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Body, Soul and Spirit
<page 73>
Chapter 5: Christian Character
What is Holiness?
Jesus is the radiance of His Father’s glory and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:3). The Greek word for “representation” is CHARAKTER, from which our word character is derived. The literal meaning of this word is “a tool for engraving.” Thus, to be fully conformed to the image of Christ is to be an exact engraved copy of Him. And this is our calling!
What does it mean to be holy? This is a very important question. Some would define holiness as the absence of sin. This is not correct; holiness comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Once we are born again and receive the Holy Spirit, God calls us “saints”, which means “set apart” or “holy.” At this time, there is still much that needs to be changed in our life-styles and habits. Christ has come to dwell in our hearts; because of His presence within us, we are called “holy.” Righteousness is not a passive absence of sin, it is the active presence of the life of God. Christian character becomes evident as we grow in godliness. The key word is change! One does not manifest perfect holiness at once, but grows in it through obedience.
Obedience begins with having faith in the promises of God’s word.
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, hav<page 74>ing escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The important thing is not how much stature we may have achieved; it is not where we are, but whether or not we are growing. One cannot stand still. To do so is to begin to backslide. Paul’s heart-cry reflects the only attitude we can safely have for a victorious walk in the eyes of God.
Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ.... I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Christian character begins and ends with the Holy Spirit; and it is corrupted by self-righteousness, by legalism and by sin.
The Place of Character
Character is developed within our spirits. Only the Holy Spirit can infuse holiness into us, and this begins in our spirits. This is where our likeness to God is developed. It will subsequently be seen in how we<page 75> think and what we do, but character is what we are in our spirit. Spiritual union with God, which brings His righteousness into our hearts, is illustrated in Figure 7. This union is the basis of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, the one law we are to walk in. What is in our heart (or spirit) defines our character; what comes out of our heart reveals our character. Thus, our first concern must always be for the state of our hearts.
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Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
What we are in our hearts is how God sees us as individuals.
As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.
David’s prayer of repentance shows his recognition of this truth.
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Too often we think of sin as only what we do wrong, rather than the attitude of heart that leads us to sin. The scriptures make this distinction clear.
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery” but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer....
<page 76><page 77>To grow in righteousness, we need a humble, teachable spirit. There is no better counsel than our Lord’s invitation:
Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.
The choice is ours, for we are masters of what comes into our hearts. Self-discipline is how we regulate what feeds our spirit. Neglecting to exercise control over our spirit will surely result in failure and sin.
Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.
He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city.
The heart attitudes necessary to develop godliness are found in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-8). The virtues of a godly character are fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The one heart attitude to guard against, above all others, is pride. It is the father of all sin.
… clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud ….
In summary, Christ in us (in our heart) is our hope of glory; He is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30)!<page 78>
The Process of Character Development
Only God can change us; we are incapable of doing so by ourselves alone. However, we must be willing participants in the process. Character does not come as a consequence of experiences, valid though they might be; it comes from abiding in His life. The character of God cannot be separated from the life of God.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.
In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
(John 1:4)
The starting place is revelation; it begins with the word of life that penetrates our hearts. Our part is to obey the simple, basic truths concerning the person and work of Christ. This will draw us closer to Him. The better we know Him, the more we will want to be like Him and the greater our need will be apparent to us.
If we are faithful to keep our eyes upon Him while going through the problems in everyday experiences of church and secular life, we will begin to grow into His likeness. It requires much grace, for we will often fail. Many things will seem to hinder us. Indeed, we cannot grow in Him without growing in grace. The key is to always keep our eyes on Him, because the work of changing us is His, not ours. Progress will come by the grace of God through faith.
But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,<page 79> just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
Any difficulties we encounter, such as persecution, privation, sickness, etc. will work character in us if we are able to see the hand of God in them. Our transformation will not be instantaneous but will involve times of transition in which there will be pain and struggle.
… but we also exult in our tribulations; knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character ....
It is only after going through problems and difficult times, that we can look back and see the good that was worked into us. Occasions of our human weakness are opportunities to draw on the Lord’s strength (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
… and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
We cannot grow apart from knowing and responding to His love. It is God’s love for us that reveals His character more than anything else. As we become like Him, we will reflect His love to all who belong to Him, and compassion for those in the bonds of Satan.
