God Wants You To Have Character Not Be A Character



It is time for God's children to understand the reason for their
calling. IT IS NOT what the main-line church(s) is leading them
to believe.

What Is HIS Reason For Calling Us?

The reason for our calling is so that He can have living examples
of the character of God on the earth. To provide carnal people
with a physical manifestation of God's character, to lead them
to God.

God has not prepared and sent His only beloved Son, redeeming Him
from death, so that you can fly away to some etherial (heavenly)
playground to do whatever you wish for ever and ever. There are
requirements that God places on all of those that would desire
to be called by the name of His Son. If you call yourself a Christian,
then you must learn to become "LIKE CHRIST". I John 2:6
"He who says he abides in Him ought himself also walk just as He walked"
I Peter 2:21
"For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that you should follow His steps".

So then, if God has called you (and He has), you are called into a
"New Life" - to become LIKE Jesus, to become the "Bride of Christ",
which must be like Him. 2 Cor. 6:14
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship
has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with
darkness?" This means if you expect the Holy Spirit of God to live
in you, you MUST develop CHARACTER -REAL CHARACTER - The CHARACTER
OF CHRIST. Let's look at the definition of Character according to the
dictionary.
What is Character?

The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person
or group from another.
A distinguishing feature, attribute or characteristic.
The combined moral or ethical structure of a person or group.
Moral or ethical strength, fortitude.
Public estimation of someone; reputation.
A person who is peculiar, eccentric.

As you can see the dictionary definition of character only adds strength
to the scriptures. Numbers 1-5 of the above description of character
make it very clear that if we profess to be Christians then we must become
like Him, and of course if we are becoming like Him the world will see us
as in #6, but that is ok, as I Peter 2:9-10
says "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,
a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of
Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; Which
in times past were not a people, but are now the people of GOD."
You see in the eyes of the world we WILL BE PECULIAR, because they don't
understand that we are of a different spirit, a different Kingdom, one
of which they know not. Because we will turn the other cheek, our word
will be our bond, we will be trustworthy in ALL things, we will pay our
bills on time, our families will be loving examples, we will lead others
to Christ not to ourselves, in short we will be a people in which they
cannot find a fault. We will have become "Christian Examples". This is
the way that God brings conviction to their hearts, if they cannot find a
fault in us, it shows them that there is no excuse for their lives to
be out of order. Titus 2:8b
"...so that the opponent may be put to shame, finding nothing discrediting
or evil to say about us."

Of course, these changes will not "just happen", we must follow the
scriptural pattern and see that we make these necessary changes in our
lives.

While it is true that God's love to those that have not been "born again"
is unconditional, once a person has been "born again" he must submit
himself to a different kind of God's love, a love that is more personal,
a love that is conditional on his following Jesus Christ as his personal
example. Phil. 2:12
"work out your own salvation in fear and trembling". Romans 13:11-14
"And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The
night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works
of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk properly,
as in the day, not in revelry and drunkeness, not in licentiousness and
lewdness, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

HOW DO WE DO THIS?
When we first come to Christ we are carnal (natural) people, a people
of habit and custom and are controlled by our desires. We are a self
centered selfish people. We know by scripture what our goal is
II Cor. 5:17
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he IS a NEW creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new" We can find in
scripture the necessary pattern to bring about this change in our lives
that is mandated. Such a pattern is to be found in
Jer. 1:10
"See, I have this day set you over nations and over the kingdoms, to root
out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant."
Our life has been controlled by other nations (ours) and kingdoms (worldly),
so we must first expose anything that is in our character that does not
fit the character of Christ. Then we must root it out, then pull it down,
then destroy and overthrow it. In other words get rid of all the old
nature and character. Then and only then are we ready to build and plant
those characteristics that are Christlike and Godly. This is not usually
a "fun" time, while we are going through this tearing down and rebuilding
process, but if we can learn to look to the other side of the matter, to
see ourselves as we will be when this work is done, then we can "endure
to the end and be saved"Mat. 24:13
Mark 13:13.
We MUST be changed into HIS LIKENESS if we expect to see God.
Heb. 12:14
"pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will ever see God."

The only way we will ever fully develop the Character of Christ in our lives
and become true sons of God is to follow
Gal. 5:16
"live habitually in the Holy Spirit". Once we see this as an
absolute REQUIREMENT and accept it and
John 5:30(amp)
"I am able to do nothing from myself (independently, of My own accord - but
only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders). Even as I hear, I
judge (I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I
give a decision), and My judgement is right (just, righteous), because I
do not seek or consult My own will (I have no desire to do what is pleasing
to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose) but only the will and pleasure of
the Father Who sent Me", as our LIFESTYLE, then and only then will we
become real "CHRISTIANS", real sons and daughters of God. Then we will have
true character, THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST. We will manifest the character of
Christ. This will enable us to fulfill the calling for which He chose us.
We will be able to draw others to Christ, in fulfillment of the scriptures.
John 12:32
"If I be lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto me". We will
have "taken up His cross", died to our selves and tryly become His Body.

This is part three of
The Holy Spirit Teaching Series.