Many Christians ask themselves why we are here on Earth today, and why christian character matters today in God’s Kingdom. N.T. Wright, author and also known as the Bishop of Durham, wrote After you Believe in order to help his readers reflect on why we are here which is to eventually become full human beings; full in the sense of being fully formed and, in other words, fully mature. The majority of Christians want to reflect God in their everyday lives, ultimately serving in His Kingdom and ending up in heaven as an eternal life. Reflecting God’s character involves those who worship and do mission, and this is done by allowing Jesus to lead us. In the beginning of the book Wright states, “The way this works out is that it produces, through …show more content…
the work of the Holy Spirit, a transformation of character” (26). The essential thing that is supposed to occur after we believe is the transformation of your character. Wright introduces virtues, also known as moral excellence, by comparing them to the beliefs of Aristotle.
Aristotle believed that the main goal of life was for a human to become fully flourished. According to Aristotle there are four principal virtues: courage, justice, prudence, and temperance. In order to become fully flourished, one must personally cultivate through these four cardinal virtues. However, as these cardinal virtues are indeed acceptable and noble to follow and pursue, Wright claims that these are not enough on their own for a Christian. He believes that the goal of the Christian life is higher than “human flourishing” and Christian virtue is also morally higher and wider in capacity than the assumptions of human virtues are. In the preface of the book Wright states, “The Christian life in the present, with its responsibilities and particular callings, is to be understood and shaped in relation to the final goal for which we have been redeemed.” In other words, Christian virtue is about living as a part of God’s Kingdom, and behaving in a sense that forecasts the arrival of the new heaven and earth. The life of a Christian should involve both worship and mission, becoming agents of God’s love and royal …show more content…
priests. Furthermore, in order to become a character of Christian virtue, one must genuinely follow Jesus Christ. According to Wright, this does not happen instantaneously or quickly, it is attainable through the strenuous, yet graceful process through our journey of life. He writes, “God wants you to be, as we might put it, humans rather than puppets. You will have to think about it, to struggle with it, to pray for grace and strength; but at least it is now within reach… Jesus… says, in effect, ‘Follow me, and authenticity will begin to happen” (108). Wright is claiming that living in harmony with the genuine human being that God calls you to be is the authenticity that absolutely matters. Contrary to popular belief among Christians, it is not a matter of practicing perfect behavior in order to earn salvation, but rather Christian virtue is a signal of life. The hypocrisy of traditional morality is a huge issue among the Christian community according to Wright. Although in a world where everyone is encouraged to be themselves, Wright states, “Supposing the ‘self’ to which you are true is the self that wants to cheat everyone you meet, including friends and family, out of as much money as possible” (51). He then later goes on to say, “Spontaneity, left to itself, can begin by excluding bad behavior and end by congratulating vice,” (56). He is encouraging people to leave behind their morally corrupt minds and selves, and to find the glory of a virtuous life, a kind of life that they have never even imagined. Throughout the book, Wright maintains a need for the Christian community to find joy and a virtuous life, a life they have never experienced before, as stated earlier. He emphasizes the point that Christianity isn’t from an imposed “duty” but rather from joy. He states, “If someone gives you a present merely because he is obeying a rule or doing his duty, the glory of gift-giving has slipped through your fingers” (47). Wright is not speaking of Christian virtues in a vague sense, rather explaining that by finding virtue and joy in our lives, living and glorifying God will not seem like a duty or job, as sometimes it may feel that way to some Christians. Developing virtue and a transformation of character is a process, according to Wright, and it requires “moral effort.” This should be a deliberate effort on one’s part, practicing the morally correct habits of life showing that God’s Kingdom is “turning the world right way up”, purifying the world so that it becomes the dwelling place of God’s glory. Living not to please yourself but to please God, is the perfect example of the pattern of Christian life, just as Jesus showed not how to do it but what to do by being crucified to rescue our world. As a result, Christians become a more “full human being” and reflect the divine image of God from the world to Him and from Him to the world. As stated earlier, Christians constantly question their character role within God’s Kingdom. Wright suggests that the Christian character consists of 3 virtues, 9 fruits, and 1 body. The three virtues are faith, hope, and love; the nine fruit are known as the fruit of the Holy Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance, and self-control); and the body refers to the unity of the Church. The combination of these distinguishes the immature Christians from the mature, fully formed, ones. According to Wright, this is the destiny of every Christian who is committed to following our Savior Jesus Christ. Virtue is hard remarkable work, as it is a part of the future coming into the present. Finally, Wright explains how his book fits with his overall view of God’s plan in which us Christians are God’s agents in the final “putting-to-rights” of all creation. He states, “If they are to be royal priests, ruling over God’s new world (Romans 5.17), they must be people through whose lives shine a genuine humanness, reborn in Christ after judgement has been passed on their own sin. That is the inner logic which links personal conversion, faith and sanctification with the wider task of the church in the world” (146). If those who claim to follow Jesus Christ do not show Christian virtues such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance, and self-control, then it is more impossible to speak of God with any conviction. These are the attributes in which the “royal priesthood” must practice every day in which they take on their calling of worship and mission in their Christian lives. The author concludes by suggesting five things that we can use as Christians to shape our mind and increase our Christian character: Scripture, stories (Biblical and from elsewhere), examples of people with exemplary character, community (Church), and practices (charity, reading scripture). These are significant to Wright because it is important that we consider how we want to live our lives and choose the patterns that we want to live our life by. These five practices form a virtuous circle, as they are all just as important, supporting one another and to be continuous practiced by Christians in their everyday lives in order to produce a transformation of character that excels in worship and mission. As a current Christian, this book was very helpful in clearing up my vision for my purpose in God’s Kingdom.
