Service God using us Series Month June Character of the Spirit

Noel Merrick

Service God using us Series 3a Month June Character of the Spirit • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

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Spiritual Character

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Character is your response for God's love to you, working in and through you!

Real, authentic Christian character is formed when you surrender to Christ and allow His piercing work to grow and enrich you, so that the Spirit flows.

Building and developing character is not something we just learn from a book or hear from a sermon. It does not come upon us in the night, or sneak up in the day. It does not come automatically, accentually, or suddenly. It is a process that comes from being parented in it. Then it rests in us and in our motives. It is a slow process. You may not realize you have it until others point it out in you. Character is not permanent once it is formed. It requires our continual hold and practice, in His Word, through our prayers and the practice of His Fruit in and through us.

Our spiritual discipline, motives, obedience, and persevering faith will be the keys! All it takes is to be in love with Christ. Seek His presence and be persistent in your prayers.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

What is Character?

This serves as the introduction to our series on Spiritual Character!

Character is the springboard from which all we do and say in life comes. Developing biblical character in the face of our daily lives and even in adversity is essential and the proof text that we have a growing relationship with Christ!

Character is not just having integrity or honesty or doing the right thing; it is not one aspect or even a few. It is a living, growing relationship in Christ which produces a synergistic combination of the fruits of the Spirit.

What about Accountability? Understanding and Developing Christian Accountability

Accountability is a check and balance system to protect us from harm from ourselves and others. We do this by being open to what we are thinking and doing so we can receive encouragement and reproof, when needed. Christian accountability is accounting for what we are up to.

It is the realization that we are liable, responsible, and answerable for our actions in life to God, as well as to key Christians in our life. Thus, we need to hold to our beliefs and keep in line with what we believe so it does not distract us from God's path for us or discourage others from their path.

Accountability Questions Here are some key Accountability questions you can ask yourself and/or have a mentor ask you. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. -

Holding onto Character

Character comes from our response to faith by godly living, and exercising out our faith with trust and obedience, whatever we face! It is not looking at our situation; rather, it is looking to God. God desires and deserves our whole-hearted loyalty, allegiance, trust, obedience, and devotion; so, what is stopping you?

The Importance of Character

Character is fueled by the power of the Spirit empowering us so we can model the character of Christ. Real authentic character is being surrendered to Christ and allowing His work to grow and enrich us, so the Spirit flows. Character is God's love in and to and through us!

Our spiritual discipline, motives, obedience, and persevering faith will be the key! All it takes is to be in love with Christ. Seek His presence, and be persistent in your prayers.

Whatever happened to Virtue?

We as Christians have to ask ourselves, what is our main reason and purpose? Virtue is not the talk of the town these days; in fact, it is depicted in our culture as weak and useless.

It is the butt of jokes. It is forgotten as part of a perceived bygone era filled with contempt and arrogance.

To be a person of character is to be alone and endure criticism by the world and even by some so-called Christians. Virtue calls us to a higher level where few people desire to go, because it is an assault against the self-will.

It flies in the face of what we expect and desire to do and to be. People today do not see the relativism or purpose of virtue.

Biblical curriculums to help us in knowing and developing Character

The Character of Integrity

The Character of Integrity Will produce honor, truth, and reliability. The Character of Forgiving The realization of how much we have been forgiven by Christ.The Character of Humility Minimizes arrogance and removes pride.The Character of Fairness Sees a situation from the viewpoint of each person involved. The Character of Courage Realizes that God has given us the strength The Character of Friendship Is the companionship and closeness we are to have with one another.The Character of Honesty Means being straight and doing what is right.The Character of Dependability Is being constantly reliable and trustworthy.The Character of Gratitude Is an aspect of worship, expressing to God.The Character of Responsibility Means to know and do what God expects.The Character of Contentment Is the attitude of accepting whatever God provides.The Character of Generosity Allows us to give to others because God has given abundantly to us.The Character of Purity Means being set apart for God's use.The Character of Confidence Enables us to rely on the Lord for all things in our life.The Character of Encouragement Will lift, support, and help others through difficult circumstances.The Character of Availability Is being willing to adjust our own schedule and agenda.The Character of Attentiveness Will recognize the value of other people. The Character of Wisdom Truly desires the knowledge of God's Word. The Character of Compassion Will allow us to feel the pain and plight of others.The Character of Enthusiasm Will enable us to overcome disappointments.The Character of Initiative Will help power us though set backs.The Character of Diligence Allows us to operate with our best for His highest. The Character of Thoughtfulness Considers others and gives attention. The Character of Efficiency Means being well organized and competent.The Character of Discretion Keeps our minds and focus on sound judgment. The Character of Optimism is a heartfelt confidence that everything will come out for the best.The Character of Obedience Is submitting to what God requires of us.The Character of Reverence Is the true response that leads to worship.The Character of Honor Means being polite and courteous.The Character of Determination Is the ability to make difficult decisions.The Character of Hospitality Is a willingness to share what God has given us.The Character of Loyalty Is developing allegiance and respect. The Character of Servant Leadership Is exercising real, godly leadership.The Character of Cautiousness Is being discerning so we do not rush into things.The Character of Boldness Is our willingness to venture out and do the right thing. The Character of Flexibility Is being open to the plans and ideas of others. The Character of Punctuality Respects the time of others.The Character of Anger Anger can be a solution or a real problem.The Character of Virtue Is the application of being good. The Character of Discipline Allows us to be corrected by God.The Character of Persuasiveness Advocates God's Word to others.The Character of Appreciation Is having admiration for others.The Character of Listening Means to pay attention and close our mouths.The Character of Childlike Faith Is the wonder and awe at what Christ did for us.The Character of Purpose Means knowing who we are in Christ.The Character of Teachability Being a learner and to pass it on. The Character of Devotion Is being devoted to Christ.The Character of Godliness The act of being pious and living a good.The Character of Discernment To give wise judgment in decisions.The Character of Communication Is being willing to convey our honest thoughts.The Character of Tolerance Is the recognizing and respecting of others.The Character of Righteousness Is defined as conformity to God's Law.Character of Patriotism Is defined as the loyalty and honor of one's nationality. The Character of Citizenship Is our social conscientiousness in action.The Character of Failure Exhibits an attitude to learn from ones setbacks.The Character of Success The pursuit of the maximum utilization of our gifts, abilities, and talents. The Character of Perseverance Is having confidence in God so we trust Him in difficult situations and achieve... More character studies are on there

Will produce honor, truth, and reliability.

Is the Character of Integrity working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Integrity from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself:

1. How do I exhibit Integrity in my daily life?

2. How can I better develop a willingness to possess more Integrity?

3. What blocks Integrity from working and being exhibited in me?

4. How can I make Integrity function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainty and stress?

· Here are positive examples from Scripture: ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

Genesis 12:18–20 KJV 1900

And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had.

Genesis 18:19 KJV 1900

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Genesis 31:39 KJV 1900

That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night.

Deuteronomy 18:19 KJV 1900

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

1 Samuel 12:1–5 KJV 1900

And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you. And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. And he said unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness.

2 Kings 12:15 KJV 1900

Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.

2 Kings 22:4–7 KJV 1900

Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people: And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the Lord: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the Lord, to repair the breaches of the house, Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house. Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

Job 1:8 KJV 1900

And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?

