CHAPTER 4: CHRISTIAN CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
The place of character in our Christian walk is most vital and cannot be overemphasized. In fact, the heartbeat of God is the conformation of His children to the very image of Christ (Rom 8:29).
Christian character is what makes you count and remain relevant to your world, especially to those you meet and spend your life with daily (e.g., those you live with, work with, and those who don’t know you but come in contact with you). A man’s worth in life is determined by his character. Believers must be known, identified, and acknowledged by their character fruits (Matthew 7:20).
Be admonished! Anointing without character makes the carrier stink. Also, charisma is common, but character is very scarce. Therefore, if you are not to lose colour in life, you must add Christian character to your anointing.
DEFINITION OF CHARACTER
Character can be defined as the inner or moral qualities that form the pattern of an individual’s behavior. Simply put, character is the lifestyle or the sum total of a person. Character, as a general term, can be good or bad.
“Character is the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation.”
– Myles Munroe
In the sense of this definition, everyone has “character.” We are each identified by the sum of our mental and ethical traits.
COMPONENTS OF CHARACTER
Components are the different parts that make up a thing or system. The components of character include:
♦ THOUGHTS
Thoughts are a most relevant part of character. The Word of God says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7)
♦ IMAGINATIONS
Imagination is the ability to create mental pictures in your mind and it can influence your character a great deal. Imagination is seeing with the eyes of the mind. Be admonished, it is a man’s personal responsibility to imagine productively (Gen 13:14–18). Equally worthy of note is the scriptural fact that God does our imagination and much more. (Ephesians 3:20–21)
♦ FEELINGS
Feelings, though relevant, are not a reliable component of character. Feelings are often short-lived; hence they are not a good determinant of Christian character development. Consequently, Christians are admonished to ‘behave towards good feelings and not feel towards good behavior.’
♦ ATTITUDES
Attitudes refer to men’s disposition or tendencies and have great influence on men’s character or behavior (Proverbs 20:11). A man’s character is shaped by his dominant disposition. Meanwhile, a man’s disposition is shaped by his dominant thoughts and imaginations.
♦ ACTIONS
Actions give expression to the totality of our character. What we think and imagine in our minds is ultimately expressed in our outward behavior.
DEFINITION OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Christian character development is the building upon a man’s godly qualities or moral virtues. It is an enhancement of the godly virtue embedded in the believer at new birth by the Holy Ghost (Galatians 5:22). A Christian character which includes spiritual, moral and ethical values will be secured only by a return to character training and personal character development as a priority.
THE PROGRESSION OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
(as outlined by Dr. Myles Munroe)
All people follow generally the same course as they develop character, whether that character ultimately ends up positive or negative. The process occurs like this:
Our beliefs lead to our convictions.
Our convictions produce our values (which are tied to our attitudes and perceptions).
Our values form our morals, or principles.
Our morals/principles lead to corresponding personal conduct. Especially in the case of positive character, morals and principles also prompt us to exercise personal discipline for the purpose of remaining aligned with our convictions.
Our conduct/disciplined actions manifest as our ethics.
Our ethics result in our character.
Our character determines our lifestyle.
So the type of character that is ultimately produced in a person’s life is determined by the nature of his beliefs and the focus of his convictions, both of which are expressed in his values.
SOURCE OF CHRISTIAN AND ANTI-CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
God is the origin of godly character. In James 1:17, we are told that every good and perfect gift comes from above, yes, from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Consequently, Christians as the image and likeness of God must exhibit godly character at all times.
ANTI-CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
Lucifer, now known as the devil or Satan, is the origin of evil or ungodly character. The genesis of this was when pride entered into him and he sought to dethrone God. Consider Ezekiel 28:11–19 and Isaiah 14:12–19. Ever since Satan fell woefully, he has been seeking ways to draw away as many as possible to join him in the grave error of ungodly character misadventure.
The questions we must therefore ask are:
- “How did human beings as a race—made in God’s image and likeness—lose the continual manifestation of His character?”