If we live and walk in the Spirit, our lives will naturally exhibit the fruit of the Spirit.<page 80>
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
This love is a multifaceted expression of the character and nature of God, for above all else, He is love. That divine love is composed of many virtues becomes evident as we examine the above verse of scripture:
Joy is love in release; it must be used for it cannot be preserved.
Peace is love in government. Where He governs there will always be peace.
Patience is love in testing.
Kindness is love in action.
Goodness is love displayed in character.
Faithfulness is love in commitment.
Gentleness is love in concern.
Self-control is love in discipline.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
A New Creation
There are seven biblical words that jointly define the new creation we become in Christ Jesus:
Repentance: a new will.
Regeneration: a new birth.
Justification: a new standing in righteousness.<page 81>
Adoption: a new family relationship; we have become sons of God.
Conversion: new direction. The previous words all refer to a one-time-only experience. However, conversion is something we Christians encounter many times as our life is adjusted by the Lord.
Sanctification: new service. The quality level of our service will deepen as we grow in character.
Maturity: new stature in character and wisdom. This will become evident to others when our walk begins to match our words.
Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
The transition that takes place within us in the process of spiritual growth comes from the change in our nature. Old things of the world are replaced by new things in His kingdom.
The Old and the New Natures
The process of this change involves putting off our old self (or old man) and putting on the new nature which has already been created in the likeness of God.
When Christ died on Calvary. He did more than shed His blood to wash away our sins. He also took our old nature with Him to the cross. It was nailed there to experience His death. By faith I must believe this, just as I believe that His blood washed away my sin. Being declared innocent through the forgiveness of my sin is one thing; however, recognizing that my old nature,<page 82> which caused me to sin, has been put to death is quite another. This important truth is appropriated by a personal identification with His burial through water baptism.
The first apostles considered water baptism an important step in putting on the new nature. When we examine the New Testament record of the early church, we discover that water baptism always accompanied preaching of the gospel; it was never presented as an option, or as something to be done later at a more convenient time. The following are some examples from scripture.
But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus. “And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Surely, no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he: And he (Peter) ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ …
… Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with<page 83> all who were in his house … and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
Abraham is the father of all who believe, because righteousness was imputed to him on the basis of his faith in God’s promises. Faith was the basis for the Abrahamic covenant; this covenant is still in effect today through the Lord Jesus Christ, for He is the promised seed of that covenant (Romans 4:1-9; Galatians 3:6-16).
As a sign of their covenant, God required Abraham to take upon himself a seal of the covenant. This seal was physical circumcision, which was an act of physical cleanliness.
And he (Abraham) received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised ....
This circumcision was a type of the spiritual cleanliness we receive in the covenant today. In water baptism, the Lord circumcises the heart by “cutting away” the old man, which by faith, is buried in the grave of water. Before, during or immediately after, the candidate should be baptized in the Spirit. A walk in newness of life following baptism then becomes the seal (or sign) of the new covenant that we have embraced.
We recognize the wonderful promise of victory there is for converts in the death and burial of Christ! For everyone, but in particular, for those who are in the depths of sin, such as homosexuals or addicts to drugs, pornography, perversions, alcohol, tobacco, etc.; the gospel contains not only the promise of forgiveness<page 84> of sins, but also the cutting away of such addictive bondages in our carnal nature by the Holy Spirit in the waters of baptism. All by repentance and faith!
Our “new self” is the Lord Himself, who lives in us through the Holy Spirit. We do not have a reformed old nature; we have a new nature, one created in true righteousness and holiness. From this nature comes the fruit of the Spirit. His life is our seal in righteousness (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30).
The choice is ours; we must choose to live by the Spirit and not be dominated by the senses of our soul-body window. The cross provides all that is necessary to live this new life, a life available to us through our spirit-soul window. But the choice is always ours. We choose which window dominates our life and conduct. Paul expressed it well in his epistle to the Romans.
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.
