Our Character

[stovebolts]

Well, yeaj lol. I was sorta kidden around. I know it doesn't hold up.

I can't sleep. I'm gonna pay for this tomorrow. .

Ha, you and me both....

 

[Edward]

Enough of my babble. What you speak of is our sanctification. I am saved, I'm being saved, and I will be saved.

Agreed. We're not perfected yet. No pure heart yet. We all learn slowly and see through a glass darkly...but it wont stay that way. Scripture says, Jesus is going to come and do a number on the church.
A quick work isn't it? To prepare his bride, and she will be spotless!
Purity , Holiness and the fear of GOD is coming back to the corporate church.

That's both , scary and refreshing !

 

[stovebolts]

Agreed. We're not perfected yet. No pure heart yet. We all learn slowly and see through a glass darkly...but it wont stay that way. Scripture says, Jesus is going to come and do a number on the church.
A quick work isn't it? To prepare his bride, and she will be spotless!
Purity , Holiness and the fear of GOD is coming back to the corporate church.

That's both , scary and refreshing !

What is sometimes scary, is that we pattern our lives after Jesus and the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus was perfected through His suffering on the cross. We are told to pick up our cross, which is to say we embrace the suffering, we embrace death itself trusting a new birth is coming.

What ever happened to blue skies, rainbows and unicorns?

 

[Edward]

As C.S. Lewis said, which I believe came from the influence of the late G.K. Chesterton, we do not have a soul, we are a soul.
Our character is not philosophical for our soul is influenced through our mind and spirit. They cannot be separated and they each tug and pull and we wrestle at times with these influences.
I believe our character is the net result of the outcome of the dance, or the wrestling which occurs above and can manifest itself positively or negatively in the mind or flesh.

I agree with most of that. Our flesh and our spirit dance (war), and depending on our free will choices. I believe our character (part of our soul) is influenced by our spirit and our flesh. Who we are and become in our heart including all of our moral qualities and personality attributes. Thus watering our soul unto life or unto death.

Remember the old Cherokee Proverb? Which wolf wins? (Whichever one you feed more).
Feed your spirit the word as food, or feed your flesh the. ..stimulation of the world.

I don't think the character is philosophical. It's very real. And the only way to develop a decent character (name!) for oneself is to stay in the presence of God, to walk and abide in Him. Because we always fail, leastwise I do, lol.

 

[Edward]

What is sometimes scary, is that we pattern our lives after Jesus and the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus was perfected through His suffering on the cross. We are told to pick up our cross, which is to say we embrace the suffering, we embrace death itself trusting a new birth is coming.

What ever happened to blue skies, rainbows and unicorns?

You can say that again, Brother! I'ma slowly learning that brother, lol. We are here to suffer. (It builds character, lol)
Sometimes I've wondered if...maybe people who get a thorn in their side and not receive healing, aren't uh, perhaps being blessed by the Lord with it. Perhaps they were not able to fulfill their destiny and plan of the Lord for their life here on earth? So the Lord may allow this suffering (thorn) to be put upon them. ..to keep them clinging to Him...to at least safeguard their soul...??

 

[stovebolts]

You can say that again, Brother! I'ma slowly learning that brother, lol. We are here to suffer. (It builds character, lol)
Sometimes I've wondered if...maybe people who get a thorn in their side and not receive healing, aren't uh, perhaps being blessed by the Lord with it. Perhaps they were not able to fulfill their destiny and plan of the Lord for their life here on earth? So the Lord may allow this suffering (thorn) to be put upon them. ..to keep them clinging to Him...to at least safeguard their soul...??

I dont know Edward. For some yes, but for others they blame God and turn against them. What I do know, is none of its wasted in Gods economy either way.
Have a good day, and take a moment to feel the sun on your face and find the beauty in the world around you. Be blessed today Brother.

 

[for_his_glory]

Spirit, soul, and flesh are connected I think. The spirit does talk to the flesh, and the flesh talks too!
I think when our spirit talks to us, it is what we call our conscience. ..
Because I've noticed that, when things come up, and my conscience speaks to me, and tells me to do the right thing...then my flesh mind freaks out and starts sowing doubt and practically demanding that I do the fleshy worldly thing.
(That also happens in times of me acting in faith, or when the Lord supernaturally helps me and I realize it.)
Oh no, it is a coincidence, it could have been this or that, and sowing doubt into my mind.

