CHARACTER!

Introduction: There are so many people including ministers who have charisma but no character. Charisma without character is a disaster.

There are so many people out there that have skill but no character. If you involve this type of person in your company you’ll have problems.

Here is the truth: you should hire for character, and train for skills.

For instance, you should marry a lady for character and train her for skill. Many men want to marry finished product – medical doctor, pharmacist, and lawyer.

The right thing to do is to marry her because of her character when she is none of these, and then send her to school to acquire the required skill.

Do not involve a minister that has charisma but no character in your ministry. He will spoil the work.

Questions and Discussions!

1. What is character? Character is the set of qualities that make somebody distinctive, especially somebody's qualities of mind and feeling.

Character is actually who you are and not who you look like - the sum total of all that distinguishes you as a person from everyone else.

Character is something you are; but it must also be something you desire to become.

What is godly character? Godly character is doing the right thing all the time and holding to your core values. It is doing things according to the Word of God all the time. It is doing things according to the leading of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:1-2). It is walking in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16).

Your reputation (what other people are saying about you or what you are known for) is often a good indicator of your character. For instance, “The Lord is known for His justice” (Ps. 9:16, NLT). What are you known for?

Ultimately, your character is your mark on society.

Those striving for good character, or better yet for godly character, are working toward moral excellence. And Jesus is the ultimate example in moral excellence.

We work hard all our lives to become excellent in many areas, especially in the areas of job and hobbies. Doesn’t it make sense to also work hard at becoming morally excellent, to be known as someone who has mastered the art of living in areas that really matter, like integrity, kindness, love, and faithfulness?

2. What are the attributes of godly character?

Justice, righteousness, mercy, honesty, fairness, and faithfulness are essential traits of godly character.

Galatians 5:22-23 . . . When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Ezekiel 18:5-9 . . . Suppose a certain man is just and does what is lawful and right, and he has not feasted in the mountains before Israel’s idols or worshiped them. And suppose he does not commit adultery. . . . Suppose he is a merciful creditor . . . and does not rob the poor but instead gives food to the hungry and provides clothes for people in need. And suppose he grants loans without interest, stays away from injustice, is honest and fair when judging others, and faithfully obeys my laws and regulations. Anyone who does these things is just and will surely live, says the Sovereign Lord.

3. How can I develop godly character?

a) You are not born with godly character; it is developed through experience and testing and a commitment to knowing God and His word (Jam. 1:1-4, 12).

Deuteronomy 8:2 . . . Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would really obey his commands.

b) You are not born with godly character; it is developed. Everyone develops their character by facing daily challenges and choosing wisely (Deut. 8:2; Jam. 1:4; Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23).

James 1:4 . . . When your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

Look at where character belongs in this scale of preference:

THOUGHT LIFE à DESIRE à DECISION à ACTION à HABIT à CHARACTER à DESTINY

4. Being a child of God should significantly affect your character and conduct.

a) Whether an ancient Israelite or a modern-day Christian, those who are called God’s people are special - holy, dedicated to the Lord, and chosen to be His own. This is a special privilege, but also a special responsibility. It must affect the way you live.

Deuteronomy 7:6 . . . You are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God. Of all the people on earth [he] has chosen you to be his own special treasure.

b) A sacrifice is offering God a gift. Obedience is offering God ourselves. This is one of the clearest indications that we are committed to godly character.

1 Samuel 15:22 . . . Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams.

5. How do we recognize good from bad character?

Proverbs 20:11 . . . Even children are known by the way they act, whether their conduct is pure and right.

6. Why should we be concerned about developing character? Don’t we have only a few years on earth, and shouldn’t we enjoy them as much as possible?

Our error is often one of perspective: We believe that temporary thrills, pleasures that cater to our flesh, will make us happy. God’s Word clues us in on the source of true, lasting happiness.

Matthew 5:8 . . . God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

7. Endurance, or patience, is one of the important building blocks of character.

The testing of patience is the strengthening of character. What we welcome least in our lives may be testing our patience the most, and that in turn may be developing strength of character in us.

Romans 5:3-5 . . . Endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us.

8. Why does building character have to be so hard?

Developing character is a process that only comes through time and testing. It is trial and error. Pain, trials, and temptation refine us so that over time we will be better equipped and more experienced to deal with them.

