2. Overview to resist temptations Empowers Empowers in right relationships Expressed Expressed as peace and joy Experienced Experienced as agape actions Explained Explained of Christian character Essence Essence LOVE

3. Introduction Character Defined You are a news reporter. Your present assignment is to film James for a week to see whether or not he has Christian character. What kinds of things would you consider as evidence that he (a) has Christian character or (b) does not have Christian character? Character Developed You find James to be such a model Christian that you wish to be more like him, to respond to character tests more the way he did. What steps would you take to facilitate the growth of better character in your own life?

4. Overview Christian Character Defined We shall explore the biblical answer to the question “what is Christian character?” Christian Character Developed We see Bible’s unusual answer to the practical question “how do we get it?”

5. 1. Defined model 1. Christ is the model God wants us to be like him. Jesus is exactly like God. God wants us to be like Jesus. manifestation 2. Love is the manifestation God wants us to be like him. God is love. God wants love.

6. 1. Defined The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful- ness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

7. 1. Defined Love is the fruit of the Spirit. All other virtues are ways of expressing love in various relationships and situations.

8. 1. Defined PATIENCE KINDNESS GOODNESS FAITHFULNESS GENTLENESS SELF-CONTROL

9. 1. Defined love … The fruit of the Spirit is love … GentleControlledPatientKindGoodFaithfulJoyPeace

10. 2. Developed How does a person develop godly character? Works Model If you believe in the religious approach, then character is developed by human effort, by trying hard to be good.

11. 2. Developed How does a person develop godly character? Fruit Model If you believe in the biblical approach, then you rely on the Holy Spirit to develop the character of Christ within you.

12. 2. Developed “Remain in me and I will remain in you…. I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit” (John 15:4-5). “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me…. Apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and whithers” (John 15:4-7). Fruit Model Works Model What did Jesus say about the two models?

13. 2. Developed fruit of the Spirit “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gen-tleness and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). works of the flesh “The works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcer-ies, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissentions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these” (Gal 5:19-21). Fruit Model Works Model What did Paul say about the two models?

14. 2. Developed Works fruit Works are the result of your own effort, but fruit is the result of the Lord’s activity in you!