I used to believe that our conscience was the Holy Spirit urging us to do the right thing. But scripture says, the Holy Spirit bears witness (talks) to our spirit. It does not say He bears witness with our flesh. So our conscience must be our spirit talking...? Does that sound right?

We either follow a carnal logical mind or know the mind of Christ in whom the Holy Spirit will always guide us in the ways of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

 

[for_his_glory]

Hey. I know. How's this?
(Loosely speaking, in humor and not teaching dogma. Please no one be offended) ...

I have not yet been created...

If soul isva product of character and heart, it is dynamic and forever changing...so I'm not done yet. I have not yet been (finished) created...lol.

We have to abide in Christ for Him to have the time to work inside of us and continue to form us into His image.

When we feed our heart and spirit worldly things and distractions spiritual growth stops and stagnation begins.

 

[for_his_glory]

You can say that again, Brother! I'ma slowly learning that brother, lol. We are here to suffer. (It builds character, lol)
Sometimes I've wondered if...maybe people who get a thorn in their side and not receive healing, aren't uh, perhaps being blessed by the Lord with it. Perhaps they were not able to fulfill their destiny and plan of the Lord for their life here on earth? So the Lord may allow this suffering (thorn) to be put upon them. ..to keep them clinging to Him...to at least safeguard their soul...??

Here's something you can chew on as what Paul's thorn in the flesh was.

Paul's thorn in the flesh was that of Satan's messenger trying to buffet him. Buffet here means to strike repeatedly as Satan used his demons to come against Paul and persecute him everywhere he went. Paul prayed three times for God to take these persecutions away and God said no as God said "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness".

God is not going to keep us from being persecuted as even His own Son Christ Jesus was persecuted to death on the cross and many martyrs after him in other ways, even so still today as many are persecuted even to death for the witness of Christ. God gives us His power and authority through His grace to give us strength when we are persecuted like Paul said:

2Corinthians 12:9 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2Corinthians 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Act 9:15; 2 Corinthians 4:8-12; Galatians 5:11; 2 Timothy3:10, 11; 1 Corinthians 15:30-32; 2 Corinthians 4:7-18; 6:3-10; 11:23-28; 12:5-10; Galatians 4:13, 15

2Co 6:3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:
2Co 6:4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
2Co 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings;
2Co 6:6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned,
2Co 6:7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
2Co 6:8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true;
2Co 6:9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed;
2Co 6:10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

 

[JohnDB]

Paul was involved in several riots. (He was the focus of them)
The metalworkers (silver, copper and etc) were concerned about losing business if everyone gave up on idols and talismans of the gods.
They injured Paul with debilitating injuries such as usual with getting beaten. Hernias, broken bones, torn tendons, and internal scar tissue. These would hurt and limit his range of motion unless a skilled surgeon was able to put him back together. (They didn't have any)
These injuries along with the scars on his skin we're probably keeping Paul from traveling as much as he would like. Also likely limiting his ability to breathe.
These injuries would weaken and frustrate anyone.

But Paul persevered and did what he could and likely more than he should have at times than his continued health would allow.

Paul was obnoxious...(a preacher able to start a riot?... really?) Paul was sarcastic to the point of it being an Olympic Champion at it.
And Paul was also emotional to the point of crying like a little girl might.

Paul was the epitome of having a holy heart.

 

[for_his_glory]

Paul was involved in several riots. (He was the focus of them)
The metalworkers (silver, copper and etc) were concerned about losing business if everyone gave up on idols and talismans of the gods.
They injured Paul with debilitating injuries such as usual with getting beaten. Hernias, broken bones, torn tendons, and internal scar tissue. These would hurt and limit his range of motion unless a skilled surgeon was able to put him back together. (They didn't have any)
These injuries along with the scars on his skin we're probably keeping Paul from traveling as much as he would like. Also likely limiting his ability to breathe.
These injuries would weaken and frustrate anyone.

But Paul persevered and did what he could and likely more than he should have at times than his continued health would allow.

Paul was obnoxious...(a preacher able to start a riot?... really?) Paul was sarcastic to the point of it being an Olympic Champion at it.
And Paul was also emotional to the point of crying like a little girl might.

Paul was the epitome of having a holy heart.

Even though Paul had a heart for the Lord, in my mind I see him as being a humbled man before the Lord, but yet a stern man in what he taught even though many came against him in persecuting him. Even in persecution he never lost faith and hope in the Lord.