Daniel 3:16–28 KJV 1900

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellers, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

Daniel 6:4 KJV 1900

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

Malachi 2:6 KJV 1900

The law of truth was in his mouth, And iniquity was not found in his lips: He walked with me in peace and equity, And did turn many away from iniquity.

Acts 23:1–3 KJV 1900

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?

Romans 9:1 KJV 1900

I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,

2 Corinthians 4:2 KJV 1900

But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.

1 Thessalonians 2:3–12 KJV 1900

For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile: But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

· Here are negative examples from Scripture: ; ; ; ; ;

Joshua 7:11–26 KJV 1900

Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you. In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes: and it shall be, that the tribe which the Lord taketh shall come according to the families thereof; and the family which the Lord shall take shall come by households; and the household which the Lord shall take shall come man by man. And it shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel. So Joshua rose up early in the morning, and brought Israel by their tribes; and the tribe of Judah was taken: And he brought the family of Judah; and he took the family of the Zarhites: and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man; and Zabdi was taken: And he brought his household man by man; and Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken. And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it. So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it. And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the Lord. And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.

1 Kings 21:2–16 KJV 1900

And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness against him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

Matthew 23:1–39 KJV 1900

Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon. And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city: That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Acts 8:18–23 KJV 1900

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

Acts 23:12–15 KJV 1900

And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would inquire something more perfectly concerning him: and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him.

1 Timothy 1:18–20 KJV 1900

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

The character of integrity exhibits the obedience and practice of the moral code of ethics, morals, values, and precepts from God's Word. In

practice, integrity will produce honor, truth, and reliability. It will allow one to keep his or her word and do the best even when no one else is aware.

This is essential for deeper relationships, and of course for developing other people's confidence in you and Christianity (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; , , ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; )!

Psalm 15 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David. Lord, Who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh the truth in his heart. He that backbiteth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his neighbour, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; But he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. He that putteth not out his money to usury, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

Psalm 78:72 KJV 1900

So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

Proverbs 2:1–11 KJV 1900

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, And liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, And searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. He keepeth the paths of judgment, And preserveth the way of his saints. Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, And equity; yea, every good path. When wisdom entereth into thine heart, And knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; Discretion shall preserve thee, Understanding shall keep thee:

Micah 6:8 KJV 1900

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; And what doth the Lord require of thee, But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God?

Luke 3:13–14 KJV 1900

And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you. And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

Luke 6:31 KJV 1900

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luke 11:42 KJV 1900

But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Romans 13:5 KJV 1900

Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

Romans 14:5 KJV 1900

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Romans 14:14 KJV 1900

I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

Romans 14:22 KJV 1900

Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

Ephesians 6:6 KJV 1900

Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Philippians 4:8 KJV 1900

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Colossians 3:22–23 KJV 1900

Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God: And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

1 Timothy 1:5 KJV 1900

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

1 Timothy 3:9 KJV 1900

Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

Titus 1:7–8 KJV 1900

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

James 1:9–11 KJV 1900

Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

1 Peter 2:12 KJV 1900

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

1 Peter 3:16 KJV 1900

Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

2 Peter 1:5–11 KJV 1900

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Hypocrisy, Dishonesty, Duplicity, and Corruption are the opposites of God's call!

When we carry out these evil traits or do not keep our word, we are misrepresenting Christ's good name and are defiling Him with our feeble words and/or excuses. Hypocrisy gives people a false impression of God and His Church! Insincerity gives people a false impression of who we are called to be; it nullifies integrity and character!

Further Questions

1. How would you define or explain integrity to someone who does not understand it?

2. What part does integrity play in your relationships with fellow church members, friends, coworkers, and family? What would or could block you from acting with integrity?

3. How does dishonesty counteract integrity? What is the cost to the Kingdom of God when we Christians do not keep our word?

4. What happens to your relationship with God, with others, and with the opportunities God gives you when you refuse to have integrity?

5. When have you exercised integrity the most? How do you practice integrity?

6.In what situation did you fail to have integrity when you should have?

7. What issue is in your life that would improve with more integrity? Why would a Christian refuse to be consistent with his/her integrity?

8. Think through the steps you need to take to put integrity into action in a specific instance. For example, what can you do to be more consistent and proactive with integrity?

What can you do to be a person who is focused on integrity?

What can your church do to instill and teach that integrity is essential for the person who claims Christ as Lord of his or her life?

Integrity is considered the quintessence and application of Character. It is the demonstration of who we are in Christ and that our faith is real and backed up with our attitude and word.

The absence of integrity is an indication that we as Christians are perhaps fakes and frauds at worst, and ineffective and useless at best. It is essential that we pursue integrity and His transforming work to make His Name real and shown ().

Jesus calls us to integrity, which means we are to be true to our word as a testimony to our faith in Him. We are not to be worldly with our words or the veracity of our virtue and character. Everything we do as a child of God must be in integrity, truthfulness, and honesty, as we are representing Him who is living in us!

Consistent integrity is essential for the person who claims Christ as Lord of his or her life! So, the question is, are you a person of integrity?

When we say we follow Christ and His Word, do our actions show that we do? If not, we are being a Pharisee (they are not fair, you see), which is being a hypocrite.

This is reprehensible before our Lord and others around us because we are misrepresenting Christ and His character! Thus, it is imperative that when we say we are followers of Christ, our character and behavior reflect Him and His call to the best of our abilities.

If we are in leadership, this is even more imperative. We demonstrate integrity when we do what we say and act out what we believe; if not, we are a fraud, and woe to us for being one!

The Bible calls us to a higher level of excellence than that of others around us¾one of truth, love, honesty, and functionality.

This is integrity in action; it is the implementation of His Ways in the practice of our daily Christian lives. We are adhering to His rules, morals, and principles ().

Zechariah 8:16–17 KJV 1900

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the Lord.

This means we, as people of the faith, will place character, without excuse, ahead of our ambition. Most of all, we will have the focus to glorify God and not ourselves. In so doing, we will be doing the right thing all the time with no guilt or fear and nothing to hide.

So, we do what we say we will do from the practice of God's Truth and Character that He has for us. We must be willing to do this regardless of our comfort, convenience, challenge, or controversy¾without excuses.

(In addition, to do what is contrary to His Word and say we must do it because we said we would for integrity's sake is also evil). His ways give us meaning, and leading a righteous life gives us satisfaction.

We become a Christian by the work of the Spirit. But, our maturity in Christ and how we practice our faith is determined by the choices we make from the conviction and confidence of our beliefs. We choose to take the faith He gives and make it more real and effective.

We choose to make the right choices or not, so we have no excuse when our life is messed up by neglect or poor choices. Yes, we have forgiveness and grace, but we are still left with a life that could have been so much more. So, we have to make the determination and be willing to align our lives to His Word and precepts so our behaviors represent who we are in Christ.

After that, we need to be more conscious of the decisions we make, both large and small, without the compromise of solid ethics. We must also be on guard with people who will do all they can to try to convince us to give up our integrity and character.

There will be appealing arguments, passionate pleas, peer pressure, rationizations, and ridicule on a personal level for why we do not need integrity (, , ; ).