- “When did we stop being always consistent, always predictable, always trustworthy, always just, always merciful and compassionate, and so forth, as the Creator is?”
- “Why did we start to demonstrate unethical characteristics, so that our world has veered so far away from being an expression of His nature?”
Ironically, human beings lost their ability to consistently manifest the Creator’s nature because the first man and woman heeded the false accusation that God wasn’t treating them with true character—that He was not being just. When His trustworthiness was called into question, the first humans made a decision to doubt His authenticity. Then, for the sake of gaining power for themselves, they broke a key principle He had established for them.
The Restoration of Character
Because the Creator has genuine character, His plans for human beings did not include allowing them to languish in a state in which they lacked His nature—and experienced all the resulting consequences. In His faithfulness and trustworthiness, He initiated a plan to restore humanity to Himself, and this plan involved giving us a renewed nature, one by which we would again be able to share His character and consistently follow His life-giving principles.
MOTIVE: THE ACID TEST OF TRUE CHARACTER
Some Christians who have emerged today seem to believe that the primary qualities needed to address our troubled, demanding times are the following: great vision; academic and intellectual superiority; dynamic oratory and other communications skills that have the power to persuade; management expertise; and the ability to control others.
However, time and again, history has shown that the most important quality a true leader should and must possess is the moral force of a noble and stable character.
Refer Genesis 4:4–7 (Cain and Abel)
2 Chronicles 25:1–2 (King Amaziah)
Acts 10:34–35 (Cornelius)
The acid test of true character is the motive of the heart.
In Genesis 4:6–7, we are told that God said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.” In other words, Cain had a wrong motive so both he and his offering were rejected by God.
In verse 4 of the same chapter, we are told that God had respect unto Abel and his offering. Abel and his offering were accepted because he had a right motive. We know this because the Scriptures tell us that God is not a respecter of persons, but of those who fear God and work righteousness (Acts 10:34–35).
In summary, except a man’s motive is right, his character cannot be right—this was the case with King Amaziah; the reason his works were rejected (2 Chronicles 25:1–2).
SOME ANTI-CHRISTIAN CHARACTER QUALITIES TO ABHOR
1. DISHONESTY
Dishonesty bothers on insincerity, falsehood and deceitfulness of heart. Believers in Christ are to abhor such evil traits and every other form of wicked devices.
Aspects of Dishonesty
Lying (Colossians 3:9; John 8:44)
Lying means not telling the truth. It is telling the exact opposite of a thing or matter. By lying, you withdraw away from God to Satan and from light to darkness. Meanwhile, when you lie and ask for forgiveness, God will forgive you.
However, do not get to a point whereby your conscience becomes seared like a hot iron, thereby breaking your fellowship with God (1 Timothy 4:2). Liars are actually the children of the devil (John 8:44).
Effects of Lying
I. Lying destroys people’s trust in you and damages your personality. When this happens, it becomes difficult to restore your image.
II. If you have been involved in lying, confess your sins, forsake them and ask God to forgive you. Then be determined to live a holy life (1 John 1:9).
2. SLANDERING (Psalms 15:1–3; Ephesians 4:31–32)
This means the utterance of false charges against someone with the intention of damaging his name or image. God gave a strong instruction concerning this as seen clearly in the passages above.
Effects of Slandering
It will cause you to lose respect and dignity among people. Also, you will be counted among liars who are children of the devil.
3. DECEIT (1 Peter 3:10)
This means presenting a lie as the truth and persuading others to believe the lie as the truth.
Effects of Deceit
It is poison and can shorten one’s lifetime—ask Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–10).
4. CHEATING (1 Thessalonians 4:6)
Cheating is an act of robbery—that is, taking that which does not belong to you by force. God’s Word is against cheating in any form. One may also cheat subtly by presenting falsehood as the truth, or presenting a partial statement of fact as the whole truth.
