As mature Christians, we must come to the point that we allow the search and conviction of the Holy Spirit upon our lives to the very core of our souls (2 Cor. 13:5)! Once this happens, the result will be more faith and more use to Christ. The result for your church will be more focus upon His precepts and increased prayer, which will bring an outpouring of the Spirit and renewal!
Character is fueled by the power of the Spirit empowering us so we can model the character of Christ! The demands for people of character are more needed then ever before. Our culture does not value it, yet it insists on it. Just watch the news and see how the reporters attack people with no character, even though they may not have it themselves.
Virtue is the application of being good from both the conscious will to do what is right from God's revealed Word and from personal responsibility. It encompasses integrity, honesty, compassion, and endearment and this is the quintessence of what biblical Character (that is right standards, strength, courage, modesty, and purity all done in excellence) is to be. We acquire Virtue by our faith, our obedience to Christ, being persistent in Him, and clothing ourselves in Him.
Character is a spiritual Fruit that is built from our real, godly relationship and commitment to Christ as LORD. It is the fiber of our moral center that stretches throughout our being, embracing and holding together our relationships when it is sealed as a choice and commitment, and not just a feeling or a personality. Character synergistically combines with the Fruit of the Spirit and the seventy or so other characters of our Lord to promote our ability to relate and grow in our relations, to better others as well as ourselves. Let us take a quick look at the main characters that all flow from God's love to us and the work of the Sprit by the way of the Fruit of the Spirit.
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.
This article also serves as the introduction to our Bible Study series on Character!
Real, authentic Christian character is formed when you surrender to Christ and allow His piercing work to grow and enrich you, so that the Spirit flows.
Our spiritual discipline, motives, obedience, and persevering faith will be the keys! All it takes is to be in love with Christ. Seek His presence and be persistent in your prayers.
Real, authentic Christian character is formed when you surrender to Christ and allow His piercing work to grow and enrich you, so that the Spirit flows.
Our spiritual discipline, motives, obedience, and persevering faith will be the keys! All it takes is to be in love with Christ. Seek His presence and be persistent in your prayers.
Here is a chart that lists two sets of Fruit and ways of living. One side represents Christ's redemptive work that we comply to continue by being grateful, pursuing His Grace and applying His Fruit into our daily lives. The other side represents the corruption of sin, the old self that we are called to get rid of.
The key to making this work is for you and the other participants to be open, submissive, listening, and authentic so you can confess your sins in a safe, confidential environment. Remember that Christian maturity and character is "Christ-likeness," becoming more like our Lord by living out His precepts.
Accountability is often associated with a place to be helped with some kind of problem or addiction such as drinking, drugs, smoking, pornography, or some other recovery issue. Yes, this is can be a principle venue; however, the emphasis should be our spiritual growth which infuses our thinking and behaviors and helps in overcoming addictions. It is not about just overcoming addictions; it is being overcome with Christ as Lord of our lives.
The stresses of life and the hassles of family will get us down and test our limits; even the best-run family will have this problem from time to time. So, how can we tell if we're just tired or are experiencing burnout? First, we need to ask ourselves the accountability questions. If we are operating in His precepts, it is probably just exhaustion. However, if we find ourselves being apathetic and detached from our families, we have a problem.