Character builds works; works do not build character

Sometimes the simplest words can build a picture in our minds that can transform our walk with Christ.

I remember a friend of mine when I was younger that was a dedicated Christian. I was calling myself a Christian at the time, this was years before I joined the motorcycle club that became my god. His name was Doug and he was a modest, quiet, and kind person but in spite of his claim to Jesus he was noticeably miserable. I remember how self-critical he was. He never seemed happy and he was always refereeing to his inability to satisfy God. I began to associate this image in my mind of a man with a ball and chain around his leg. To me, he wore his Christianity like a small prison. In those days I had little-to-no interest in understanding Jesus so I simply shook my head and believed he was the quintessential Christian.

Eighteen years later I found Jesus. The real Jesus. He transformed my life.

My Pastor gave a sermon a few weeks ago that really spoke to my heart and I wanted to share my thoughts on his topic with my readers. Of all the things he said there was one thing that grabbed me. It was like I was frozen in time for a few minutes. It was, at least to me, a profound statement. He said, “Character builds works; works do not build character.”

I thought of all the times that I did things because I knew God would be pleased with my actions. That`s not to say that He wasn`t, it`s just that my motives were superficial. I know we all shake our heads at the friends we have on Facebook or in our church body that have to tell the world every time they do something good. That`s probably because we are looking in the mirror and we just don`t know it. I know that I`m learning that the very people I criticize are usually just like me. The larger point, however, is that when we really start to build character—you know, that thing that shows up when no one is around—we begin to do right things for the right motives.

I remember a statement that Pastor Johnny Hunt of Woodstock First Baptist (Georgia) said that I`ve never forgotten and it conveys the same message in a different way: He said, “Jesus Christ changed my want to`s.”

I had to sit and think on that one a bit. At the time, I just couldn`t relate to what the pastor was saying. Later in my life, after I rededicated my life to Christ, I began to understand what pastor Johnny meant and it ties into Pastor Marty`s statement as well. The closer we come to Christ, not in our minds but in our hearts, the more we really believe in the Lord—who He is and what He has done for us—the more we act and walk in obedience. This happens without much effort on our part in terms of our thinking. We are truly transformed. We find that the Holy Spirit is standing next to us and guides our every thought, word, and deed. This is truly the definition of “Faith without works is dead.”

I think that so many of us, myself included, think that the clause “faith without works is dead” means that we must show works to show faith; however, if we are doing the works because we want to get some Heavenly brownie points—it is a dead work and it is faithless. A true faith will produce character and character will produce good works that are rightly motivated and pleasing to the Father. Just a thought from a fellow Christian. God bless.