Character: Closing the Gap

Introduction

Character:

In fiction

“He/She is a real character”

Brittanica dictionary: “The way some one thinks, feels and behaves; someone’s personality.

In our culture, we often say that’s just so and so, or how I am.

While this maybe true to some degree what happens if it’s not in line with what God would want of us.

This seems to take out the need for or the possibility of change.

Personalities - help ful tool but we need to remember that all aspects of life is affected by sin

One of my struggles in previous ministries was the division between who I was and who I was suppose to be.

The word “character” in Greek is exactly the same as in English. Originally it was the name given to a sculptor’s tool—the forming chisel used in the development of the Greek statuary. Gradually the word broadened in its meaning to include not only the tool used, but the tooling process, the formation or shaping of the sculptures. Gradually also it came to signify the peculiarities or characteristics of a piece of sculpture. The word today in its English usage had reached a still higher plane and associates itself with the Divine character, which is the perfect example, and with humanity as it possesses more or less of the Divine characteristics.

When St. Paul writes in Hebrews 1:3 of Christ’s being the “express image” of the Father’s person, the phrase “express image,” in the Greek is the word character. (exact representation)

And so character is: walking with God to close the gap between who we are and who we are in Christ.

Read Col 3:1-17

I. Closing the Gap

Scripture is clear that even after we put our faith in Christ there is a gap between who we are as shown in our actions and who we are in Christ

Rom 7 is an example

Here Pauls says it this way in vs 9-11

After calling the Colossians to put to death earthly things in them he says that the reason is because they have put off the old self and put on the new self.

So there’s a sense in which through faith in Christ we are already new

But he goes on to say this new self is being renewed in knowledge after the image of it’s creator, speaking of Christ

Paul’s words here should cause us to flash back to Gen 1-3 and God’s creation of Adam in His image

Gen 3 is the account of that image becoming marred

Paul says it this way in Romans

Romans 5:12–14 ESV

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.

Jesus is the means of returning to what God had created Adam to be

we are in Christ now freed to be changed in to the image of our creator, Jesus

this is not we are to become little gods but we are to become like Christ in his character

A person of character is compassionate, kind, humble, meek and patient, forgiving and ultimately shows love as Christ has loved us

This is our motivation

II. Motivation

vs 12

Chosen - individual vs corporate

called to be his people

Paul is clear this is not a replacement of Israel but as Gentiles we are added (grafted in)

And so as God’s people we are called out (from other nations/peoples) and set apart

We are his holy nation as Peter calls us

And we are his children(beloved)

our faith in Christ has fully transformed our standing and relationship with God

Romans 5:1–2 ESV

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

vs 9-10

These are the reason for, the motivation for seeking to follow, and to join God in closing the gap

How do we do this?

III. Focus

Abiding in Christ

vs 1-4

seek things above

set your minds on things above

It’s about our focus

because this is your reality and life now (vs 3-4)

And so through God’s word, prayer/fasting and spiritual disciplines we put our focus on Christ, the gospel and eternity

But it also comes as we learn to walk in obedience

IV. Old to New

Paul lays out as Peter does in 2 Peter 1 that we must participate but also begin to live out of what God has done for us in Christ and who we are in light of that.

In the Spirit’s transformation of us we must begin to walk in obedience - put on

Peter says add to your faith

put to death earthly - put on....the heavenly

The earthly things are selfish and destructive

put to death earthly - put on....the heavenly

James 3:14–15 ESV

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

The heavenly nature is to be selfless and bring life

This is the return to what God called Adam to be

Genesis 1:28 ESV

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

And so our obedience is the means by which we show a surrendered life

And a surrendered life leads us more and more to become who Christ has made us

We have to let go and trust and then step out into who we already are.

Conclusion