Job 2:3 KJV 1900

And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

Job 2:9 KJV 1900

Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

Proverbs 29:10 KJV 1900

The bloodthirsty hate the upright: But the just seek his soul.

1 Corinthians 15:33 KJV 1900

Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Do not fret or despair when others come against you (and they will), when you stand up for truth, or when you keep your word; because of your integrity, you will be doing the right thing and you will be rewarded (, , ).

1 Kings 9:4–5 KJV 1900

And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.

Nehemiah 7:2 KJV 1900

That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many.

Psalm 41:11–12 KJV 1900

By this I know that thou favourest me, Because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, And settest me before thy face for ever.

So, let us, without regret, lead lives that are worthy. Our call is to do as we teach, to do as we say, and to act as we teach others to act. Integrity is of the utmost importance for the Christian (; )! Why?

Exodus 8:28–32 KJV 1900

And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me. And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

1 Thessalonians 2:10–12 KJV 1900

Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe: As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.

Because God is righteous and just, and wants us to be our best in this area, too. The reason the Pharisees are equated with hypocrisy is that they were worshipping not the God of the Jews and the Law, but a made-up god that suited their own thoughts, schemas, and pride.

They also covered truth and integrity with their hidden agendas and deceit (; ; ; )! The fuel that will enable us to maintain our integrity is our understanding of "fullness."

Psalm 103:1–14 KJV 1900

Bless the Lord, O my soul: And all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord executeth righteousness And judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. He will not always chide: Neither will he keep his anger for ever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, So great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, So the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

Matthew 23 KJV 1900

1 Timothy 3:2–7 KJV 1900

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

1 Peter 5:10 KJV 1900

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

This is knowing who we are in Christ, and what He did for us on the Cross-that we are complete in Him! Then, we can be better able to comprehend that the Word of God is our authority. All you do, as a Christian, is a response to what He has first done in you.

Couple that with the application of His Word, and it will instigate the right mark and practice of our behaviors. This is our integrity.

The willingness to model Christ's character is far more vital for us today than the willingness to just preach it.

God want us to be authentic-not pretentious¾because we are the Bible that non-Christians read ()!

2 Corinthians 8:9 KJV 1900

For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

The Character of Humility

Is the Character of Humility working in you?

Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and fruit of Humility from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself:

How do I exhibit Humility in my daily life? What can I do to develop a better attitude of Humility? What blocks Humility from working and being exhibited in me? How can I make Humility function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

Humility (; ; ; ; ; ; ) minimizes arrogance and removes pride.

1 Kings 8:58 KJV 1900

That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.

Psalm 25 KJV 1900

A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, Let not mine enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: Let them be ashamed which transgress without cause. Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: For thou art the God of my salvation; On thee do I wait all the day. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; For they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: According to thy mercy remember thou me For thy goodness’ sake, O Lord. Good and upright is the Lord: Therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: And the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth Unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. For thy name’s sake, O Lord, Pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose. His soul shall dwell at ease; And his seed shall inherit the earth. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; And he will shew them his covenant. Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; For he shall pluck my feet out of the net. Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; For I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. Look upon mine affliction and my pain; And forgive all my sins. Consider mine enemies; for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. O keep my soul, and deliver me: Let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; For I wait on thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.

Luke 22:27 KJV 1900

For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.

Colossians 1:18 KJV 1900

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Philippians 2:8 KJV 1900

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

James 4:6 KJV 1900

But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

1 Peter 5:3–5 KJV 1900

Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

It is the understanding of our fallen nature and weaknesses that causes us to think we are better than we are, and that causes us to strive to lift ourselves above others and God. It is admitting that others, and most importantly God, are responsible for our achievements. Humbleness will enable us to be a teachable person who is willing to have a good attitude of submission and servant-hood, a person who confesses sin and remembers how Christ served us! Humility is not self-hatred or having a "poor me" attitude.

Arrogance and pride are the opposites.

These are the attitudes that say one is superior to another, even to the extent of the regarding of others with contempt as if they were unworthy of any relation or interaction with us! It lifts our self-interests and our self-sufficiencies, which seem necessary and good. However, when we are self-sufficient, we will not only fail to see our need for redemption, but also fail to see our need for growth in spiritual matters. Therefore, the self becomes the god, and any work of the One True God is muted and put aside.

· Here are positive examples from Scripture (; ; ; ; )

Luke 1:26–56 KJV 1900

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: For, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; And holy is his name. And his mercy is on them that fear him From generation to generation. He hath shewed strength with his arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seats, And exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the hungry with good things; And the rich he hath sent empty away. He hath holpen his servant Israel, In remembrance of his mercy; As he spake to our fathers, To Abraham, and to his seed for ever. And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

Luke 7:1–10 KJV 1900

Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

John 1:19–28 KJV 1900

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 3:28–30 KJV 1900

Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.

Philippians 2:3–11 KJV 1900

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

· Here is are negative examples from Scripture (; ; )

Isaiah 14:12–17 KJV 1900

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; That opened not the house of his prisoners?

Daniel 4:30–34 KJV 1900

The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws. And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

Luke 18:9–14 KJV 1900

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Further Questions

How would you define Humbleness?

What are the things that cause you to be prideful with others?

How does arrogance counteract Humbleness?

What happens to our relationships with God and others when we are arrogant?

When have you been filled with Humbleness the most?

In what situation did you fail to be Humble in which you should have?

What issue is in your life that would improve with more Humbleness?

Think through the steps you need to take to put Humbleness into action in a specific instance such as going to someone who has hurt you, and seek resolution and healing. How can you avoid being a person who is arrogant with others?

Humbleness is how we are to come to the Lord. It shows where our heart is and if we are open to Jesus as Lord and preeminent in our lives, as well as our Savior. It allows us to be accountable, and to honestly assess our actions and performance.

Pride sets us up as a god when there is only One God. God wants our obedience, love, and trust. We cannot do that when we are too full of ourselves! We need to see how harmful and destructive pride and its various forms are in the life of the Christian and the church.

We have to take the initiative to remove our Will and allow the Spirit to break us down. If we do not, we will break down and the church will break down. We cannot be afraid to see things from God's perspective. Neither can we be afraid to allow Him to work in us and grow us for His purpose.

owever, for this to transpire, we have to be humble! We have to allow the Spirit to use our obedience and diligence of study in the Word to develop our spiritual maturity in the nature of God. Yet, most Christians choose to develop their character on how others around them act and their own presumptions of the Christian life rather than in His nature and Word.

Remember; you must ask yourselves, "How do I come to the Lord?" We cannot see the value of nor get a grasp of the promises of God until we humble ourselves. So, surrender your pride and Will to Him. Make the determination to be His, and do not allow your self-will to be in His way! Allow Christ to take you beyond your hopes and dreams ().

John 3:5 KJV 1900

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The Character of Courage

Is the Character of Courage working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and fruit of Courage from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Courage in my daily life? What can I do to develop a better attitude of Courage? What can block Courage from operating from my life? How can I make Courage function better, stronger and faster even in times of uncertainly and stress?

By Dr. Richard J. KrejcirIs the Character of Courage working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and fruit of Courage from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Courage in my daily life? What can I do to develop a better attitude of Courage? What can block Courage from operating from my life? How can I make Courage function better, stronger and faster even in times of uncertainly and stress?

