Cultivating Christian Character

ATTRIBUTION/CREDITS “Essential Virtues – Marks of the Christ-Centered Life” Written by: Jim Berg Copyright: 2008 by BJU Press

Groundwork for Christian Character Previously... Groundwork for Christian Character Cultivating Goodness (Excellence) Cultivating Knowledge

Backbone of Christian Character Previously... Backbone of Christian Character Cultivating Self-control Cultivating Endurance Cultivating Godliness

Trademark of Christian Character Previously... Trademark of Christian Character Cultivating Brotherly Kindness Christian’s affection for other Christians See beyond our differences to our similarities

Last Week – Love The power to love the unlovable Sacrificial intentionality A state of mind toward all men that is willing to act in their best interest even if it means personal sacrifice

“Best interest” means directed primarily at their spiritual needs Last Week – Love “Best interest” means directed primarily at their spiritual needs Can include material, social, physical needs too

God’s mission of love is the mature Christian’s mission Last Week – Love God’s mission of love is the mature Christian’s mission To redeem and restore fallen man to the likeness of His Son to the praise of His glory (ref Gal 2:20)

Last Week – Love Not just doing good deeds Love means being a disciple of Jesus and a disciple-maker for Jesus Love is God-imitating, mission minded, and sacrificial

Last Week – Love How do we cultivate this God-imitating, mature sacrificial intentionality? Continuously cultivating all the previous virtues

This Week… Integrity—Putting it All Together 3 Core Values The Core Value of Commitment to Christ

Loving God with my Whole Heart Loving Others as Myself   The Groundwork for Christlike Character (v. 5) The Backbone of Christlike Character (v. 6) The Trademark of Christlike Character (v. 7) Saving FAITH SELF-CONTROL BROTHERLY KINDNESS Being a "partaker of the divine nature" through the righteousness of Jesus Christ Cultivating a God-empowered mastery of my internal desires Cultivating a God-engendered affection for and service to those in the "household of faith" EXCELLENCE ENDURANCE LOVE ESSENTIAL VIRTUES Cultivating a God-mandated purpose to develop and display the excellencies (character) of Jesus Christ Cultivating a God-sustained faithfulness under external pressure Cultivating a God-imitating mindset that scripturally and sacrificially meets the spiritual needs of others KNOWLEDGE GODLINESS Cultivating a God-taught understanding of the person, the work, and the ways of Jesus Christ Cultivating a God-honoring devotion to Jesus Christ that promises righteousness and opposes evil COMMITMENT to Christ COURAGE for Christ COMPASSION like Christ CORE VALUES These traits produce a whole-hearted disciple who chooses the appeals and ideals of Christ and rejects the appeals and ideals of the world These traits produce a brave-hearted disciple who advances Christ and His ways and opposes evil in himself and others regardless of risk to himself These traits produce a tender-hearted disciple-maker who seeks the lost and who by his example and effort disciples others to live a Christ-centered life

VIDEO

Integrating it All Looked at 7 essential virtues So what? To what end? Cultivating these virtues help us build core values These core values lead to an integrated Christian character

Integrating it All Values = ? Something that’s important to us, worth something From virtues Peter tells us to cultivate we can develop/ lock in on 3 core values

Integrating it All Commitment Courage Compassion Wholeheartedness of a Christian’s life Courage Brave-heartedness of a Christian’s life Compassion Tenderheartedness of a Christian’s life

Integrity – this term threw me… Integrating it All Developing these 3 core values (by cultivating the 7 virtues) molds the character of Christian integrity Integrity – this term threw me…

Integrating it All When I think of integrity, this definition comes first to mind “Firm adherence to a code of (especially) moral values; incorruptibility” Well yeah, but there’s more to cultivating Christian character than mere moral values…

Integrating it All Took me half the video and a dictionary to understand what the author’s getting at Integrity in this case means “the quality or state of being complete or undivided; completeness”

Integrating it All Now I get it! As we cultivate these 7 essential virtues, we apply them to develop our core values of Christian character When we bring these core Christian values together, when we integrate them, we cultivate/nurture our complete Christian character

Integrating it All To possess true Christian character a believer must have Christian integrity – the complete and whole package (think integration of the whole) This is the believer Peter describes in 1 Pet 1:8 “For if you possess these qualities (virtues) in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Integrating it All Core Value – Commitment Commitment to Christ is the foundation to Christian character Arête (excellence) and knowledge are the virtues that develop commitment to Christ

Putting Jesus Christ at the center of your life Integrating it All What is commitment? Putting Jesus Christ at the center of your life How you doing on this one? This is NOT EASY!

Integrating it All Putting Jesus Christ at the center of your life is NOT our natural tendency We want the world to revolve around us Our dis-integration began in Eden

Integrating it All But that’s the beauty of the Gospel… Jesus paid the full price for all of us who chose to put ourselves at the center of our lives He restored His rightful place as the center of all things

Integrating it All So that’s where we have to begin in developing our core value of commitment… We must acknowledge the centrality of Jesus in ALL things (and then live like it!) Do that by cultivating arête and a deep knowledge of Jesus

Integrating it All Big picture? Why are we here? Cultivate Christian Character Foundation – Commitment to Christ He must be the center of your life Your motivation? His work on the cross

How’s your commitment to Christ? Integrating it All How’s your commitment to Christ? What can you/will you do this week to deepen it?

Integrity—Putting it All Together The Core Value of Courage for Christ Next Week… Integrity—Putting it All Together The Core Value of Courage for Christ