given. This is foundational to life and liberty. Without hope we cannot
persevere in life effectively as we would give up and become captivated by
correction or oppressed into drudgery. This hope gives us the road to drive our
maturity and spiritual growth on. As we go though life we learn and when we
learn we grow and when we grow we develop character and hone and improve our
worship of Christ. This builds our personality and lets us be used better in
the lives of others. Our character and what He is doing in our lives is our
true treasures. And this richness is so much more tangible and impressive than
what the world offers. To take this hope to new levels and apply it with passion
and conviction, we have to see who we are in Him. We must be careful that our
faith is developed from God's nature and not ours! This hope will not just fuel
our liberty but also our worship. Because we praise God for what He has done.
Do you realize what He has done in you?
The
fuel that will enable us to maintain our Character is our understanding of
"fullness." This is knowing who we are in Christ, and what He did for
us on the Cross-that we are complete in Him! Then, we can be better able to
comprehend that the Word of God is our authority. All you do, as a Christian,
is a response to what He has first done in you. Couple that with the
application of His Word, and it will instigate the right mark and practice of
our behaviors. This is our Character in action.
We
are called to stay away from evil desires because they will entice us and lead
us away from His loving and best plan for us. When we are thinking in a wrong
or dysfunctional way, it affects all we are and all we do because our lusts
fight against our very soul! Our relationships, how we treat others, and how we
proclaim God's Word through our attitude and lifestyle all stem from how and
what we are thinking. Our thinking must come from the precepts of His Word. Our
opinions, judgments, outlook, and approach to life and people need to come from
the heart of a will that is bought by Jesus Christ.
The
willingness to model Christ's character is far more vital for us today than the
willingness to just preach it. God want us to be authentic-not pretentious¾because
we are the Bible that non-Christians read (2 Cor. 8:9)!
May the Holy Spirit transform you into His Nature in Jesus Name
May the Holy Spirit give you the knowledge, understanding and wisdom to become all the Lord has ordained for your life in Jesus Name
Jesus loves you so much.
Be inspired!
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