Courage (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) realizes that God has given us the strength to face any situation, trial, or peril.

Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV 1900

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Joshua 1:9 KJV 1900

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

Psalm 23:4 KJV 1900

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Psalm 31:24 KJV 1900

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, All ye that hope in the Lord.

Proverbs 28:1 KJV 1900

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: But the righteous are bold as a lion.

Philippians 4:13 KJV 1900

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV 1900

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 John 4:4 KJV 1900

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

1 John 4:18 KJV 1900

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

It is the ability to react, knowing that God is in control, that He who is in me is greater than he who is against me.

Fear and Cowardice are the opposites. Running from our call because we get some resistance, whether it is sharing the faith or exercising our gifts, dishonors our Lord Jesus Christ!

· Here are positive examples from Scripture (; ; ; )

1 Samuel 17:33–37 KJV 1900

And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

Daniel 3:16–18 KJV 1900

Daniel 6:10–24 KJV 1900

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king’s decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

Acts 4:13–21 KJV 1900

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

· Here is are negative examples from Scripture (; ; )

Numbers 13:27–33 KJV 1900

And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

Matthew 26:69–74 KJV 1900

Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

John 19:12–16 KJV 1900

And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

Further Questions

How would you define Courage?

What are the things that cause you to have fear, especially with others?

How do fear, and being biased, counteract Courage?

What happens to our relationship with God and with others when we are cowardly with others, refusing to take a chance even if it hurts us?

When have you been filled with Courage the most?

In what situation did you fail to be Courageous when you should have?

What issue is in your life that would improve with more Courage?

Think through the steps you need to take to put Courage into action in a specific instance. Such as, how can you do something you are called to do that causes you dread, such as witnessing to a stranger? Consider how much you can grow and learn when you are willing to take a chance now and then, and how much that can influence others around you who struggle with fear!

Courage for the Christian is the motivation to say and do the right thing, regardless of the consequences. We are fueled with courage because God promises to help us and save us because of what Christ has done for us! It is allowing Him to work in us with strength, power, and conviction. Because of our saving faith, we should have the response of gratitude, willing to tell others about what He has done for us and what He can do for them. Fear and trepidations will not go away, but when we lean on Him, He will give us the courage for evangelism and teaching.

Remember; Courage is crucial for sharing the faith, and teaching the truth of Christ. Jesus told us this would not be easy, that we will meet resistance. However, He will give us the faith and courage to prevail (; ; )! All of these characters work together, so being courageous will be within the parameters of love, kindness, and self-control… Being courageous means not doing things stupidly or taking unnecessary chances!

Matthew 24:9 KJV 1900

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

Acts 20:29–30 KJV 1900

For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 KJV 1900

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Here is an excerpt of:

CHRISTIAN COURAGE

By John Piper

Where then shall we get this courage? Consider these pointers.

FROM BEING FORGIVEN AND BEING RIGHTEOUS - "The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion". "Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, 'Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven'" ().

Matthew 9:2 KJV 1900

And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

FROM TRUSTING GOD AND HOPING IN HIM - "Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the LORD" ().

2 Corinthians 3:12 KJV 1900

Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

FROM BEING FILLED WITH SPIRIT - "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness" ().

Acts 4:31 KJV 1900

And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

FROM GOD'S PROMISE TO BE WITH YOU - "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" ().

Joshua 1:9 KJV 1900

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

FROM KNOWING THAT THE ONE WITH YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ADVERSARY: -"Be strong and courageous . . . for the one with us is greater than the one with him. With him is only an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles" ().

2 Chronicles 32:7 KJV 1900

Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

FROM BEING SURE THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER THE BATTLES - "Be strong, and let us show ourselves courageous for the sake of our people and for the cities of our God; and may the LORD do what is good in His sight" ().

2 Samuel 10:12 KJV 1900

Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.

THROUGH PRAYER - "On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul" (; see also ).

Psalm 138:3 KJV 1900

In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, And strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

Ephesians 6:19–20 KJV 1900

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

FROM THE EXAMPLE OF OTHERS - "Most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear" ().

Philippians 1:14 KJV 1900

And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

The Character of Honesty

Is the Character of Honesty & Truthfulness working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and fruit of Honesty from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Honesty in my daily life? What can I do to develop a better attitude of Truthfulness? What blocks me from exercising Honesty? How can I make integrity function better, stronger and faster even in times of uncertainly and stress?

By Dr. Richard J. KrejcirIs the Character of Honesty & Truthfulness working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and fruit of Honesty from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Honesty in my daily life? What can I do to develop a better attitude of Truthfulness? What blocks me from exercising Honesty? How can I make integrity function better, stronger and faster even in times of uncertainly and stress?

Honesty & Truthfulness (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) means being straight and honest with others and doing what is right.

Psalm 15:2 KJV 1900

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh the truth in his heart.

Psalm 25:5 KJV 1900

Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: For thou art the God of my salvation; On thee do I wait all the day.

John 16:6 KJV 1900

But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

John 16:17 KJV 1900

Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?

2 Corinthians 8:21 KJV 1900

Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

Ephesians 4:15 KJV 1900

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

Ephesians 4:25 KJV 1900

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

Philippians 4:8 KJV 1900

This trait will allow us to earn trust by being accurate with facts and situations.

Dishonesty and Lying are the opposites. These rotten fruits will cause us to seek dishonest gain and step on others to get our way. It will allow us to believe "the ends justify the means" when God has the means as His will.

Such as the journey to know God's will is God's will, not just what the goal. is. The way we live our life is more important than the goals we obtain!

· Here are positive examples from Scripture (; ; )

Genesis 31:36–42 KJV 1900

And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff, what hast thou found of all thy household stuff? set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge betwixt us both. This twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day, or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep departed from mine eyes. Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times. Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou hadst sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.

Genesis 43:11–12 KJV 1900

And their father Israel said unto them, If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight:

Matthew 26:59–64 KJV 1900

Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses, And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

· Here is are negative examples from Scripture (; ; ; ; )

Genesis 26:9–11 KJV 1900

And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she is thy wife: and how saidst thou, She is my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her. And Abimelech said, What is this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us. And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

2 Samuel 11:1–27 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

Esther 7:1–10 KJV 1900

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom. Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request: For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage. Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king. Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon. So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

John 12:6 KJV 1900

This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

Acts 5:1–10 KJV 1900

But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

Further Questions

How would you define Honesty? Are you an honest person?

What are the things that cause you to lie to others?

How does being Dishonest counteract Honesty?

What happens to our relationships with God and others when we are Dishonest with others?

When have you been filled with Honesty the most?

In what situation did you fail to be Honest in which you should have?

What issue is in your life that would improve with being more Honest?

Think through the steps you need to take to put Honesty into action in a specific instance. Such as do I really believe that honesty is a virtue, if so how do I apply it in work, friends, church…?

Honesty is holding onto Biblical principles and being consistent with them. This will translate in all of our dealings equaling the hallmark of integrity on how we really are and how we are really perceived.

How we are is how others will perceive Christ, if we are dishonest then, "why should I bother with Christianity," will say the unbeliever. Truthfulness will see truthfulness, which will allow us to see Jesus as worthy of our trust.

His truth points us to the Father (). His truth will give us wisdom (). His truth will make all things work together for our good ().