In summary, to put on the new self is to yield to Christ’s life within us, for we have died and our life is now hidden in Him.
Part of the transformation we undergo in putting off the old self and putting on the new nature is a reorientation in our way of thinking. We need to be renewed in our minds. I must control my thought life, and recognize that I will not acquire the mind of Christ through head knowledge alone. I must daily present myself to Him as a living sacrifice, and seek His direction. It is a<page 85> way of humility, but it is the only way I can walk with Him. We must be a people who spend much time in His presence at the throne of grace. If we fail to see our need in this area, we are surely headed for trouble (Hebrews 4:15-16).
I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God .... and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think....
… in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.
The contrast between human judgment and the mind of Christ is greater than most of us realize. We are well-advised to take the following scripture at face value:
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways .... for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
<page 86>A common weakness is our vulnerability to act or speak out of emotions. We make decisions and voice opinions based on how we feel, or how we are affected by circumstances at the time. When asked for counsel we are often quick to respond by quoting scripture. The mind of God says that at times of uncertainty we should do nothing; simply humble ourselves and pray for direction, and in due time the answer will be given to us. We are also prone to answer today’s questions by what God said yesterday simply to have a ready answer. God is never in a hurry; when we speak or act in haste we are almost always in error. We cannot trust in our human reasoning; we need the mind of Christ!
Discipline
We all need help in the growth process. As children we benefited from the rod of correction in the hands of our parents. We required instruction in right behavior, but we also needed to learn from the consequences of our misbehavior. To be taught is one thing; to learn is something else.
Unfortunately, because of childhood experience, we tend to think of God’s discipline as punishment for sin. This is not how to view it. His discipline is a training in righteousness; it is a mark of sonship.
For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives …. He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
(Hebrews 12:6, 10)
God’s discipline can be found in the circumstances that we encounter with people and situations, as well as in His personal dealings in our lives. What comes<page 87> into our life is there with God’s permission, and He will not allow more than what we can bear. If we accept His discipline and learn from it, it will produce the peaceful fruit of righteousness within us. We are to welcome and embrace the discipline of God.
The experience of going through a period of time when God is dealing with us may be painful, but it can also have the wonderful result of building new dimensions of character into our lives. The key is to recognize that God is doing a good thing, and therefore we should embrace it accordingly and endure.
Behold, we count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lords dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
One purpose in such dealings is that the Lord can show His great love by bringing us through in victory. Each instance is a time of testing that refines dross from our lives as a furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10; Daniel 3:6-30).
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Whatever the circumstances may be, from time to time, we all will be tested. The secret of success is to not run from the situation but to endure in faith. In this way we will emerge into a place of abundance in Him. David expressed it well in Psalm 66:
For Thou has tried us, O God; Thou has refined us as silver is refined. Thou didst bring us into the net; Thou didst lay an oppressive burden upon<page 88> our loins. Thou didst make men ride over our heads; we went through the fire and through the water; yet Thou didst bring us out into a place of abundance.
Second Childhood
It is remarkable how many messages are preached on the new birth and on Christian maturity, and how few are preached on one’s second childhood. It is not possible to go from the new birth to being a mature person apart from growing up as a spiritual child.
We just naturally grow up physically, and we can judge our progress by age and to some extent by education. However, this is not true in the Spirit. Unfortunately, there are thousands who have experienced a spiritual birth, but have never progressed far beyond this state. On the other hand, there are some who grow up in Christ very quickly. Spiritual growth involves more than merely the time that one knows God.
Those who disciple, equip and oversee others must know how to relate to them during their growth phase, just as parents do in the development of their children.
There are four well-defined levels of spiritual growth. The distinction between these stages can be seen in the meaning of the four Greek words that identify them in relevant scriptures:
Brephos–This word means “a newborn babe”; it describes one at the time of the new birth.
Like newborn babes (brephos) long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.
<page 89>The most important concern for “newborn” believers is that they have a hunger for the word of God, a hunger that should remain in them as they grow in the Spirit.