Effects of Cheating
You gain nothing by cheating; rather you lose it all when found out. Of course, God will always find out.
5. LUST AND IMPURITIES (Matthew 5:28; Psalms 139:23-24; Micah 6:10)
Lust and impurities filter into the mind through what we see, hear, and smell. The mind is therefore brought into direct conflict with the will of God. The operation goes in this manner: when a lustful mind sees a beautiful woman, it can disrobe her, bit by bit, until she is completely naked and the act performed. This was exactly Jesus’ comment on the issue of adultery in the heart. (Matthew 5:28)
6. PRIDE (Proverbs 16:18; Proverbs 11:2; Isaiah 14:11-19)
Pride is an over-estimation of self. Pride displays a lack of respect for others. Pride is an abomination before God and is a destroyer of men. To walk the path of pride is to sign in for destruction (Proverbs 101:5). In case you are still wondering if pride is as deadly as painted above, then have a chat with King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4), King Herod (Acts 12), the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), Samson (Judges 13-16).
7. COVETOUSNESS (2 Kings 5:20-27; Joshua 7)
Covetousness is an unlawful desire or crave for that which is another man’s. It manifests as greed, gluttony, selfishness, etc. (1 Samuel 12:1-5; Acts 20:33-35; 1 Samuel 2:12-18, 22-36). Just like pride, covetousness is a crusher and destroyer of destiny.
Biblical examples of the error of covetousness include Achan (Joshua 7), Gehazi (2 Kings 5), and Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 2:12-18, 22-36).
WEAPONS TO GUARD THE HEART
The word of God says that we should guard our hearts with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). In fact, the heart is the most fertile ground to receive either good or bad seed.
The issues of life must be fiercely shielded from the corrupting influence of the adversary. To achieve that desire is to employ a number of weapons such as:
1. THE WORD OF GOD
The Word is an effective tool of sanctifying the heart (Isaiah 8:11–13).
What to do with the Word:
Psalms 119:9–11 – Hide God’s Word in your heart.
Colossians 3:16 – Let the Word of God dwell in you richly.
James 4:7 – Resist the devil with the Word.
Recall the example of the Lord Jesus, Matthew 4:1–11 “It is written.” Then the devil leaveth Him alone and angels came and ministered unto Him.
2. THE NAME OF JESUS
The Name is the believer’s strong tower (Proverbs 18:10).
What about the Name:
Proverbs 18:10 – “The name of the Lord is a strong tower.”
Philippians 2:9–11 – “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…”
Mark 16:17 – “In His name ye shall cast out devils.”
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the power from on high available to a believer to live a triumphant Christian life and exemplify Christian character (Acts 1:8).
What about the Holy Spirit:
Isaiah 59:19 – “The Spirit of the Lord will raise a standard against the enemy.”
John 16:13 – “The Holy Spirit guides into all truth (true Christian character).”
Acts 10:38 – “The Holy Spirit empowers to do good and to lead a character befitting a Christian.”
Ezekiel 2:1–2 – “The Holy Spirit can set a man on his feet to overcome any temptation in life.”
4. THE BLOOD OF JESUS
The Blood is the believer’s shield from all filthiness and the power to overcome the devil.
What is in the Blood:
Revelation 12:11 – “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”
Zechariah 9:11–12 – “The blood is the stronghold to turn to for safety, victory, and recovery.”
Hebrews 10:19–22 – “By His blood we have boldness to enter the holy place.”
Leviticus 17:11 – “The life is in the blood.”
Good news! Our weapons in Christ are diverse and very potent. We are not disadvantaged, but a most advantaged people (Deuteronomy 33:29).
THE USE OF THE MIND
The place of the mind in character development cannot be over-emphasized. The mind is powerful and has the ability to determine one’s character. In fact, your character is a function of the state of your mind (Deuteronomy 30:19). A person’s value or worth in life is essentially a product of the use of the mind (Proverbs 23:7; 1 Peter 1:13).
Pause and consider the sayings of this wise man:
“Whatever happens in the mind happens in time.”