Matthew 11:27 KJV 1900

All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.

Luke 21:15 KJV 1900

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Romans 8:28 KJV 1900

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Then we will be drawn to truth and truth will spill over from us onto others around us. So let us trust in Him. Follow Him and worship Him.

Remember; Honesty is an essential for us to realize Jesus Christ in our lives and for us to bow down and worship Him.

The Character of Gratitude

Is the Character of Gratitude working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and fruit of Gratitude from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Gratitude in my daily life? What can I do to develop a better attitude of appreciation for what Christ has done for me? What blocks me from having Gratitude? How can I make Gratitude function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

By Dr. Richard J. KrejcirIs the Character of Gratitude working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and fruit of Gratitude from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Gratitude in my daily life? What can I do to develop a better attitude of appreciation for what Christ has done for me? What blocks me from having Gratitude? How can I make Gratitude function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

Gratitude is an attitude of being thankful, even when we do not see what we have.

This is an aspect of worship, expressing to God, and others, how they have benefited our lives by showing them support, appreciation, and benevolence.

Because His blood has redeemed us, we are grateful (; ; ).

Luke 17:11–19 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

1 Corinthians 4:7 KJV 1900

For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV 1900

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Ingratitude, and Disapproval are the opposites. This means the refusal to acknowledge and respond to what Christ has done for us.

This can be a Christian who does little to nothing with their faith and remains in the ways of the world, or just refusing to grow and respond to God.

This places a barrier to seeing the great, incompressible gift of grace we have received, and then refusing, or forgetting, to respond to our Lord.

· Here are positive examples from Scripture (; ; ; ; )

2 Samuel 2:5–7 KJV 1900

And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have shewed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him. And now the Lord shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing. Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant: for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.

Daniel 2:17–23 KJV 1900

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: For wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: He removeth kings, and setteth up kings: He giveth wisdom unto the wise, And knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: He knoweth what is in the darkness, And the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, Who hast given me wisdom and might, And hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

Luke 17:15–18 KJV 1900

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Romans 16:1–12 KJV 1900

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household. Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.

Philippians 1:3–7 KJV 1900

· Here are negative examples from Scripture (; ; ; )

Genesis 31:36–42 KJV 1900

Exodus 17:1–4 KJV 1900

And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink. Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.

Luke 17:11–14 KJV 1900

Luke 17:17 KJV 1900

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

Further Questions

How would you define Gratitude? Are you a person who dispenses Gratitude?

What are the things that cause you to have ingratitude?

How does the lack of Gratitude counteract Gratitude?

What happens to our relationship, with God, and others, when we are disapproving, un-appreciating, and negative with others?

When have you been filled with Gratitude the most?

In what situation did you fail to have Gratitude, when you should have?

What issue is in your life that would improve with being more Grateful?

Think through the steps you need to take to put Gratitude into action in a specific instance. Such as, how would Gratitude improve your worship of our Lord? What do you need to do to realize, to the fullest extent possible, how indebted you are to Christ for your salvation? In addition, because of that, what should be your response to Him and to others around you?

We have been saved by Grace. No work is required from us, so, nothing is needed by us to earn our place in eternity. We have no obligation to respond; however, when we do become Christians by faith alone, a natural response will take place, as depicted in the "Fruits of the Spirit" (), that show our faith to be real and impacting.

Galatians 5:22–23 KJV 1900

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

The main thrust for our fruits and character development is the ability to see what we have in Christ, so we show ourselves thankful. This thankfulness is what motivates us to follow His teachings and precepts for all aspects of our lives, and for them to spill out on those around us.

Although gratitude can mean thankfulness, or to respond to a favor we have received, it is a much deeper response where our hearts are filled with gratitude for the many blessings that God gives, even when they seem small to our wants, or even though we may not be able to see them.

David was a man after God's own heart, and his heart was full of praise to God, even in times of dire stress. He knew what God has done for him. He was the least in his family, and his family the least in his tribe, yet he was chosen to be king. It was something he did not earn or deserve, and even when he sinned, he saw God's Grace restore him (; ).

Psalm 34:1 KJV 1900

I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Psalm 107:15 KJV 1900

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!

As a Christian, we must strive to be more thankful to Him and do our utmost to live up to the call given to us in , "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." We need to have the mindset that we are merely sojourners here on this earth, that is we are just passing through, preparing ourselves for our true home in heaven.

Hebrews 13:15 KJV 1900

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

The result will be a life filled with praise to God, as we will see Him, and not just our circumstances. Perhaps we will then be able to appreciate His goodness to us and have even more praise to and for His name.

This praise will overflow to others instead of the rotten fruits of ! Let our worship be true because of what He has done for us! Let us give our loud expression to Him! Praise God forever and ever ()!

Galatians 5:19–21 KJV 1900

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Psalm 150 KJV 1900

Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: Praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: Praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: Praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: Praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: Praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.

God's plan for us is not just our salvation; it is our growth, too. Do not neglect your growth in Him!

The Character of Contentment

By Dr. Richard J. KrejcirIs the Character of Contentment working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Contentment from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit being Content in my daily life? What can I do to develop a mindset to trust God for all I have and need, thus choosing Contentment, even if I do not understand? What blocks me from being Content? How can I make Contentment function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

Is the Character of Contentment working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Contentment from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit being Content in my daily life? What can I do to develop a mindset to trust God for all I have and need, thus choosing Contentment, even if I do not understand? What blocks me from being Content? How can I make Contentment function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

· Here are positive examples from Scripture (; ; )

Philippians 2:13 KJV 1900

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

1 Timothy 6:6–8 KJV 1900

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

2 Timothy 4:16 KJV 1900

At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

· Here are negative examples from Scripture (; ; )

1 Samuel 13:6–14 KJV 1900

When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. And some of the Hebrews went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling. And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed: but Samuel came not to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. And Saul said, Bring hither a burnt offering to me, and peace offerings. And he offered the burnt offering. And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. And Samuel said, What hast thou done? And Saul said, Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash; Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

Proverbs 18:1 KJV 1900

Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh And intermeddleth with all wisdom.

Luke 10:38–40 KJV 1900

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

Contentment is the attitude of accepting whatever God provides, and being happy with it. It does not seek for gratification what is not needed, and does not seek happiness in the shallow things of life.

When you are more concerned with how others are doing than how you are doing, you will be on the right track. (; ; ; ; ; )

Proverbs 16:9 KJV 1900

A man’s heart deviseth his way: But the Lord directeth his steps.

Proverbs 19:21 KJV 1900

There are many devices in a man’s heart; Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.

Romans 9:19–21 KJV 1900

Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

Philippians 4:10–13 KJV 1900

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

1 Timothy 6:6–9 KJV 1900

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Hebrews 13:5 KJV 1900

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Discontent, Stress, Selfishness and Unhappiness are opposites. Selfish people are never content, because they place too many barriers of desires that can never be gratified.

Contentment cannot become rooted in you if you harbor distrust and stress, as the focus will be on your situation, and not who you are in Christ. Being discontent will prevent the work of God in your heart and your will.

Further Questions

How would you define Contentment? What are the things that cause you to be unhappy and stressed?

How does stress counteract Contentment? What happens to our relationship with God, and with others, when we refuse to trust Christ, choosing, rather, to live in stress and strife?