Nepios–This is the word which primarily identifies second childhood. It means a “minor,” an “immature person,” or a “child.” The Holy Spirit has used nepios in the following scripture verses to provide insight into what to expect at this particular stage of growth. After the Lord gave authority to His disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons, they returned with joy to report their success. He told them not to rejoice in this, but to rejoice that their names were recorded in heaven; He then referred to them as babes in His prayer:
At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes (nepios)”….
Thus, believers do not need to be mature to exercise authority over demons. This privilege belongs to any babe in Christ and is not related to spiritual growth.
The following verses portray more clearly the character state of one who is a nepios:
For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is a babe (nepios). But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
<page 90>As a result, we are no longer to be children (nepios), tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up....
And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes (nepios) in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it…for since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly? … for when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?
From these verses we see that a “nepios” will manifest some of the following faulty character traits:
Inability to discern clearly between good and evil.
Tossed around by the waves of circumstances and easily captivated by every new doctrine.
Given to following after men rather than Christ, men with a desire for self-identification in cliques, or men with a strong charismatic personality.
Such faults may seem bad but they are common in new Christians. Maturity takes time; growing out of them is what second childhood is all about.
Neaniskos–This word defines a young man in the prime of life. As in natural life, this is the stage that precedes fatherhood.
.. . I am writing to you, young men (neaniskos), because you have overcome the evil one…. I have written to you, young men (neaniskos), be<page 91>cause you are strong, and the word of God abides in you ….
Patience and love are required to guide nepios believers into this next stage of growth, which would correspond to “late teenage” in one’s natural life. Such a person will show fruit from the Lord’s discipline in his life. There will be a stability and faithfulness in his walk and service. He will become more like Jesus in word and deed.
When I was a child (nepios), I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
Pater–This is the word for father (1 John 2:13-14). It denotes one who has matured sufficiently to father others in Christ; not just leading them to Christ, but becoming a father to them as Paul was to Timothy and to the Corinthian Christians (1 Corinthians 4:14-17). One cannot become a neaniskos or a pater without first being an accountable nepios and receiving love and instruction from tutors and fathers in the faith. This will build relationship.
There is a great need for spiritual fathers in the church today. A key period of training and preparation for all of us, is found in our “second childhood.” To train and equip disciples without regard to where they are in their walk with God (i.e. recognizing the areas of their lives where there are problems) is clearly wrong. The process of developing character is described in 2 Peter 1:2-11. Here we see that it is a matter of faith in God’s promises; it is not based on law.
Law and Righteousness
A tendency of human nature is to choose law as the way of righteousness. This is first seen in the history of Adam. Adam was informed that he could eat of any tree on the face of the earth that bore fruit having seed (Genesis 1:29). However, he was also told he could not eat of “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” If he did so, he would die. It is apparent, therefore, the fruit of this particular tree had no seed. That is, it had no life within itself. It was a tree of death. In addition, Adam was also provided with the tree of life planted in the midst of the garden that he was to tend. The choice before Adam was explicit: choose life or death. When we examine the phrase: “knowledge of good and evil,” we find it to be simply a definition of law. Law says, “This is good, that is evil: this is righteous, that is unrighteous.” Therefore, the choice for Adam came down to one of choosing life or what would lead to law. And we know the choice that he made.
The story of Israel reveals the same mind-set. The nation was first given the privilege of receiving righteousness by faith in the covenant established with Abraham. Because the people did not walk by faith in this manner, and because of their many transgressions, God added the covenant of law made with Moses. This did not invalidate the earlier covenant (Galatians 3:17). It placed before Israel a choice of either righteousness through faith in the Abrahamic covenant, or through obeying the law given to Moses. Again it was a choice of life or law, and we know the choice that they made. The Law was to be in effect as an obligation only until the promised seed (Christ) should come (Galatians 3:19). The Law pointed Israel to the coming Messiah.<page 93>
The same mind-set toward law was evident in the early church, as many who were justified by grace, sought to enhance their righteousness by keeping laws. This error was addressed by Paul, the apostle, in his epistles (Romans 14; 1 Corinthians 8; Galatians 3; 4:1-11; 5:1-5; Colossians 2:20-23).Even the apostles, in the early part of their ministries, experienced some difficulty in totally breaking free from all Jewish traditions of law. The following are examples: Peter and Barnabas (Galatians 2:11-13); James (Acts 21:20-24) and Paul (Acts 18:18; 21:26). The Lord warned Paul not to go to Jerusalem because the Jews there would bind him if he did go (Acts 21:4, 10-11). This is precisely what happened; James and the other leaders persuaded Paul to purify himself through offering an Old Testament blood sacrifice. In this way they bound him with bonds of the law (Acts 21:18-26). It was the Romans who put him in chains. Although all of Paul’s epistles contain the inerrant word of God, his epistles from jail provide a profound insight into the relationship of law and righteousness.