– Dr. Mike Murdoch (ref. Genesis 11:6)
Seeing the important place of the mind, what should we do therefore? Simple: renew your mind (Romans 12:2).
THE IMPORTANCE OF MIND RENEWAL
Before salvation, the mind was fed with carnal stuff, ungodly matters, and lifeless information. In some cases this went on for ages and formed ungodly character. To reverse this situation, the mind must be flushed clean of this filthiness and fed with spiritual things—all by the instrumentality of the Word.
INSTRUMENTS FOR MIND RENEWAL
The basic instrument for mind renewal is the Word of God (Romans 12:2). Other instruments for consideration are:
Anointed books of proven godly men and women.
Anointed preaching/teaching messages of proven godly men and women.
The truth is that the common denominator in all of these is the Word of God (Psalms 119:9).
THE CONTROL VALVE OF THE MIND
You are the control valve of your mind. That means whatever you allow will take root. You either choose good or evil. So exercise your God-given control fruitfully (Proverbs 4:23; Deuteronomy 30:19).
FOUR TESTS TO DIFFERENTIATE THE THOUGHTS OF GOD FROM SATAN’S
Highlighted below are ways of differentiating God’s thoughts from Satan’s:
PURITY
The words of God are pure, purified seven times (Psalms 12:6; Philippians 4:8). The words of the devil are the exact opposite—impure.GOODNESS
“All things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28). Godly thoughts are goodly thoughts and will result in goodness. If your thought does not portray the goodness of God, then quickly discard it.PEACE
For the thoughts that God thinks toward you are thoughts of peace (Jeremiah 29:11). As one created in His likeness, your thoughts must be of peace and generate a peaceful conscience. “He leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalms 23:2)—the word “still” connotes peaceful. If a thought does not breed peace, it’s not from God.ALIGNMENT WITH THE WORD OF GOD
A voice or thought from God will never contradict His Word. God magnifies His Word above His name (Psalms 138:2).
Why the Word of God Is Cardinal:
All things were made by the Word (John 1:3).
All things are sustained by the power of His Word (Hebrews 1:3).
The Word is the compass for God’s leading (Isaiah 30:21).
The Word is the container of spirit and life (John 6:63), and it is by the Spirit (Zechariah 4:6).
GROWTH: NO REAL LIFE WITHOUT IT
Life by its very definition is a growth process—that which is alive is growing. For example, seedlings grow to be trees, in some cases to heights of several hundred feet. Even when they reach their full height, they exhibit regular growth through the production of new leaves, branches, or fruit. The principle of growth also holds true in the spiritual realm, and an essential, inherent characteristic for everyone in the body of Christ is individual spiritual growth—even though the great privilege of the child of God is relationship; His great responsibility is growth.
Everybody loves children, but nobody in his right mind wants them to stay in the nursery. The tragedy, however, is that many Christians, born again in Christ, never grow up. Others even suffer from spiritual infantile regression. Our heavenly Father’s purpose, on the other hand, is that “babes in Christ” should become “mature in Christ.” Our birth must be followed by growth.
The crisis of justification (our acceptance before God) must lead to the process of sanctification (our growth in holiness, what Peter terms “growing up to salvation” [1 Peter 2:2]).
SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS MANDATORY
It is discouraging and disappointing to know of believers who have not developed or grown in their faith.
In the first place, a lack of spiritual growth is unnecessary because God has provided every Christian, through His Word, all the spiritual resources needed for growth. Spiritual growth is essential and possible; furthermore, it is a command, not an option, as God’s Word demonstrates.
In 2 Peter 3:18, the apostle Peter commands all of us who are believers, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” We are to grow in the sphere of God’s grace and in both biblical and experiential knowledge as the Lord works His will through all the challenges of life, both easy and difficult.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS MANDATORY
It is discouraging and disappointing to know of believers who have not developed or grown in their faith.