When have you most been filled with Contentment? In what situation did you fail to be Content when you should have been?

What issue is in your life that would improve with being more Content?

Think through the steps you need to take to put Contentment into action in a specific instance.

Ask yourself, am I satisfied with what I have in life?

Why, or why not? What do you need to do to fully realize God's sovereignty over the universe, including your life?

How can you change your thinking and lifestyle to reflect God's goodness, so you can be happy just having Him in you?

Contentment realizes who we are in Christ, the insurmountable, incredible, and wonderful blessing we have in Grace. It sees the tremendous privilege we have in Him. With this attitude, we are to strive to give glory to our Lord Jesus Christ. With our eyes on Him, our gaze is away from ourselves.

Contentment further acknowledges that we fully belong to God, and He is Sovereign in the universe, so, we can fully trust Him in any situation we find ourselves--period!

We can relinquish control over our lives, and take God seriously in all aspects of our journey here on earth, as Christ is our All in All!

Thus, we can be content with whatever situation He has called us to endure, and with any call He has made for us.

Contentment fuels the work of faith, humility, submission, dependence, and unselfishness, which will produce virtue and patience that sees and feels the work of the Lord.

Consider Paul while he was writing Philippians, Chapter Four. He was in a heinous situation, in prison, tied to the floor, lying in his own excrement.

Where others would see no hope, his focus was on Christ. Paul was content because he knew that the times, the seasons, and the opportunities of life were temporary, completely controlled by God.

All that mattered to him was that God be glorified, and the other people in his life were taken care of (; ). When we really, fully trust in Christ, just as Paul did, we will be a contented Christian.

Philippians 4:10 KJV 1900

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.

Philippians 4:19–23 KJV 1900

But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

If you still feel contentment escaping you, then you also need to realize you must allow the work of the Spirit to flow in and out of you!

Allow Him to reveal your true condition, and surrender your Will to Him.

This means also realizing we are owed nothing, we deserve nothing, due to sin, and, we do not deserve His Grace which we have. If we can seek His Will and contentment by subtracting our desires and Will until we are satisfied only with what Christ brings us, then we will see contentment at work within us.

This contentment will not allow fear to grip us, or seek merely the "here and now" from life, which causes stress and discontent. Rather, we are to seek eternity, with our eyes upon Him.

With the Spirit's work within us, we can appreciate what Christ has done for us, thus not allowing blame and judgmental attitudes to reign in us. We can be flexible in any situation, with a heart filled with gratitude fueling our outlook and focus.

This will keep depression away, too (unless you have chemical imbalances, too)!

Be willing to learn how to share love with others.

When you have others' interests in your mindset, your focus in life will become clear, because contentment is not about ourselves, it is about Christ working in us, and being contagious with His work, so it flows onto others around us (; ; ; ; ).

Galatians 5:13 KJV 1900

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Galatians 6:2 KJV 1900

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:10 KJV 1900

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Ephesians 4:2 KJV 1900

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Ephesians 4:32 KJV 1900

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Do not allow the robber, whether it is your desires, or your situation, steal contentment away ()!

John 10:10 KJV 1900

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

"Contentment is a sweet, inward heart thing. It is a work of the Spirit indoors. It is a box of precious ointment, very comforting and useful for troubled hearts in times of troubled conditions." "It is the inward submission of the heart." Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646)

The essential presence of character will influence how we react in times of stress and confusion.

The Character of Purity

By Dr. Richard J. KrejcirIs the Character of Purity working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Purity from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Purity in my daily life? What can I do to develop an attitude and willingness to pursue Purity? What blocks me from being Pure? How can I make Purity function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

Is the Character of Purity working in you? Here is how you can find out. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Purity from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Purity in my daily life? What can I do to develop an attitude and willingness to pursue Purity? What blocks me from being Pure? How can I make Purity function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

· Here are positive examples from Scripture (; ; ; )

Genesis 39:6–18 KJV 1900

And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured. And it came to pass after these things, that his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master’s wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.

Luke 1:26–37 KJV 1900

John 8:34–47 KJV 1900

Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. I know that ye are Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

1 Corinthians 13 KJV 1900

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

· Here are negative examples from Scripture (; ; ; ; )

Judges 16:1–6 KJV 1900

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her. And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him. And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron. And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver. And Delilah said to Samson, Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee.

Judges 16:15–17 KJV 1900

And she said unto him, How canst thou say, I love thee, when thine heart is not with me? thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth. And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words, and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a rasor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.

2 Samuel 11:1–27 KJV 1900

2 Samuel 13:1–14 KJV 1900

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man. And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister. And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house, and dress him meat. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister. And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.

Matthew 14:1–12 KJV 1900

At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Purity & Holiness (; ; ; ; ) means being set apart for God's use, which is holiness in action. It will keep us from being contaminated by or interfering with others in growth and relationship in Christ.

Matthew 5:8 KJV 1900

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Philippians 4:8 KJV 1900

1 Timothy 1:5 KJV 1900

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

1 Timothy 5:22 KJV 1900

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.

James 4:8 KJV 1900

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

We must see our sins and weaknesses, and be humble before the Holiness of God. We may not be able to overcome all of our sins, but our desire is to go in the right direction.

Impurity, Adulteration, Decadence and Corruption are the opposites. Our human tendency is to persuade others to agree with our views.

This leads to corruption, and all that is evil. God's purpose is to get us in line with His views, which are pure. Yet, so many Christians spend all of their time as pursuers of argumentation and not pursuers of holiness!

Further Questions

How would you define Purity?

Do you strive to keep yourselves pure as a reflection of who Christ is and what He did for you?

How does corruption counteract Purity?

What happens to our relationship with God, and with others, when we become pursuers of strife, rather than pursuers of holiness?

When have you most been filled with Purity?

In what situation did you fail to be Pure when you should have been?

What issue is in your life that would improve with being more Pure?

Think through the steps you need to take to put Purity into action in a specific instance. What is in your life that needs a 180-degree turn, from corruption to holiness?

How can you reject the improper thoughts that come to mind? What do you need to do to place a shield from sin around you, to help you embrace holiness and not cave into temptations?

Holiness equals Pureness; this refers to the God who always does what is right, always, and continually, even if, and when we do not understand it. God's nature is holy, which means He is great and His actions are holy.

This means He is good ().

James 1:17 KJV 1900

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Thus, holiness is what makes Him great and good. The face that God never does what is wrong helps us to trust and rely on Him.

The deeper aspects of the faith are manifested when we start to surrender all to Him ()!

Galatians 2:20–21 KJV 1900

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Because of His perfection and purity, He cannot tolerate any form of sin ()! He is absolutely just in His ability to judge, and is the ultimate 'Promise Keeper' (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).

Habakkuk 1:13 KJV 1900

Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, And canst not look on iniquity: Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, And holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

Genesis 18:25 KJV 1900

That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Psalm 7:11 KJV 1900

God judgeth the righteous, And God is angry with the wicked every day.

Psalm 96:13 KJV 1900

Before the Lord: for he cometh, For he cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the people with his truth.

Acts 17:31 KJV 1900

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

Romans 2:5–16 KJV 1900

But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Romans 7:12 KJV 1900

Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Revelation 16:5–7 KJV 1900

And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Revelation 19:1–4 KJV 1900

And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

This means we have to be perfect.

