Lesson 17 The Character of Christ

     The character of Christ is the very personality of the Father and is spoken about in many scriptures like John 10:30 (Amplified) which says, "I and the Father are One."  Hebrews 1:3 (Amplified) says, "He is the Sole expression of the glory of God (the Light Being, the out-raying or radiance of the divine) and He is the perfect imprint and very Image of (God's) nature,upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty Word of power. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the Divine Majesty on High."
     The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23 is the very nature of Jesus Who is the very Image of God's nature.  When we make the same decision that Jesus made to listen to the Holy Spirit within us, we also will be able to reveal this nature of the Father.  This doesn't mean that we can act any way we choose until God makes us act correctly because He will not.  Only by yielding to His Spirit within us can we do what Jesus did and act like Jesus acted.
     We can only produce the real character of Christ by yielding to and listening to the Holy Spirit.  We've made some progress in not acting like we did before being saved through our own efforts.  We inherently knew we should stop cussing and brawling and drinking.  All these things should rightly be shut down in our lives, but did we stop them in order to become righteous before God  or did we stop them because we have become righteous before God?
      The first reason to stop these things is of the flesh and the other is of the Spirit.  One is by Law and the other is by grace.  One is to gain a place in Christ and the other is to receive your place in Christ.  According to 2Corinthians 5:17-21 (Amplified),  we have already been "declared righteous in Christ Jesus."  And, now that we've been made righteous in Him, we simply allow His Holy Spirit to bring forth fruit of His righteousness. 
     Our old nature, the training and educating of our flesh and mind, must be renewed and brought into subjection by the Word and His Spirit.  2Timothy 3:16-17 (Amplified) says, "Every scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin; for correction of error and discipline in obedience (and) for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose and action) So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work."
     Most of us have never looked at the Word as a power to change, but a rule to live by.  Without the Holy Spirit to bring about the power of change through the Word, it once again becomes Law to the hearer and a source of condemnation and shortcomings.  Somehow, we fail to see what we are in Christ and struggle to become what He has already made us to be.  As a result, we failed to produce the character of Christ in our lives.
     Once we receive by faith what grace has already made us to be in Him, it becomes so much easier to walk in the Fruit of the Spirit.  So long as we continue seeing ourselves as we were instead of who He made us to be, we cannot portray the character of Jesus.  One of satan's most powerful tools against the child of God, is convincing us that we are still unworthy and unrighteous.
     The character of Christ must come from within us and not from rules.  As long as satan can convince you that you're unworthy and a sinner, how can you ever hope to conduct yourself in the joy and peace of Christ?
     John 14:27 (Amplified) says, "Peace I leave with you; My (Own) peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled)."
     Jesus reveals to us in this scripture how we can walk in the Fruit (or character) of the Spirit.  His peace is "the peace that passes all understanding" and is available to us by faith in Jesus' sacrifice.  The only way of receiving this peace is by faith in His grace.  It has nothing to do with who you were, but only who you are now.  Only those who have been made righteous can walk in His character.