If you have died with Christ… why … do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” .... These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
Realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and<page 94> perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.
A subsequent position of James is evident from his epistle, written near the end of his life, in which he calls freedom to choose righteousness as the perfect law (James 1:25; 2:12).
The tendency to set standards of righteousness in the church through laws has persisted until this day. Such laws vary by culture and denomination. Because of this, legalism is still a very real hindrance to the righteousness of God among Christians today. The relationship between law and true righteousness is clarified by the following set of questions and answers:
Is a requirement to keep the Law of Moses contrary to faith and spiritual life?
Answer: Yes (Galatians 3:10-14; Romans 3:20-28; 4:13-14)
For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment (i.e. the law of Moses) because of its weakness and uselessness (for the law made nothing perfect) … and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
Does not God’s Law reveal His righteousness?
Answer: No, it reveals the sinfulness of man (Romans 7:7, 13).
As Christians, what is our relationship to the Old Testament Law of God?
Answer: All decrees against us, based on all commandments of the Law, were nailed to the cross of Christ, along with our old nature which causes us to sin. This includes commandments related to the keeping of days and eating of foods. We are dead to the Law, and are released from it. The Law does not enter into our relationship with God today. Legalism weakens the conscience, and hinders the Holy Spirit’s work of leading us to walk in His ways (Romans 7:4, 6, Galatians 3:13, 23-29; Colossians 2:1-14). <page 95>
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Are we to be without law?
Answer: No, we are under the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1-14; Galatians 5:16-18; Hebrews 8:8-13).
What are the characteristics of this law?
Answer: It is not a law of obligation, but one of liberty with freedom of choice, whereby we willingly choose to walk under His guidance. He is to live His life in us; He is our righteousness. This is the only way the first commandment can be kept (James 1:25; 2:12; Galatians 5:13-16; 6:2; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18).
Is there danger that we can abuse this liberty of choice?
Answer: Yes (1 Corinthians 6:12; Romans 14:1-21; Galatians 5:13-16).
What is the standard for righteousness:
Answer: The righteousness of God. We are not to set standards for others, we are to be examples; Jesus is the one and only standard (2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 5:48; Ephesians 3:17-19).
The fact that law is useless to produce righteousness in a believer, does not mean that it is wrong or bad. Indeed, it is our human nature that is at fault not the Law (Romans 7:14). That is why law is intended for sinners so they can see the true state of their hearts. The Law is spiritual and holy since it came directly from the hands of God. It was given to make sin become utterly sinful. Thus, to deliberately break the commandments and teach others to do likewise, reveals a sinful heart. The Law was given to Israel as a tutor to prepare them for Christ. For the same reason, we are to teach our children the laws of God and raise them under parental discipline so that later, as adults, they will be willing to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit within them and walk in a way pleasing to God. Since society is made up of largely unsaved people, its laws and legal system should reflect the commandments of God. In addition, when a believer in the church falls into sin and refuses to repent, he is placed under law so that he might repent and be forgiven (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:10). It is important to have the ten commandments displayed in public places, such as courts and schools, to discourage the spirit of lawlessness.
In summary, the character of a Christian expresses the extent to which Christ lives His life in that person. Clearly, while the potential is unlimited, the measure attained comes from a lifetime growth process that is orchestrated by God. Character is developed in one’s spirit by the indwelling Holy Spirit and is reflected in the soul and body as believers freely lay down their wills to do the will of God. Their discipline for doing so is not from written law; it is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.
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