“We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good…” -
Numbers 10:29
II Peter 1:2-10 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, {3} as His divine power
has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
{4} by which have been given to us exceedingly great and
precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the
world through lust. {5} But also for this very reason, giving
all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
{6} to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to
perseverance godliness, {7} to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love. {8} For if these things are
yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in
the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} For he who lacks
these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has
forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. {10}
Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call
and election sure, for if you do these things you will never
stumble;
I found these two quotes on Christian Character I thought was interesting.
"No one can win a race with intermittent effort. Christlikeness cannot be reached with that kind of effort either—it is an ongoing pursuit. So Paul says, "Let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained" (Phil. 3:16). The Greek verb translated "keep living" refers to walking in line. Just as a runner must stay in his lane and keep up the same effort until he reaches the finish, you must stay in line spiritually and keep moving forward toward the goal of Christlikeness."
- John MacArthur
"God's call to be holy, as he is holy, is a general summons to live by his revealed precepts and prohibitions, as embodying the loves and hates which make up his character and which his ways with us will always express; Christ's call to follow his example is a specific summons to unlimited self-humbling, and giving of ourselves without restraint, in order to relieve others' needs and make them great, which is what true love is all about."
- J.I. Packer
I wanted to comment more on the thread about youth camp but what I have to say is not exactly all about a youth camp somewhere
but something much deeper than wearing a suit and tie to a youth camp...it is about our inner self,
The REAL you and me. Some are content to wear a suit and tie as a “veneer.” It is something pretty that covers up something unsightly.
It is clearly understood that clothes are important to God. He clothed our first parents after casting them from the garden. Angles are spoken about as using clothes. So yes, clothes are very important. Yet clothes in themselves are not salvation. If they were Nuns would be saved! Moslem ladies that have never pronounced the name of Jesus would be saved!
Paul the apostle he wrote: "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves." - 2 Co 13:5.
In
Acts 17:11, the Bereans were referred to as men of "noble character” and in
Proverbs 31:10, the bible uses a Hebrew word that is translated as "virtuous" to describe a woman of character.
I oftenthink of the words of Mohandas Gandhi, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
When we think of Christ some of the qualities I think about are:
Love, joy, peace, respect, honesty, integrity, courage, fairness, compassion, caring, cooperation, responsibility, self-control, gratitude, temperance, thriftiness, selflessness , tolerance ,trustworthiness, diligence truthfulness virtue, contentment, honor, patience, peacefulness, tenderness, calmness, purity, considerate, restrained, submissive etc.
It is God's will that we be like Him in nature and character. The Bible is full of teachings we often over look as we try to get the suit and tie look.
Titus 2 teaches us to be cautious about our conduct and attire. May both always tell the world that we live to glorify God and not ourselves. A true christen fears God, holding Him in reverential awe.
Sometimes we are so focused on being correct in our doctrine and pointing out the interpretational errors of others that we’ve failed to inspire hope and offer a vision of the beauty that exists in living the Christian life. In thhe story of eating with unwashed hands Jesus taught us a great lesson. Jesus
told them that they had forgotten what was most important. Yes, it is important to wash our hands. But Jesus wants us to have clean hearts. That is the most important thing.Jesus knew that these men had dirty hearts
We have been so busy trying to be a Christian that I think we may have forgotten what it means to really follow Christ.
We partake of the "divine nature the Bible says. As partakers of that nature we cannot do our own thing. We are workers together. We must accept the fact that we are all different. Just as different as Peter the crude fisherman and Paul the scholar. We have a great treasure in a temple of clay.
I am not saying come any ole way into HIS presence. It stands to reason if we have knowledge of certain things we must KNOW how to approach God. We must have balance in all things.
Whatever we do, ALL we do must be for the GLORY of GOD, who ALONE is worthy of the GLORY and the PRAISE!
I am repulsed by people that are holier than thou in dress and have no moral standards while condemning adultery they pay off the lawyer or some authority. We see people preaching anything to get a slap on the back, people that conform to the ideas of others to climb some political ladder. We find cheap personalities that buy people by offering them offices and seats on a platform somewhere.
Being a Christian is not a pastime; it is a passion to me. It is something we live every day. Handing out tracts is something most do however the real tract is your and my life. The world is reading us not the little piece of paper we give them. Offering something less than genuine is commonplace today however not acceptable to God. Those around us will know if we are true Christians.
I often have visitors and after they are gone I notice what the Brazilians say about them. They are keen judges of character! I hope when I am gone they can say I was a true Christian. That does not mean we do not have faults and failures but it means we live a disciplined life a life of NOBLE character.
I cringe when I hear missionaries use the statement that they know how to draw funds from the American audience. I heard one say not long ago, “I will take up money for one thing because Americans give to that but I will use it for something else.”
Psalms 15 teaches us some vital truths about holiness and how to know who is holy.
1.
He who speaks truth in his heart 2. He who does not...
a. Backbite with his tongue
b. Do evil to his neighbor
c. Take up a reproach against his friend
3. In whose eyes...
a. A vile person is despised
b. One who fears the Lord is honored
4. He who swears to his own hurt and does not change
5. He who does not...
a. Put out his money at usury (interest)
b. Take a bribe against the innocent
-- He who does these things shall never be moved
Ezequiel 36:23-28
23 And I will sanctify my great name , which was profaned among the Gentiles, which you have profaned in the midst of them: that the Gentiles may know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord of hosts, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the Gentiles, and will gather you together out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 And I will pour upon you clean water, and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness, and I will cleanse you from all your idols.
26
And I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit in the midst of you: and I will cause you to walk in my commandments, and to keep my judgments, and do them.
28 And you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
My soul followeth hard after thee....Love one another with a pure heart fervently. 
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