Godly Character Versus Traditional Grace
Godly Character Versus Traditional Grace
In this essay, I am employing the term, "grace" in the traditional sense, that it is God's solution for those of us who do not live as righteously as we should. We go to Heaven by grace, we say, although nowhere in the Scriptures is it stated that we go to Heaven by grace.
Paul used the term, "grace" to tell us about how God's program operates apart from our religious efforts. There is a terrible difference between these two definitions of grace.
Contemporary Christian teaching presents "grace" as an alternative to the development of godly character and righteous behavior. This ought not to be!
If the rewards will be given to the victorious saints, and if grace is an alternative to character development, it seems that grace will interfere with the program of developing victorious saints.
According to the Bible, the members of the Royal Priesthood will have awesome responsibilities in the future, such as in the renewal of the creation. How can this be true if they do not have a godly character and behave righteously? Will grace create a godly character?
If we are to be made in God's image, we certainly should have a character like His. Where does grace enter this picture?
The Bible used to be called "The Good Book" because it taught people how to be good. Now it is "The Grace Book" because it teaches people how to please God without being good.
There are sins that proceed from our character, from what we are as a person.
Then there are sins that are spirits that dwell in our flesh. These are alien to our personality. They are not what we are as a person. Most of them can be cast out fairly easily.
Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:20)
Paul's character judged the sin living in him as evil. He did not accept it. The fact that the sin was "living" in him shows that the sin is not a chemical force but a personality having life.
An example of a sin of character is that of the disciples striving as to who would be the greatest.
But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:34)
They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory." (Mark 10:37)
That kind of spiritual ambition, the desire to rule over others, has no place in the Kingdom of God!
When God tested Abraham in the matter of offering Isaac as a burnt sacrifice, this was a test of character, that is, of Abraham's obedience to God.
One reason God permits unclean spirits to dwell in our flesh is to test our character; to see if we will obey the moral laws of God.
When we die, we are not troubled with the sins in our flesh, because our flesh is in the ground and the spirits have fled. Whether these spirits of sin can then attack our spirit in the spirit world, I do not know.
The real issue is that of character. And the issue of character is obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ, which is equivalent to obedience to God.
Adam and Eve had no spirits of sin dwelling in their flesh. Neither had they suffered any experiences that would shape their character.
Sin was present, just waiting to inhabit them. God warned Cain of this.
"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it." (Genesis 4:7)
But you must rule over it!
It is in the act of ruling over the sin that dwells in them that the saints prepare themselves to govern in the Kingdom of God. This is another reason God permits unclean spirits to dwell in us, although we did not ask to have sinful spirits occupying our flesh.
Eve, in her innocence, as well as Adam, disobeyed God in the matter of eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and evil. This gave sin an opportunity to enter their flesh, and disobedience a chance to form their character.
Where these spirits of sin come from, I do not know. I suppose they are the same as demons, although people do not like to think of demons dwelling their flesh.
I never have heard anyone explain where demons come from. It is certain that God did not create them. I do not have the sense that they are fallen angels.
It is possible that they originally were people who permitted sin to dominate them to the point that their character personified some aspect of sin. Then when they died, God, instead of placing them in Hell, sent them back to earth to test the characters of the saints and to give His elect an opportunity to learn spiritual warfare.
In the battle to overcome evil, ruling strength is developed in our character. The purpose of redemption is to develop godly character and righteous behavior in God's elect, His Church. Learning to overcome sin and self-will is necessary if we are to inherit the Kingdom, and the sin that dwells in our flesh plays an important role in this process of character formation.
Or, the demons may be some kind of extension of Satan. However, I question whether Satan is able to create intelligent beings, as the demons appear to be.
The demons came from somewhere, but the Bible does not tell us where they originated. God said to Cain, "Sin crouches at the door," as though sin consists of personalities of some sort. We notice that the unclean spirits recognized Jesus as being God's Son and spoke intelligently to Him.
When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" (Matthew 8:28,29)
The demons recognized Jesus as God's Son and spoke to Him concerning the coming Day of Judgment. It is obvious to me that the demons are not inanimate principles of sin or chemical substances,.
God's first concern is man's obedience. God requires absolute obedience. We pray for that, don't we. "Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on the earth as it is in Heaven."
I believe when leading someone to Christ we ought to emphasize that Jesus is our Lord as well as Savior. People often are glad to have their sins forgiven. But the prospect of doing the will of Christ may not be as pleasant to them.
The problem with the people of the world is that they build and operate their lives according to their self-will instead of according to God's will. This is why the world is in the present turmoil.
The same is true of most Christians. They build and operate their lives according to their self-will instead of according to God's will. This is why it is difficult for them to overcome the sins dwelling in their flesh.
I think most Christians are of the opinion that when they die, or are caught up into Heaven in an unscriptural "rapture," and their spirit enters the spirit world, their problem with sin is over.
While the sin that was resident in their now-dead flesh no longer is a problem (I guess), there still is the question of their character.
It appears that numerous Christians in America are casual in their service to Christ. It could not be said of them that they are presenting their body to God as a living sacrifice. And this is not because of the unclean spirits in their flesh but because of the kind of character they have. They basically are disobedient to God. They have not chosen to serve the Lord Jesus.
It could not be said of them that they are being transformed by the renewing of their mind, in view of the abundance of time they spend on the worldly media.
It could not be said of them that they deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow the Lord Jesus in humble obedience. It may be true that they do not even know what the will of Christ is for them.
It could not be said of them that they faithfully are operating a gift of the Spirit in order to build up the members of the Body of Christ.
It could not be said of them that they have placed their treasures in Heaven.
It could not be said of them that they strive each day to put off the old adamic nature and are putting on the new Nature of Christ.
Now, think about this.
Christians believe that when they enter the spirit world they will have no problem with a sinful nature. On what passage of the Bible do they base this hope?
The truth is, the act of dying does not change our character. How could it? If we are a lazy, disobedient servant, as in the case of the man who buried his talent, will Christ change our character so it is like His?
If we have followed Christ far off in the present world, is it likely that when we die we will become a fervent disciple, waiting patiently to hear and obey Christ's every utterance? Will we be placed with Isaiah, Moses, Jeremiah, the Apostle Paul, and the martyr, Stephen?
Next Part Does this seem likely to you?