7 Qualities of Christian Character We Should Be Cultivating

When God called us to a life of faith in His Son Jesus, it wasn’t just so that we could avoid hell and be allowed to spend eternity in heaven after this life. Certainly the greatest benefit we receive from God’s mercy and grace is that we will spend eternity in His presence and that eternity will be void of the brokenness of the world. But if that were the only object of salvation then God would sweep us up into the heavens right after our baptism. Peter affirms the truth of our calling in his second letter.

2 Peter 1:3-4
 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Until He calls us home we live in this world and we have work to do. If we are to be the light of Christ to the rest of the dying world then we must “become partakers of the divine nature” and escape the “corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” So in 2 Peter we are given seven qualities that our faith must be nurturing as we grow into the likeness of Christ.

Peter instructs us to make every effort to supplement our faith with the following seven characteristics.

First we have virtue. The word used here speaks of goodness and moral excellence. To the Greek philosophers it meant the fulfillment of something, such as a plot of ground giving forth a bounty of the crops it was plowed and seeded to provide. Like that field we are supposed to fulfill the purpose God put us here for and to demonstrate excellence in it.

Secondly we are to supplement our virtue with knowledge. This type of knowledge isn’t speaking of facts and figures but of understanding and discernment. It is the ability to know how to rightly live life and to counsel each other as we live for Jesus.

The third characteristic would be self-control. This is mastery over self and is also described as temperance. Who of us wouldn’t have made better choices had we self-control, had we mastery over our feelings and emotions? How often have we let anger control our reactions and left a trail of collateral damage in our wake? Discipline is the result of self-control and it will carry us far in the betterment of our lives and those around us.

Next we see steadfastness as an important attribute for the Christian. To be steadfast is to be patient and able to stand even when people and situations seek to take us off the path. To be steadfast is to be a person who endures and perseveres. This is a huge key to success.

The fifth characteristic we need to nurture is godliness. Another word for this is piety and somehow we Christians let the world convince us this is a bad thing. It’s not. Pride in our piety is a problem. But possessing qualities of godliness has to be what we long for. We are to be like Christ and Christ was sinless. We might not quite attain the perfection of Christ until He comes back for us, but that cannot be our excuse to not seek continual growth towards holiness.

Number six is brotherly affection and this is what the church should be about. We must love each other if we are going to say we love Christ. According to 1 John 5:1-2 it is a test of our salvation experience as it says that “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.” If you do not love the brethren then you do not love God.

Number seven is much like six for it is another type of love. This love is called agape love and it is exactly how God loves us. This love is unconditional and it is the kind of love that requires complete denial of self. Agape love is the kind of love that loves the unlovable.

So there they are, seven characteristics of a true Christian. None of us have most of these down yet but we must be in constant partnership with the Holy Spirit in striving to grow into these each and every day. We cannot grow into these alone. We need the Holy Spirit. Yet the Holy Spirit will not force you to grow in these areas. We must humble ourselves and admit we need His help then we must through the power of God’s Word, strive to make these real in our life. Peter instructs us in verse 5 of 2 Peter 1 to “make every effort to supplement our faith” with these attributes.

Hear God’s Word from Peter.

2 Peter 1:8-9
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Peter leaves us with another command.

2 Peter 1:10
Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

And why?

2 Peter 1:11
 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

We need to grow in our faith. Encourage and exhort each other with these words.

God will bless all who put His Words into effect.