Kingdom Character

Kingdom Character

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

Character: - According to Webster’s Dictionary Character is one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. This is a side of her character that few people have seen.

A feature used to separate distinguishable things into categories also: a group or kind so separated advertising of a very primitive character. The aggregate of distinctive qualities characteristic of a breed, strain, or type such as a wine of great character. The detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes. The complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation. The main or essential nature especially as strongly marked and serving to distinguish from another.

Character is the strength of moral fiber. A.W. Tozer described character as “the excellence of moral beings.” As the excellence of gold is its purity and the excellence of art is its beauty, so the excellence of man and woman is their character.

People of character are noted for their honesty, ethics, and charity. Descriptions such as a man of principle and a woman of integrity are affirmations of character. When there is a lack of character there is moral deficiency, people lacking character tend to behave dishonestly, unethically, and immorally.

A person’s character is the sum of their disposition, thoughts, intentions, desires, and actions. Character is gauged by general tendencies, not based on a few isolated actions. We must look at the whole life. David was a man of good character a man after God’s own heart 1 Samuel 13:14 although he sinned on occasion 2 Samuel 11. There are several people in the Bible who are described as having a good or Kingdom character: Ruth for example is called virtuous - Ruth 3:11says “And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman”. Job’s character is commended by God Job 2:3 says “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause”.

It is the Lord’s purpose to develop character within us. Proverbs 17:3 says, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD tests the heart”. Kingdom character is the result of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctification and is a consistent manifestation of Jesus in a person’s life.

Understand God is pleased when His children grow in Kingdom Character 1 Chronicles 29:17 says, “I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness”.

I like this saying to sum up what character is: - Reputation is what people say about you, character is what God says about you – Question what is God saying about you. Kingdom Character.

PRAYER:

SCRIPTURE: - Matthew 5:1-16. Matthew 4:23 says “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the [gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people”. Matthew 9:35 says “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness”. These two verses are like bookends or parentheses that encapsulate five chapters of vital Kingdom content. Matthew is presenting Jesus’ ministry and how His ministry involves teaching and healing. Jesus is proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom, not a religion, not a church, but a Kingdom and He is healing every kind of sickness and disease to establish and manifest the power of His Kingdom. In Matthew 5 thru 7 we read what Jesus was teaching about God’s kingdom. In Matthew 8 thru 9 we see demonstrated the miracles Jesus was performing, healing people, which proved His kingdom.

The word Kingdom appears 54 times in the book of Matthew, more than in any other book in the Bible. Now the number 54 isn’t so important perse’ but 5+4 is. 5 = Grace – the goodness of God, the number 4 = creation because on the 4th day the material universe was created. The number 9 = Divine completeness. Developing Kingdom Character is striving for divine completeness through the Grace of God, creating a new thing in us.

Now let’s look at Matthew chapter 5 (Grace) and see who Jesus is talking to and what He is teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:1 says, “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him”. Jesus talking to the disciples and a crowd begins to form.