In the first place, a lack of spiritual growth is unnecessary because God has provided every Christian, through His Word, all the spiritual resources needed for growth. Spiritual growth is essential and possible; furthermore, it is a command, not an option, as God’s Word demonstrates.
In 2 Peter 3:18, the apostle Peter commands all of us who are believers, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” We are to grow in the sphere of God’s grace and in both biblical and experiential knowledge as the Lord works His will through all the challenges of life, both easy and difficult.
QUALITIES OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
HONESTY
Acts 6:3; 2 Corinthians 4:3–4
Honesty is a state of being truthful, trustworthy, straightforward, and faithful to God and man in all areas of life.INTEGRITY
Proverbs 11:3; James 1:3–4
Integrity is the quality of being right in character. A man of integrity is a man of his word—perfect and lacking nothing.
Integrity is saying what you mean and meaning what you say; this connotes rightness of heart.SERVANTHOOD
Luke 16:12; Mark 9:33–35; Luke 22:27; John 12:26
Servanthood entails attending to the needs of others in the name of the Lord and serving in the vineyard of God in various capacities. Servanthood is a sure pathway to honour, promotion, and dignity in the kingdom of God. A believer who desires greatness should learn to serve; likewise, anyone seeking promotion must be ready to serve.LOVE
1 John 4:7–8; 1 Corinthians 13; Galatians 5:6; 1 Corinthians 2:9
God is love, and to love is to give expression to God’s nature.HUMILITY / MEEKNESS
Philippians 2:5; Psalms 25:9
Humility/meekness connotes having the right attitude of heart in service. It is being teachable—acknowledging that you do not know as much as you should and remaining correctible.DILIGENCE
Proverbs 22:29; Proverbs 10:4; Proverbs 12:24
Diligence means being hardworking—spiritually, mentally, and physically. To be diligent is to be dutifully productive. Hard work does not kill; it promotes and establishes.DISCIPLINE
1 Corinthians 9:24–27; 2 Timothy 2:3–4
Discipline is denying yourself certain things or privileges in order to reach your goal. It is imposed self-control and being strict with oneself to achieve a set target.
“Discipline is the capital price you pay for every desired change. It is doing what is required to get what is desired. It is doing what is demanded, not what is convenient.”
—Bishop David Oyedepo
HOLINESS
Hebrews 12:14; Luke 1:74–75; Ephesians 4:24–25
Holiness means right living in accordance with God’s laws—a departure from iniquities. Without holiness, you cannot see God or enter heaven. God created us in holiness (Ephesians 4:24) and expects us to live holy (1 Peter 1:14–16).It is important to know that of all sins, sexual immorality is the heaviest. Neither fornicators nor adulterers will enter the kingdom of heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9–10).
Adultery is intercourse between a married person and someone not their spouse.
Fornication is sex between two unmarried persons.
Both sins are “against self and God,” because the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:18–19). Sexual immorality is harlotry against Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15–16).
Effects of Holiness
♦ Death of sin in your body (Romans 6:1–4, 6, 11–14; Galatians 5:19–23)
♦ Release of your miracles (Hosea 5:13–17; 7:1–4; Mark 2:5; 2 Chronicles 7:14)
♦ Guarantees liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17)
♦ Guarantees God’s presence (2 Corinthians 5:8; Psalms 15:1–2)
♦ Delivers from poverty (Deuteronomy 28:16–18, 47–48; Psalms 34:10; 1 Timothy 6:6)COURAGE
1 Samuel 30:1–8; Joshua 1:3–9
Courage is the ability to persevere and not give up. It can also be described as controlling fear in the face of danger or hardship in order to prevail or triumph. Courage speaks encouragement to the heart; it is the conqueror’s backbone.- WISDOM Matthew 7:24–25
Wisdom is the right and skillful application of learned or acquired knowledge. Wisdom is therefore:
♦ Knowing what to do and doing it (Matthew 7:24–25)
♦ Knowing what to say and saying it (Luke 21:15)
♦ Knowing where to go and going there (Ecclesiastes 10:15)What will wisdom do?
