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The Evidence Of Faith’s Substance The Proverbs...
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The Evidence Of Faith’s Substance The Proverbs Ladder of Character: God’s Definition of Character
February 2, 2013
Ed Croteau
Proverbs 21:3 “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.”
Everyone agrees that character is crucial. It’s something everyone expects from others. The problem is that our cultural definition of character is a moving target. Without a clear definition, a “target to shoot for”, we get easily deceived into thinking we are men and women of character, and that it’s everyone else who has a problem. My definition of character is whatever comes naturally to me, and character is what I wish I saw more of in you! For example, I may define people with character as those who are friendly to others, or those who take a stand for their beliefs (never mind the rightness or wrongness of those beliefs).
C.S. Lewis put it this way: “Human beings all over the earth have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and they can’t really get rid of it. But whenever you find a man who says he doesn’t believe in right or wrong, you will find the same man going back on this a moment later. He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he’ll be complaining, ‘It’s not fair’...”
The Bible offers us a solution to this “moving target” of character. The Biblical definition is very clear, because biblical character has its source in the nature of the Creator, and not in the behavior patterns of people. The Bible says good character is simply a reflection of God’s character (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit). God’s character isn’t meant to be a picture of the real thing – it is the real thing. And because God’s character is the real thing: we find ourselves accountable to it. Isaiah 40:25 says “To whom then will you liken Me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.
In our verse this week, Proverbs 21:3, God gives us a simple definition of character: “doing what is morally right and just, regardless of the personal cost to you, will always be more pleasing to Him than any work (‘sacrifice’) you do.” As we said last week, God is focused on molding your character to become more like His Son, Jesus Christ. He is more interested in who you are becoming on the inside than any outward works you do for Him. So how do I know if I am allowing Christ in me to mold my character according to His plans, and not my own? Proverbs 21:3 gives us two key ingredients to a character that pleases God.
Character Ingredient #1 = I must ACKNOWLEDGE that God has given me an absolute STANDARD of right and wrong. This standard exists independent of my emotions, experiences or desires. It is a permanent, unwavering benchmark by which I can measure my choices. One of the greatest joys a father gets is when his children honor him in two ways: by acknowledging he has a character they admire, and then adopting his character traits within their own lives. Guess what – God is the same way. Malachi 1:6 says “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor?”
Character Ingredient #2 = I must COMMIT to do what is right, in spite of what it costs me personally. I can overcome temptations that face me every day because I make decisions based on an internal set of moral standards. Jesus Christ confronted many people who on the outside appeared to be good religious people who kept the works of the Law, but whom He knew on the inside refused to commit themselves to God’s moral standards. In Matthew 9:13, Jesus reminds us of the Old Testament verse in Hosea 6:6, which is the essence of this commitment God wants from me: “I desire mercy and not sacrifice (i.e., the works of the Law), and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings (i.e., again, the works of the Law).”
God’s standard for character centers on my commitment to follow Jesus Christ, and how this commitment is reflected in how I treat others. In chapter 10 of the gospel of Luke, a lawyer asked Jesus what he needed to do to make sure he would go to heaven. Jesus answered with the story of the ‘Good Samaritan’. Weird…
How does this story answer the lawyer’s question? Because before telling the story, Jesus asked if he understood the requirements of the Law. There are 632 laws in the Old Testament, but Jesus said only two were required to follow to have eternal life, and this lawyer knew them: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
The problem we see with the lawyer is the same one we see in ourselves: it’s much easier to follow religious rules and rituals than to put the welfare of those around us (our ‘neighbors’) above our own. But that’s the message of the Cross. He gives me no choice if I desire to pursue His character in my life.
Ed Croteau is a resident of Lee’s Summit and hosts a weekly study in Lees Summit called “Faith: Substance and Evidence.” He can be reached with your questions through the Lee’s Summit Tribune at Editor@lstribune.net.
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