Born to Build the Character of God Each person that God calls is presented with the same choice that Adam and Eve faced—yielding to God and His government or yielding to Satan and his nature. God is a Father. He has one Spirit-composed Son, but will later have many more sons (Rom. 8:19). He is reproducing Himself by developing His character in yielded, conquered, Spirit-begotten human beings. As human fat...hers beget their children physically, God begets His children spiritually. Just as little children grow up to look like their physical parents, so also do God’s children slowly take on the spiritual likeness of their Parent, in holy, righteous character—“divine nature” (II Pet. 1:4). Peter described Christians as “partakers of the DIVINE NATURE”—the nature of God. There is the physical nature of creation,human nature and GOD’S NATURE. God is re-fashioning corrupt, carnal human nature into wonderful, glorious, perfect, holy, SPIRITUAL CHARACTER—His DIVINE NATURE! Character is understanding—knowing—right from wrong and DOING what is right instead of what is wrong! God reveals what is right, but it is through the power of free moral agency, deciding to DO what is right, that righteous character is built. Character is consciously choosing the right way, against resistance. It is not the easy way. It is swimming against the current, rather than drifting lazily in the direction it is fl owing. It is building love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,temperance (self-control), wisdom, knowledge, understanding, humility and more. This takes time, because character is built through experience. Animals develop none of these traits. God has perfect character in all respects. He is love (I John 4:8, 16). Love is the fulfilling of the law (Rom. 13:10; I John 5:3), which requires yielding to God. It is outgoing, out-flowing concern for others,putting them first—ahead of self-interests. Satan’s nature is selfish, incoming and concerned only with what is best for self and how to get more for self. This is the attitude he injected into Adam and Eve when they ate of the forbidden fruit. Are you seeing that, while God made man in the form and shape, physically, of Himself, it does not end there? You were created to BECOME LIKE GOD—to build perfect, holy, righteous character. God is reproducing Himself in human beings. Just as you are the child of parents, and possibly have children of your own, God is your Parent. Again, as you physically look like your parents, and your children resemble you, God wants you to look like Him—in spiritual character! In this life, God begins to spiritually re-form and re-shape those He calls. His Purpose is to build within them His nature. So then, God is reproducing Himself in those who have received His Holy Spirit. He is creating children that will look and BE just like Him! To build the very character of God is the reason you exist—is why you were born! But there is more to understand. We have previously explained that God has allotted 7,000 years—seven millennial days—to work out His Plan “here below.” We are nearing the end of the already explained sixth day allotted to man under Satan. Christ will soon return to establish God’s government and perfect spiritual law on earth. Satan will be bound (Rev.20:2) and no longer able to sway this world to evil and rebellion against God’s revealed knowledge. After Christ returns, and with Satan bound (Rev. 20:2), only a few will reject God, refusing to obey Him. They will trust in their human minds and reject the missing dimension of God’s Spirit, which would have led them to eternal life. They will reject building righteousness in their lives and choose to remain incomplete—unfinished in development and purpose.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 18:22:35 +0000
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