Character Development

Bikers Church Cape Town

Character Development - By: Pastor George Lehman We are who we are before God nothing more and nothing less. “Character is what God, and the angels know of us; reputation is what people think of us.” Horace Mann. Godly excellence flows from Godly character. No character, no excellence. 2 Peter 1:5 - In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with (Goodness) a generous provision of *moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge Moral – Its about the Principles of right and wrong behaviour. Have you ever stopped to think what God sees when He looks into the depth of your being? What kind of person does He find in you? Sadly, so many Christians live so carelessly it doesn’t even bother them!! Are you: Loving, generous, full of the fruit of the Spirit, with a serving forgiving heart? OR are you: full of anger, bitterness, and self-centeredness, walking with un-forgiveness? Who you are determines how you will react to any and every situation whether good or bad; positive or negative; favourable or unfavourable – KNOW THIS:- God is in the character development business. He is more interested in your Character than your comfort. Ephesians 4:23-24 (Msg) - “A life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces His ‘character’ in US.” God is committed to develop, discipline and to stretching our lives to form our characters so we will become vessels of honour for His use. We are in the University of God getting our degree in Character Development. Luke 6:40(NLT) – Students are not above their teacher but everyone who is fully trained will be like their Teacher. Prove of His unending love and involvement in our lives. Philippians 1:6 (Amp) - And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. No matter how long it takes or how uncomfortable it makes you feel as long as there is growth, it’s our responsibility to partner with God in this lifelong process. One thing we must clearly understand is that the destiny and fulfilment of our purpose lies in a fine balance of: God’s awesome grace and sovereignty. 2. Human responsibility We are ultimately responsible for responding: - Correctly; - Godly and - Biblically. Not just any old way will do. The way you respond to situations will determine the character you will possess. Like so many sad stories of failure in the word of God. Reuben was Jacob and Leah’s son. He lost his birth right to Joseph. Genesis 49:3-4 (Amp) - Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the beginning (the first fruits) of my manly strength and vigor; [your birthright gave you] the preeminence in dignity and the preeminence in power. But unstable and boiling over like water, you shall not excel and have the preeminence [of the firstborn], because you went to your father's bed; you defiled it - he went to my couch! Reuben thought it didn’t matter about his quality of character, he will receive the blessing and inheritance anyway. Reuben was born into greatness, but there is not guarantee that he would become great. He had a failed Character You cannot think if you violate God’s word and live with wilful deliberate sin and an ungodly Character there won’t be consequences. So it is with us, if you want to receive ‘the best which is to come’ you need to be committed to personal character development. “Not education, but character, is man’s greatest need and man’s greatest safeguard.” Spencer…. So many people are educated beyond their obedience. Definition of Character: Character is the inner life of man. Character is displayed in the actions of an individual under pressure. Character is the sum-total of all the negative and positive qualities in a person’s life. A godly character refers to a person who constantly displays uprightness and characteristics that line up with Jesus’ teachings. To help define what character is: Character is what a person is at this present time. It’s not what you will ideally be in the future; so many Christians live with lots of good intentions, but they put up with poor characters and think I’m okay because I intend becoming a better Christian some day. Change comes when you DO! Not intend to do! It’s when pressure comes to a person’s life, the real person surfaces. You may act and think one way under the blessings of the Lord, BUT quite another way when trials of life are your portion. Character includes a person’s inner thoughts, motives and attitudes, not just a person’s actions. Thoughts, though hidden, indicate the real character of a person. Our motives too are true expressions of the inner man. To change the character of a person, one must go deeper than action. Character does not appear without pressure. The pressures of life, test what the Lord has really accomplished in a person’s character. Deuteronomy 8:2(Amp) – And you shall [earnestly] remember all the way which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and to prove you, to know what was in your [mind and] heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. When the heat is on a person’s character, the true character, surfaces. Ask yourself, “how do I respond to difficulties, disappointments and pressure of everyday life?” The real quality of your character will be consistent, whether the heat is on or off. Character is not only that which other people see on the external, but that which other people DO NOT SEE. Will the real you stand up? People may see only the side of a person that a person wants to display. God sees the real person. Hebrews 4:13 (Amp) - And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do. Do you realize a person can be so involved with outward religious ministry works AND still be ungodly? Proverbs 11:5-6 (Msg) - “Moral* character makes for smooth traveling; an evil life is a hard life. Good character is the best insurance; crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.” *moral = standard of behaviour A person’s character can be discerned by the way he treats and respects and honors his family. Character is not just how you treat, respect, and honour your spiritual family; you see it also shows, by how you treat your natural family. Your character development is on God’s heart. 2 Peter 1:5 (Msg) - Do not lose a minute in building on what you’ve been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding. The Bible teaches that as we approach the last days the character of the world will become more corrupt BUT God is calling His church to become MATURE in character.