Now how many of you have ever tried to be perfect for an hour, let alone for a lifetime?

Yet, the great news is this also means He is the ultimate Pardoner of sin, to counteract that hopeless state we should be in from sin!

Holiness is also a call for us to heed and to respond.

We are called to be holy! This means we are different from other people.

We are not better; we are saved by His grace, set apart for His service and glory. Self-righteousness will quickly contaminate holiness in the minds of others who are not there yet.

We are to do our best to understand and learn about Jesus, so we can be more like Him in our character and behaviors, and to reflect what He has given us, because of our gratitude and love. Thus we respond by living a life pleasing to Him.

This is why the work and cross of Christ is so essential for us. Without Jesus, we could never know God, because Jesus covers our sin and allows that separation to become an intimate relationship.

Christ covered us so we are now clean and pure (atonement). Our responsibility is to live a righteous life, which will reflect what Christ has done for us!

We must surrender, and yield ourselves to Him for true freedom (). Pursuing holiness means we live with the knowledge that our sin is covered, it must remain dead (; ), and it is replaced with His fullness (). We can do this by growing in character and living righteously by Christ's example.

Romans 6:1–14 KJV 1900

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Galatians 2:20 KJV 1900

Galatians 3:20 KJV 1900

Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

Ephesians 3:19 KJV 1900

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Our concern and pursuit is to learn and grow in Him in maturity and faith through obedience and the practice of the Christian walk (; ; ). We may not be able to be perfect as He is perfect, but we can strive to do our best by receiving His Spirit and Word and applying it in all aspects of our lives.

2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1 KJV 1900

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Hebrews 12:10–17 KJV 1900

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.

1 John 1:5–2:1 KJV 1900

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

Holiness does not mean we set ourselves apart from others we do not like, or whom we consider sinful, because all of us are sinful.

Remember, Jesus Himself had direct contact with the sinners of His day, and called the worst sinners to spread His Gospel--like Paul.

Yet, we are not to yield to or undertake their sins and temptations.

Being salt without losing our saltiness, and being light that is not under a bowl is being there in love, and caring (Duet. 30:1-10; ; ; ).

Matthew 5–6 KJV 1900

And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Ephesians 4:17–5:14 KJV 1900

This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

1 Peter 1:13–22 KJV 1900

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

So let us go out and live as our life belongs to our Lord, as it does, and strive our best to be our best for His glory!

(; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Ezc. 39:7; ; ; ; ; ; )

Exodus 3:1–6 KJV 1900

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Leviticus 11:44–45 KJV 1900

For I am the Lord your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

Joshua 24:19 KJV 1900

And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.

1 Samuel 2:2 KJV 1900

There is none holy as the Lord: For there is none beside thee: Neither is there any rock like our God.

Psalm 99:1–9 KJV 1900

The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble: He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The Lord is great in Zion; And he is high above all the people. Let them praise thy great and terrible name; For it is holy. The king’s strength also loveth judgment; Thou dost establish equity, Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob. Exalt ye the Lord our God, And worship at his footstool; For he is holy. Moses and Aaron among his priests, And Samuel among them that call upon his name; They called upon the Lord, and he answered them. He spake unto them in the cloudy pillar: They kept his testimonies, and the ordinance that he gave them. Thou answeredst them, O Lord our God: Thou wast a God that forgavest them, Though thou tookest vengeance of their inventions. Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at his holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy.

Isaiah 1:4 KJV 1900

Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, A seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: They have forsaken the Lord, They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, They are gone away backward.

Isaiah 6:1–12 KJV 1900

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; And see ye indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, And make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, And the houses without man, And the land be utterly desolate, And the Lord have removed men far away, And there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

Isaiah 41:14–20 KJV 1900

Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the Lord, And thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: Thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, And shalt make the hills as chaff. Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, And the whirlwind shall scatter them: And thou shalt rejoice in the Lord, And shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel. When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, And their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, And fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, And the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, That the hand of the Lord hath done this, And the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

Isaiah 57:15 KJV 1900

For thus saith the high and lofty One That inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Amos 4:2 KJV 1900

The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness, That, lo, the days shall come upon you, That he will take you away with hooks, And your posterity with fishhooks.

John 17:11 KJV 1900

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

Acts 5:3–4 KJV 1900

But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

Acts 5:32 KJV 1900

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Revelation 4:1–11 KJV 1900

After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Revelation 15:4 KJV 1900

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

You must allow character to speak for you more than what your friends say to you. Friends are vocal, and character is silent!

The Character of Encouragement

Is the Character of Encouragement working in you? Here is how you can know. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Encouragement from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Encouragement to others in my daily life? What can I do to develop an attitude of and willingness to be Encouraging? What blocks me from being an Encourager? How can I make Encouragement function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

By Dr. Richard J. KrejcirIs the Character of Encouragement working in you? Here is how you can know. Take a careful look at this character and Fruit of Encouragement from God's most precious Word by examining the passages below. Now ask yourself: How do I exhibit Encouragement to others in my daily life? What can I do to develop an attitude of and willingness to be Encouraging? What blocks me from being an Encourager? How can I make Encouragement function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainly and stress?

· Here are positive examples from Scripture (; ; ; ; ; ; )

Nehemiah 2:17–20 KJV 1900

Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

1 Samuel 19:1–7 KJV 1900

And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself: And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee. And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good: For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause? And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the Lord liveth, he shall not be slain. And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.

1 Samuel 23:15–18 KJV 1900

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood. And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

Matthew 3:16–17 KJV 1900

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 26:6–13 KJV 1900

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat. But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste? For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor. When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me. For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always. For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.

Luke 3:21–22 KJV 1900

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

Philippians 1:3–11 KJV 1900

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

· Here are negative examples from Scripture (; ,f; ; )

Numbers 13:25–33 KJV 1900

And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

1 Kings 12:20 KJV 1900

And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

1 Samuel 19:8–10 KJV 1900

And there was war again: and David went out, and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter; and they fled from him. And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

Luke 15:25–31 KJV 1900

Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

Encouragement (; ; ; ; ; ; ) will lift, support, and help others through difficult circumstances, all from God's perspective.

Psalm 119:28 KJV 1900

My soul melteth for heaviness: Strengthen thou me according unto thy word.

Psalm 143:3 KJV 1900

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground; He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

Matthew 3:17 KJV 1900

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

John 14:1 KJV 1900

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

Colossians 4:7–8 KJV 1900

All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

1 Thessalonians 5:11–14 KJV 1900

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Hebrews 10:25 KJV 1900

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Being in Christ means living our lives for Him with excitement in all times and all places. This is influence; this is what encourages others.

Withdrawn, Dishearten, Bring down, and Dampen are opposite terms.

These are the rotten fruits that criticize or cut people down, even you! Instead of encouraging one another in our churches, we spend way too much time tearing one another down. We tend to be lazy and rude, as we like to stay away from others' feelings and concerns, seeking only our own.

The Word calls us to inspire and build one another up! We are never to be critical, condescending, or belligerent to others, for this is a slap in the face of our Lord, a misrepresentation of how we are to be to His people and the world. We cannot excite, energize, or influence people by our arrogance!

