CHARACTER
(King James Translation) (Its actual Greek definition)
I.
1Cor 4:15 For
though ye have ten thousand instructors
(School
master or tutors) in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ
Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. The great and
importunate cry of today is for spiritual fathers in Christ. It is for those who will mentor and hear the
hearts of others through the ears of unconditional love. It is for others who deliver and raise up
Christian leaders by laying down their lives for them. Those will build the healthy churches of
today. A true leader must be able to
bear testimony to the Heavenly Father’s character.
a)
John1:18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only
begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared (Revealed or disclosed Him)
him.
II.
Romans
11:13 For I speak to you Gentiles,
inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify (
Glorify) mine
office: To speak about “glorifying oneself” or
even one’s ministry usually carries a negative connotation. Normally it implies pride and
self-exaltation. Yet we should bring as
much glory to God as is attainable within our ministries or callings. Glorifying can only deal with that
portion of God’s work that is executed by the Holy Spirit.
a) John 3:21
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made
manifest, that they are wrought
in God accomplished by God.
III. 111. 1Cor15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured (To labor with strenuous zeal, to the point of exhaustion) more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. “Spiritual burn out” is always inadmissible. It is the product of all labors for the Lord initiated by us, and not the Holy Spirit. Yet our lives should be consumed with the Lord and His work. We should daily feel that “good tired feeling” which comes from working hard and expending ourselves in God’s service in the power of the Holy Ghost.
IV.
1
Corinthians 4:13 Being defamed, we
intreat: we are made as the filth(As soap
being rinsed off from dirty plates) of the world, and are the offscouring(scrapings of food thrown away) of all things unto this day.
Are we willing to live our Christian life in such a way that we daily
die to our rights, our reputation, and our need for recognition? I struggle with wanting to be a “personality
for the Lord.” We are slaves of
Christ. No slave has any rights of his
own. When Jesus said that He was meek,
in truth He said, that He yielded all His rights to the Father will. Are we willing to lay down our lives for
sinners and serve them instead of merely preaching to them? Jesus said that he who wants to be first
must be last. In actuality He was
addressing us about being last in rank, importance, place, and time. Only those who make themselves servants (slaves)
of all shall be chief in the eyes of the Lord.
V.2Cor 5:13 For
whether we be beside
ourselves (out of our minds,
or wits, or exhibit insanity) it is to God: or whether we be sober,(sound mind)
it is for your cause. In our burning obedience to our
Lord, Jesus requires us to take steps of faith that portray us as incoherent
and insane to the world, and even to the dormant church at large. If we never appear to be crazy in the eyes of the world, it should give us cause for
concern. Yet the reality is; we do have
the sound and healthy mind of Christ. This should be the balance of a normal
Christian life.
a) Matthew 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
b) Luke 18:22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.
VI. Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after (I persecute after), if that I may apprehend ( seize and make it my own) that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Please personalize this for your self;
“I persecute, pursue, and overtake everything for which Christ has called
me. I do this in hope of being able to
seize, and grasp all that Christ has grasped and possessed me for.”
VII. Romans
12:13 Distributing to the necessity of
saints; given to hospitality
(the
affectionate love of strangers). Does our hospitality go as far as entertaining and loving
strangers?
VIII.
V111 1Cor
9:24 ¶ Know ye not that they which run (to run and spend my strength in attaining to something) in a race run all, but
one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.(to posses
and make my own.
Jesus said that He glorified the Father by completing all that the
Father had placed before Him to do.
25
And
every man that striveth
for the mastery (the agony of athletic competition) is temperate in all things. Now they do
it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
Our Christian lives should abide in the exhilarating agony of strenuous
athletic discipline. If we are
experiencing boredom as believers, we are missing out on part of Christ’s
destiny for us. Every great work of God
has been executed on bended knees.
Every great work of God takes between one to five hours of prayer daily
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so
fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
Our faith must
contain a clear perception of God’s vision for our lives. “Without a vision the people perish.”
We must not walk obscurely, as those who do not know the voice of God. We must not trash the air aimlessly with
those things that Christ has not called us to, no matter how noble or
praiseworthy they might be. Our time
must not be wasted by the missed discernment of God’s will; too much is at
stake! Our punch must be sure; we
must strike straight and not spare.
27 But I keep under my body (To
beat the body black and blue, or get a black eye),
and bring it into subjection
(make my body a
slave to the Spirit of God) lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway
. The love of God and the love of the
world are opposed to each other. Either
you love one or love the other. What
the world values, Christ abhors. What
the worldly man esteems as of great value Christ says, “get the behind me
Satan!”
IX. 2Cor 5:14
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for
all, then were all dead: The love of Christ blocks us up on
one side, forcing us to tread that narrow fenced path of unending fervor for
His church , the brethren, and the lost.
X. 2Cor
12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent
for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
I
will very gladly incur personal expense for your Christian well-being. I will pour my very soul out for your
progress in the faith. I will exhaust
myself by spending and using myself up for your spiritual maturing in
Christ. Is this you?
XI. 2cor 9:6 ¶ But this I say, He which soweth
sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. The one sowing sparingly, sparingly
will also reap and the one sowing so as to produce real blessings, real
blessings will he also reap.
This verse does not talk simply about money. In everything we do, our attitude should be one of our
sacrificing profoundly enough to really produce a blessing in some one else’s
life. Mother Teresa said, “Love must
give until it hurts.”
I.
Colossians
4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a
servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently (agonizing
with athletic zeal) for you in
prayers, that ye may stand perfect
(to the very maturity of Christ’s
character) and complete (fulfilling every aspect of Christ
will, will so that you have total confidence and assurance in everything that He wants from you)
in all the will of God.
II.
James
5:16 Confess your faults one to
another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer
of a righteous man availeth
much.
The prayers of a righteous person carry
much inner strength and punch to exert a mighty flurry of activity and
efficiency before the eyes of God.
2
Corinthians 3:8 How shall not the
ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? The office of the Holy Spirit dwells
or breathes in the glory of God. This verse and those adjoining it, advise us
that God will bless our Christian dealings even if they are done outside the
direct leading of the Holy Spirit. Yet,
God will only bless them with a fleeting or passing glory. Moses covered his face because the glory
upon it was so transitory and brief. He
established for us a pattern of the “works of the law.” “The works of
the law” are those noble Christian works executed through our efforts to
please God. Unfortunately however, and
quite frequently, the works of the law are not initiated by the Spirit of
God. The things being done away
are all works outside of the works of the Holy Spirit. No matter how noble and well intentioned
they are, their effect and results shall not remain. Their glory is only fleeting
at best. What is done through the Holy
Spirit, however affects all eternity, because its glory abides or remains. 1 Peter 1:25 But the RHEMA of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the
RHEMA which by the gospel is preached
unto you.
Beloved, I would say that a greatest
percentage of all works done in our churches are “works of the law”. This is precisely why much of our busy
church activities at their end have reaped so little. Our heavenly groanings which cannot be uttered must be, “
Lord teach us how to walk in the Spirit!”