James 1:2-4 . . . Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

Romans 5:4 . . . Endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation.

9. I want to have a good character but some of my friends laugh at me for my “clean living.”

Peer pressure is one way that we are tested. God promises that we will not be tested beyond what we can handle with his help.

1 Corinthians 15:33 . . . Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad (evil) company corrupts good character.”

10. I’m only young once and other kids don’t seem to be worried about it. Can’t I work on my character when I get older?

No one knows how long they will live. But more important, godly character is simply a reflection of who we are. If you aren’t interested in developing godly character now, you won’t be interested in it later. Godly character comes from the heart.

1 Timothy 4:12 . . . Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

11. What kind of character is desirable? (Matt. 5:43-48)

a) Christ is the model for perfect character. How can we be perfect?

1) In character. In this life, if you are in Christ, you can actually be flawless. If not Jesus wouldn’t have instructed us to be perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matt. 5:48).

2) In holiness. Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to God’s desires, rather than our own, and carry His love and mercy into the world.

3) In maturity. We can’t achieve Christ-like character and holy living all at once, but we must grow toward maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behavior from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so God expects different behavior from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development.

4) In love. We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us. We can be “perfect” if our behavior is appropriate for our maturity level - perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of his disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect (1 Jn. 3:2-3).

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions” (1 Sam. 16:7).

b) A desirable character is molded by God’s standards, and not by human standards. Saul was tall and handsome; he was an impressive-looking man. Samuel may have been trying to find someone who looked like Saul to be Israel’s next king, but God warned him against judging by appearance alone. When people judge by outward appearance, they may overlook quality individuals who lack the particular physical qualities society currently admires. Appearance doesn’t reveal what people are really like or their true value.

Fortunately, God judges by faith and character, not appearances. And because only God can see the inside, only He can judge people accurately.

Most people spend hours each week maintaining their outward appearance; they should do even more to develop their inner character. While everyone can see your face, only you and God know what your heart really looks like. What steps are you taking to improve your heart’s attitude?

12. How is character developed?

BIBLE READING: Genesis 22:1-14

KEY BIBLE VERSE: Later on God tested Abraham’s faith and obedience. “Abraham!” God called. “Yes,” he replied. “Here I am” (Gen. 22:1)

a) Character is developed through challenges. God tested Abraham, not to trip him and watch him fall, but to deepen his capacity to obey God and thus develop his character. Just as fire refines ore to extract precious metals, God refines us through difficult circumstances. 

When we are tested, we can complain, or we can try to see how God is stretching us to develop our character.

BIBLE READING: Romans 5:1-11

KEY BIBLE VERSE: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us-they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character in us, and character strengthens our confident expectation of salvation. (Rom. 5:3-4)

b) Character is developed through suffering. For first-century Christians, suffering was the rule rather than the exception. Paul tells us that in the future we will become, but until then we must overcome. This means we will experience difficulties that help us grow.

We rejoice in suffering, not because we like pain or deny its tragedy, but because we know God is using life’s difficulties and Satan’s attacks to build our character.

The problems that we run into will develop our perseverance-which in turn will strengthen our character, deepen our trust in God, and give us greater confidence about the future.

You probably find your patience tested in some way every day. Thank God for those opportunities to grow, and deal with them in his strength (see also Jam. 1:2-4; 1 Pet. 1:6-7).

BIBLE READING: Mark 1:1-13

KEY BIBLE VERSE: Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness. He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him. (Mk. 1:12-13)

c) Character is developed by temptation. Jesus left the crowds and went into the desert where he was tempted by Satan.

Temptation is bad for us only when we give in. We should not hate or resent times of inner testing, because through them God can strengthen our character and teach us valuable lessons.

When you face Satan and must deal with his temptations and the turmoil he brings, remember Jesus. He used God’s Word against Satan and won. You can do the same.

13. When do you know who has godly character? You know who has godly character when there is pressure!

Memory Verse: Matthew 5:8 . . . God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

James 1:4 . . . When your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.

Galatians 5:22-23 . . . When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Promise from God: “But even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God and put it into practice” (Lk. 11:28).

• Your friend, I. I. MADUBUNYI (Head Pastor)                  Jan. 8^th, 2019 @ HQs.