At some point in our lives we all question our reason for being here in His Kingdom and what our role needs to be, and Wright suggests finding virtue and joy will lead us to a positive transformation of character, in order to better serve in our Lord’s Kingdom. Questioning “Why Christian Character Matters” is more than just a religious idea, it is also a moral effort and predicament, at times. The issue of traditional morality arose in this book, encouraging Christians to escape their morally corrupt minds and find the real joy and meaning behind being a Christian, rather than stealing from your friends and family and committing
sin. Attaining virtue is not instantaneous, according to Wright, as it is a process and one needs to go through numerous ups and downs in order to get to Christian virtues. Wright believes that going through times of struggle, despair, and ups and downs builds up our virtue. For example, as a little kid I was known to continuously lie to my parents about stupid things, and as I got older and went through disciplinary actions, my honesty virtue has grown and built up to a point where my mind is fully formed in a Christian way. Also, it is important to note that contrary to popular Christian belief, God did not make us as His humans. We are made in God’s image, we are “nephesh.” He is the creator, we are creator. He is a dreamer, we are a dreamer. Many Christians believe God has a precise blueprint that lays out our lives, as he plans everything that we do and everything that happens to someone. This is not the case according to Wright, as we are just merely images of God that need to apply the new birth/life we receive from Jesus Christ in order to live in the Kingdom of God and experience the redeemed life. However, I did locate a few flaws in N.T. Wright’s book. He is too restrained in the idea that of the consequences of not living a virtuous Christian life that constantly pursues virtuous living. Wright says this simply “will not do” which is an example of an understatement. I believe it would have been beneficial of him to take more time to explain this further, giving the reasons behind the consequences of not constantly pursuing a Christian virtuous life. In addition, I also enjoyed the fact that Wright recognizes that evangelism is the center point to living a Christian virtuous life. He gives a good example and definition as to what he believes evangelism is: persuading others to trust Jesus and proclaiming Jesus. However, I think it would have been great if his story was just a little bit longer in order for myself to read on about how evangelism shapes Christians into God’s missionary people. Finding joy, virtues, and morality are all important aspects of a typical Christian’s life. It is what we do with these ideas and values that makes Christian character matter. How and why we develop our virtues and character is what makes Christian character matter. Living a virtuous life leads us to glorify God and reflect Him in all of our actions as Christians, leaving our morally corrupt minds behind and reflecting God in our everyday lives; finding joy in pursuing Jesus Christ and encouraging others to follow him as well. In doing this, we eventually become fully alive, fully mature, and full human beings in the Christian community. In addition, some Christians have a blurry vision as to what their purpose of their character is, or the purpose of their presence in God’s Kingdom, but Wright believes this can all be built up and change and become more clear. After we believe and let Jesus guide and accept our roles in God’s Kingdom, then our transformation of Christian character can occur and a joyous and blessed life ensues in the new birth and life we receive from Jesus Christ.
In Martin Luther’s Freedom of a Christian Man, Luther describes what he believes should be the relationship between faith and good works in the life of Christian people. His beliefs became integral to the Protestant and Lutheran ideologies. The basis of Luther’s pamphlet was “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” (31) This central thought provides readers dialogue on what is truly a selfless, act and if these acts do in fact have an effect on one’s
In the Lilies of the Field by William E. Barrett, Homer and Mother Maria both display straightforward, hardworking, and stubborn character traits. Firstly, Homer and Mother Maria both display a straightforward personality by being brutally honest about their opinions. For example, when Mother Maria asks Homer to build a chapel, Homer speaks his mind by telling her he does not want to build it. Mother Maria shows her straightforward behavior during Homer’s stay at the convent. One morning, when Homer sleeps in late, Mother to becomes extremely upset and is not afraid to show how she feels about him. Secondly, both Homer and Mother Maria display a hardworking spirit. Homer is a hardworking man because after finally agreeing to build the chapel,
“The thing I hate about space is that you can feel how big and empty it is… ”
Literary villains are all around us. For instance, Voldemort from Harry Potter and Darth Vader from Star Wars. What makes a villain? They will go through anyone or damage anything to reach their goal. No matter how small or how tall they are, anyone can be a villain. One of the worst literary villains is Erik Fisher from Tangerine, written by Edward Bloor. He is a liar and a thief. Those traits are what makes the best villains. Throughout the book, Erik shows that he is a villain through his vile and offensive behavior, his need for power, and his insanity.