Further Questions

How would you define Encouragement?

Do you strive to be Encouraging to others as a reflection of who you are in Christ, and what He did for you?

How does Doubt counteract Encouragement? Why is Encouragement something that does not happen as much as it should?

What happens to our relationship with God, and with others, when we become pursuers of self-esteem, rather than Encouragement in Christ?

When have you most been filled with Encouragement?

In what situation did you fail to be Encouraging when you should have been?

What issue is in your life that would improve by your being more Encouraging?

Think through the steps you need to take to put Encouragement into action in a specific instance.

Do people treat you unfairly? Have you ever wondered why?

Well, we live in a fallen world, and we are all filled with sin. Sin affects our relationships, the way you treat others, and the way they treat you. Yet, even in sin, we have the choice to make a difference.

So, what is your choice? When we are Encouragers to others, it does come back to us!

God calls us to encourage people! Tell others what you like about them, or when they are doing something well.

This builds unity and strength that cannot exist with selfish and lone Christians. To life a life that does not touch others positively is a very sad life indeed.

Encouragement is a testament to the importance of Christian influence, and being an attractive person, not in looks, but in character, because we are modeling Christ, being excited about our Lord and others and being joyful.

We must be aware of our weaknesses, and befriend others so we can compliment one another. Attraction is the love of our Lord overfilling us as Christians, to those we are to mobilize and energize.

No matter what the circumstance may be, we are given the gifts and abilities to strive to the fullest for the Glory of God, so the Gospel will persevere, even in the harshest circumstances, in the world, and the neighborhood by your home.

The principles of the Gospel must impact us so we are influenced and energized by them. If us Christians are not excited, the message will drop off, and fall flat.

The hearer will not desire something irrelevant and unexciting. If they see no excitement in us, why would they want to be a part of it? The nature of the Christian life is the joy and excitement of being in Christ over all else, and this should be the biggest motivation.

So, the excitement comes from our growth, then it becomes contagious to those around us; this is influence in action.

Paul's language in the Epistles with dear brother shows the love and respect they had for each other, the kind of positive relationship that is so lacking in our world and churches these days.

We are called to this quality relationship, but so often place our baggage, our needs, in the path Christ has for us. Being a loyal servant of the Lord must impact us with passion and energize us to pass it to others; if not, there is something wrong. There are always peaks and valleys in the Christian walk.

We are not always in the up-key mode, but this should not mute the passion we have for Christ.

We must press on and reboot ourselves when we get in those valleys, so we can rise to the challenge and follow through with the excitement of His Good News. In that way, we can come along side others, and give them the lift they need with kind words, help, and a listening ear.

Encouragement is the fruit of the mature walk of the Christian life. This will empower us to uplift one another and not put down. It is the immature and ungodly individual that constantly puts down his fellow Christian, and a despicable and repulsive Christian who does it to the unbeliever.

This is the reason for the horrible reputation we Christians have in society. Can you imagine Christ putting people down with insults so as to uplift Himself? Absolutely not! When we are called to model His character, and are created in the image of God, then we are to model that essence and attribute of our Lord.

The effective Christian will have the ability to attract people for the Lord's service and be willing and able to show the way of discipleship with enthusiasm. He will enable others with love, care, and the fruits of good character!

The church leaders will be able to uplift others through mentoring, with the primary focuses on how to glorify Christ and what is best for the Lord's church.

It is His church, not ours! The ability to Encourage is born from the desire to please God, and carrying that passion to others.

Remember, when we treat others well, they usually reciprocate by treating us well, too.

Service God using us Series Month June Character of the Spirit

Spiritual Character

Character is your response for God's love to you, working in and through you!

Our spiritual discipline, motives, obedience, and persevering faith will be the keys! All it takes is to be in love with Christ. Seek His presence and be persistent in your prayers.

What is Character?

This serves as the introduction to our series on Spiritual Character!

What about Accountability? Understanding and Developing Christian Accountability

Accountability Questions Here are some key Accountability questions you can ask yourself and/or have a mentor ask you. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. -

Holding onto Character

The Importance of Character

Our spiritual discipline, motives, obedience, and persevering faith will be the key! All it takes is to be in love with Christ. Seek His presence, and be persistent in your prayers.

Whatever happened to Virtue?

Biblical curriculums to help us in knowing and developing Character

The Character of Integrity

Will produce honor, truth, and reliability.

1. How do I exhibit Integrity in my daily life?

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2. How can I better develop a willingness to possess more Integrity?

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3. What blocks Integrity from working and being exhibited in me?

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4. How can I make Integrity function better, stronger, and faster, even in times of uncertainty and stress?

The character of integrity exhibits the obedience and practice of the moral code of ethics, morals, values, and precepts from God's Word. In

Hypocrisy, Dishonesty, Duplicity, and Corruption are the opposites of God's call!

Further Questions

1. How would you define or explain integrity to someone who does not understand it?

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2. What part does integrity play in your relationships with fellow church members, friends, coworkers, and family? What would or could block you from acting with integrity?

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3. How does dishonesty counteract integrity? What is the cost to the Kingdom of God when we Christians do not keep our word?

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4. What happens to your relationship with God, with others, and with the opportunities God gives you when you refuse to have integrity?

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5. When have you exercised integrity the most? How do you practice integrity?

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6.In what situation did you fail to have integrity when you should have?

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7. What issue is in your life that would improve with more integrity? Why would a Christian refuse to be consistent with his/her integrity?

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8. Think through the steps you need to take to put integrity into action in a specific instance. For example, what can you do to be more consistent and proactive with integrity?

The Character of Humility

Is the Character of Humility working in you?

Humility (; ; ; ; ; ; ) minimizes arrogance and removes pride.

Arrogance and pride are the opposites.

Further Questions

The Character of Courage

Courage (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) realizes that God has given us the strength to face any situation, trial, or peril.

Fear and Cowardice are the opposites. Running from our call because we get some resistance, whether it is sharing the faith or exercising our gifts, dishonors our Lord Jesus Christ!

Further Questions

CHRISTIAN COURAGE

The Character of Honesty

Honesty & Truthfulness (; ; ; ; ; ; ; ) means being straight and honest with others and doing what is right.

Dishonesty and Lying are the opposites. These rotten fruits will cause us to seek dishonest gain and step on others to get our way. It will allow us to believe "the ends justify the means" when God has the means as His will.

Further Questions

The Character of Gratitude

Gratitude is an attitude of being thankful, even when we do not see what we have.

Ingratitude, and Disapproval are the opposites. This means the refusal to acknowledge and respond to what Christ has done for us.

Further Questions

The Character of Contentment

Contentment is the attitude of accepting whatever God provides, and being happy with it. It does not seek for gratification what is not needed, and does not seek happiness in the shallow things of life.

When you are more concerned with how others are doing than how you are doing, you will be on the right track. (; ; ; ; ; )

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Discontent, Stress, Selfishness and Unhappiness are opposites. Selfish people are never content, because they place too many barriers of desires that can never be gratified.

Further Questions

The Character of Purity

Further Questions

The Character of Encouragement

Encouragement (; ; ; ; ; ; ) will lift, support, and help others through difficult circumstances, all from God's perspective.

Withdrawn, Dishearten, Bring down, and Dampen are opposite terms.

Further Questions