Brings profiting and gives access to goodly inheritance. Ecclesiastes 7:11–12; 10:10.
Strengthens and is better than weapons of war. Proverbs 24:5; Ecclesiastes 9:18.
Promotes and procures honour, long life, riches, peace, pleasantness, etc. Proverbs 4:8–10; 8:13–18.
Distinguishes and brings great commendation. Ecclesiastes 8:1; Proverbs 12:8.
- MORAL EXCELLENCE
Moral excellence requires that a believer’s all-round conduct in life be blameless and without blemish (1 Timothy 4:12; Matthew 7:20). There should be no occasion for men to point accusing fingers; rather, your life should point others to Christ (1 Timothy 3:7).
Moral excellence demands that a believer live above reproach in:
(a) His thoughts (Proverbs 23:7)
(b) His words (Matthew 12:34)
(c) His actions (1 Samuel 2:3) - OUTWARD APPEARANCE
(1 Corinthians 6:19–20; Matthew 5:14, 16)
Christianity demands decency in our outward appearance. The Christian’s outward appearance is for glory and beauty, which is to the praise of God (Exodus 28:2). In essence, our outward appearance matters because it reflects how we regard our body, the temple of the living God.
When you dress for an outing, ask yourself sincerely, “Have I shown respect to God and His temple by the way I am dressed?” How you dress affects how God and men address and rate you. Peter knew this and covered himself well when Jesus appeared to them (John 21:7). Remember: your spirit (inside) and your body (outside) both matter to God and to the devil (Matthew 23:26–27).
WAYS TO DEVELOP CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
Godly character is not a gift, but a virtue developed over time by both the input of man and by taking advantage of the help of the Holy Ghost. (1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 3:13–14) What to do:
DESIRE, DETERMINATION AND PASSION
(Daniel 1:8; Proverbs 18:1; Psalms 42:1)
This is a requirement to develop our Christian character. It means our minds being made up on a particular course of action. Daniel purposed in his heart not to defile himself and he succeeded. Also, Joseph, by the power of the will conquered adultery and arrived at his throne in a foreign land.WORD STUDY AND MEDITATION
(2 Timothy 2:15; Joshua 1:8; Colossians 3:16)
It is God’s Word that reveals His will to us. Therefore, a believer who desires to develop a godly character must be close to the Word—in study and meditation.HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
(John 14:26; 1 John 2:27; Isaiah 30:21; Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit is the teacher of the Word of God, which is used to shape the character of the believer. The Holy Spirit empowers and enables the believer to conform to the righteous requirements of God’s Word. One major way of accessing the help of the Holy Spirit is by praying in the Spirit. (Jude 20; 1 Corinthians 14:18)KEEP WISE COMPANY
(1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 27:17; Amos 3:3)
The companies people keep either make or mar them. To develop excellent godly character requires that a person keep company with godly, wise men and avoid the company of the foolish and ungodly.PRACTICE OF THE WORD
(James 1:22; John 1:4)
To develop a godly character, you must not only read, study, and meditate on the Word, but more critically, you must be a practitioner of the Word. In Him (the Word) was life—so doing the Word is accessing the life of God inside of it.
The Character of the Believer
The kingdom of God has a culture, and that culture reflects the values of the King. The believer is meant to imbibe those values and adopt them as his way of life. The only way the believer can adopt these values is when he opens himself up for the activity of the Spirit of adoption (the Holy Spirit) to find full expression in his life.
