Growing in Gods character

[thesunisout]

When Gods character is growing in us, we will never be unfruitful or ineffective in Gods Kingdom:

2 Peter 1:5-7 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

2 Peter 1:8 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.

If we are not growing in Gods character we are blind:

2 Peter 1:9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

If we practice Gods character we will never fall:

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.

What an awesome promise! What are some ways we can grow and practice Gods character?

 

[bigo1984]

Just by loving as Jesus did.

 

[Neogaia777]

What are some ways we can grow and practice Gods character?

By adopting and asking for in prayer and meditating on these qualities, these virtues:

http://www.christianforums.com/t7832889/

And by reading and studying God's word, and joyfully sharing our faith with others...

God Bless!

 

[com7fy8]

Seeking our Father's correction > Hebrews 12:4-17.

 

[joshuanazar]

2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us how we can take on God's character.

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

So, it is nothing that we do to become more like God it is the Spirit's job to sanctify us and make us like God. We just have to surrender to him. That is why in Galatians it talks about the works of the flesh and the fruits of the Spirit. It is what the Spirit creates in us.

 

[com7fy8]

it is nothing that we do to become more like God it is the Spirit's job to sanctify us and make us like God.

Yes, it is "God who gives the increase." (in 1 Corinthians 3:7)

But Paul does say, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling," in Philippians 2:12. So, God includes us in doing what He does with us >

"for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

He guides our willing and our doing with Him, in oneness with Him >

"But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." (1 Corinthians 6:17)

And we have His ministers who labor in prayer and example for us to be conformed to the image of Jesus, like how Paul says he labored >

"Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily." (Colossians 1:28-29)

So, the process of our being perfected in Jesus includes how His leaders labor in prayer and example and "warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom". So, it is important that we do not try a sneaky do-it-myself way of "only the Holy Spirit", because the Holy Spirit includes His leaders and one another helping each other (Colossians 3:18, Ephesians 4:2), as family

We need to learn with each other so we learn how to love as our Father's family >

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one anther in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4:1-3)

So, we all have this love calling > "Let all that you do be done with love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)

And we do this "according to His working which works in me mightily" . . . in submission to God and how He rules us in His peace >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

And God Himself guides us into real loving >

"Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ." (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

But though He does all that we need, He includes us with each other, in His process. So, we need each other, we are not on our own; and God's "increase" brings us to better than we can "try" to get, ourselves! Our Father does better than we can expect. So, I see we submit to Him and trust Him for better than we can hope and think and ask for

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

We even have the Holy Spirit to take care of prayer that we do not have the ability to pray >

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." (Romans 8:26)

It says these "groanings" "cannot be uttered". So, I can see these are groanings of prayer communication in God's love are deeper than any words that we know or words of any uttered language. In God's love's prayer, there is communication deeper than words And in the Holy Spirit we get deeper with God, in His love's communication >

"praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God" (Jude 20-21)

So, God does include us, I see, more and more in how the Holy Spirit prays.

So, pray in love, how the Holy Spirit has us praying. And trust God to rule how we do this, in His peace > we all are "called" to this, "in one body", Paul says. So, this is not for certain people, only, who have some special status!!!

 

[brinny]

All of what is in the above posts, and what else comes to mind is seeking God's face, fervently, as fervently as Jacob "wrestled" with God with all his might (this would be an excellent study by the way), and as fervently as David danced before the Lord with all his might (and possibly is one of the reasons God called David the "apple of His eye" and said that David was a man after His own heart).

Another word that comes to mind, is "delighting" in God, our Father, and consequently "delighting" in His Word, as His joy becomes ours, and something remarkably precious happens....our God REJOICES over us with SINGING.

Praise God!