Are you stuck in a rut? Do you want to develop the kind of character that aspires to excellence? Do you want that energy that activates and impels you to achieve the very character of Christ?
Good!
This page is for you. This is a program which is designed to help you develop this and other Godly character traits.
Here is how it works:
| Do you believe in a Sovereign God? If not, begin here.
Most of our character defects come from emphasizing our own "free will." |
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First, all good character comes from becoming holy, which means more like Christ, more obedient to God's Word. This means three things, which are found on one of our opening pages, which you should read now (if you haven't already):
- We have a very high standard. No "greasy grace" for us.
- We depend on the power of a sovereign God.
- Our goal is not to impress others or be "successful" in the eyes of the world. Our goal is to bring glory to God and others to a saving knowledge of God.
Second, we have to clean up our lives. Rocks and sticks must be taken out of the garden. Weeds and bad seeds must be removed before the good seeds can be planted.
Although some people already have Godly character and are here seeking to improve it, many people who come to this web site have had problems. Most of the pages on this site were first written for people in jail, so excuse us if we sound accusatory. The first two steps of the Alcoholics Anonymous program are:
- We admitted we were powerless over [our sins] -- that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
If your life is still manageable, and you don't worry about your own sanity, praise God! Many, many people are not so blessed. But many people who feel that their lives are "basically OK" haven't really come to grips with the holiness of God and His Word.
Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; {24} But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says
the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Israel was so self-righteous that they executed Jesus. He returned in judgment (A.D. 70), saying,
"In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, 'I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.' {8} Therefore her plagues will come in one day; death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God
who judges her.
Revelation 18:7-8 (cf. Luke 18:9-14)
Those who wish to develop good character have heard the call of God:
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,
Acts 3:19
So we repent, which means "change direction," "repudiate the old ways," or to use another Biblical metaphor, "crucify the old man."
Putting to death the "old man" is a difficult task. If you're seeking to become more aspiring, this means more than just saying "I will stop being a bump on the log." The habit of accepting mediocrity is a "falling short" of God's high standards. And when we fall short in one area, it is because we have fallen short in others.
For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.
James 2:10
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The words of the Westminster Larger Catechism, Q.141
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For example, it might seem that the absence of zeal is a simple violation of the greatest commandment, which is to love the Lord with all your heart, mind, and soul. The Sixth and Eighth Commandments command us to "procure, preserve, and further the wealth and outward estate of others, as well as our own." But a spirit of resignation may
have begun as a rebellion against parents or other authorities, a violation of the Fifth Commandment. Ultimately, lack of aspiration can be a violation of every single one of the Ten Commandments.
We must repudiate our bad habits, and turn to Christ.
All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:37
| James 1:23-25 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; {24} for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. {25} But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in
what he does. |
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Then we seek the refreshment which comes from God's Word.
To clear out these bad habits, we must make a "searching and fearless moral inventory" of our lives, looking at the mirror of God's Commandments, and cleansing our lives by His Spirit.
Others see how offensive and unclean we are, but often will not tell us. God's Law will show us where we need to scrub.
When we have uncovered our shortcomings, we must make amends. Guilt paralyzes productive action and infects us with still more escapist or aggressive bad habits.
When we have cleared the wreckage of our past, we are able to come to the third step, which is a systematic meditation on God's Commandments.
And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:17
Developing good character traits isn't just a trendy option for upscale homeschoolers. It's a requirement for all people. But it is also an invitation to an abundant life.
If you believe in God's Power to create a new man, and if you have completed the initial steps to kill your old man, then you are ready to begin meditating on God's Law. (The jump to these meditations [Step Three] is found at the end of the pages on the moral inventory [killing the old man, Step Two].)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
-- Romans 8:28-29
I have remembered Thy Name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept Thy Law.
-- Psalm 119:55
If you would like to aspire to greater levels of Kingdom service
click here.