The inner workings of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer produce a certain fruit in the believer. In the kingdom of God this fruit is called “character.” If the believer submits to the dealings of God in his life through the Holy Spirit, the believer’s work on earth will be God-like. The fruit of the Spirit makes the believer look like God and act like God.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
—Galatians 5:22 (NKJV)
According to Galatians 5:22, there are nine expressions of the fruit of the Spirit; however, in reality there are more than nine. It is expedient that the believer possess all nine expressions listed above to be a balanced citizen of the kingdom:
• LOVE
Love is the bond of perfection; it is the cord that binds us together. Love proves that we are one in Christ and that we are His disciples and members of His body, even of His flesh and bones. [Colossians 3:16; John 15:34–35] Love is the strongest quality of brotherhood. [Romans 12:9–10; 1 John 4:2–21]
• JOY
Joy is the quality of cheerfulness toward God and men regardless of circumstances. Joy is the provision that helps the believer draw divine realities from God’s well of salvation. Joy brings the believer to a place of absolute trust, where he places God above his circumstances. [Isaiah 12:3; Romans 14:17; Romans 15:13] Joy is the strength of the believer. [Nehemiah 8:10]
• PEACE
Peace is restful assurance in God and in the integrity of His Word. Peace is the ability to be at rest in the midst of storms because of your faith in God and what He said. Peace is the believer’s anchor even when situations surpass his understanding. [Philippians 4:7; Isaiah 26:3; Colossians 3:15; Romans 15:33]
• LONGSUFFERING (PATIENCE): Patience or longsuffering is the ability to bear long with both God and men; it is the quality of unwariness. It is in the character of God to bear long with men. The kingdom life also requires that we as men learn to bear long with God as we wait in expectation of the manifestation of His promises. The last variable in the faith equation is patience: the believer can only be described with the character of patience if his life is garnished with sufficient stamina to withstand the waiting and testing seasons of his Christian journey. In my opinion, patience is one of the greatest qualities of leadership; a patient leader would most likely be stable in all ways. Patience is proof of love.
• KINDNESS: Kindness is the most basic element of love—people heal faster when love is shown to them in the form of kindness. God designed kindness to be a healing balm that heals faster than prayer; people begin to heal the moment they are shown love in form of kindness because love is the universal healer. This is not only true for men—plants and animals respond to kindness. One act of kindness can be more impactful than a thousand sermons. King Jesus Himself was the epitome of kindness; everyone who came to Him benefited from His kindness.
• GOODNESS: Goodness is a quality attributed only to God. Only God is good; men are inherently evil. In Mark 10:17–18, a young man approaches Jesus and asks, “Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” In this scripture, Jesus acknowledged that God is good and all men are evil; yet God made provision for man to share that attribute of His goodness by coming into man and dwelling in him so that through His indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit, He can work out His fruit in man—one of the expressions of His fruit being goodness. Hence it became possible for man to be good. Goodness is the highest quality that can be used to describe the glory and splendor of anything on earth.
The best description God could give to everything He made was encapsulated in one word: “good.”
“…And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:10)
Because God is good to us, He gave us forgiveness and repentance; that is why we ought to be good to one another, because God shared this quality of His goodness with us.
• FAITHFULNESS: Faithfulness is the quality of being dependable, reliable, and trustworthy. This is also an attribute that is very rare in men because men are unstable and limited in many ways.
The ways of men are as unstable as the waves of the sea; therefore men change with conditions. Only God is faithful because He cannot be influenced by conditions nor time. The faithfulness of God is what makes Him a covenant keeper. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He imparts His faithfulness into men so that we can be like Him in our dealings with one another.
• GENTLENESS: Gentleness is the ability of the Spirit that enables us to be calm and compassionate in our dealings with one another. This is an attribute of the Spirit of God which can be at work in men if they allow His ministry in their lives.
• SELF-CONTROL: Self-control is the ability of the Holy Spirit that enables the believer to withhold wrath. Through the inner working of the grace of God by His Spirit, the believer can become immune to the tendency of the flesh that cause us to act in defense of ungodly desires that plague our minds and attempt to bring us into captivity to the flesh and sin.
“Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.’ Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
(Romans 12:16–21)
Self-control is the grace dimension of discipline that is supplied to the believer to help him or her say no to temptation, wickedness, and the impulses of the flesh leading to sin.
…Against such there is no law.