Doug Swieteck, from “Okay for Now”, by Gary D. Schmidt, lived a life in anger. At the beginning of the book, he was very hateful of everything. He had spent a long time in anger and disgust, trying to find a way in life. Near the beginning of the book, Joe Pepitone gave Doug his baseball cap and jacket in person, to Doug. But, Doug’s mean older brother took the cap and his dad took his jacket. That added to Doug’s anger even more. But, luckily he turned it around in the middle and end of the book. He ended being a lot happier and was able to control his emotions better.
Stuff and money is becoming more important in people’s lives. They forget how much more important the Holy Spirit is in their lives. Forgetting how powerful the Lord is, they begin relying on material items. In eternity, material items will not be of any value! Like the Li family in Safely Home, the Lord wants His followers to rely on Him to provide, instead a sundry of Christ followers begin to depend considerably on money, jobs, and people for providence. In Safely Home, the story illustrates how Christians are to live with God as their provider because when a Christian lives a life in dependence on God, they rightfully focus on the Lord as their provider. God can direct a person’s path in a way no one else is able to. Just like Li Quan, Ming, Shen and all the other Christians in the story accepted, God’s thoughts will become one’s own thoughts and His words will become one’s own words. However, without fully realizing, Ben Fielding was living to serve himself. He was dedicated to his job, being successful, and well-off, but he was still empty inside. This particular successful businessman was always searching for something to fill the hole in his heart until he truly experienced the Lord and His presence. In short, Christians can be challenged by this story to rely on God more and live a lifestyle that pleases
Ever since he was a little boy Randall Woodfield felt like women were against him. Growing up he despised his two sisters because they teased him and he felt like he was treated differently than his sisters. For the rest of his life Randall would misperceive women. Randall Woodfield would value himself based off of how women thought of him. The one woman he cared most about was his mother. He never wanted to disappoint her or let her down in any way. Randall always felt incredibly upset when he disappointed his mother; a lot of his actions during his younger years were made based off of what his mother would think or want him to do. While in high school Randall excelled in sports mainly football and he would later go on to play in
Christopher Johnson McCandless, the main character in the book “Into the Wild,” had made a lot of friends even though he did not like people. Wayne Westerberg was one of Chris’s friends who he met in a bar. Chris also befriended a girl named Jan Burre. Another person who befriended Chris was a guy named Ronald Franz,
...nd analyzing the writing of Pope Francis it allowed me to further my understanding of not only his particular style of teaching, but also of the various issues surrounding Christian ethics. Reading his book, changed my perspective on a few issues and had an impact on me in regards to my life as a Christian. By writing this paper, I was able to identify the main focuses of Christianity in order to become more effect, relevant, and credible. In addition, I was able to further my understanding of the issues surrounding Christian ethics, which will allow me to help others more effectively by following in Jesus’s footsteps. Overall, I enjoyed the assignment and it opened up my eyes to the different issues surrounding the four areas of concern mentioned in The Joy of the Gospel, which are the new idolatry of money, option for the poor, inequality, and common good/peace.
The Fosters makes me feel as though I am a part of the family every episode. Personally I do not consider having two moms is normal, but I can relate to some of the situations the characters go through because my family is not perfect. The Foster's deal with many different issues: break ups, hook-ups, romances, and important life lessons.
James Longstreet was an integral man throughout the duration of the American Civil War. He played a part in almost every major battle that the Confederacy fought, he commanded troops at the first and second Battles of Bull Run, in addition to being Lee’s right hand man at Gettysburg. He was with his commanding officer, General Lee, to the Confederacy’s bitter end at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia.
Wright gives the believer (or nonbeliever alike) a very clear picture of morality. In this book, he shows how we are to keep our moral conduct. Not only is he showing us how to keep our moral conduct. He is also showing us how to be true to ourselves as Christians. As a result, Wright incorporates truth about how one can see or view Christian character. Wright at one point says, “I hope to show in this book that the biblical vision of what human life is ultimately or will open up a perspective in which questions of behavior on the one hand, and of a fulfilled human life on the
“First, there is the call to be a Christian. Second, for each individual there is a specific call—a defining purpose or mission, a reason for being. Every individual is called of God to respond through service in the world. Third, there is the call that we face each day in response to the multiple demands on our lives—our immediate duties and responsibilities” (Smith, ...
God and the Bible’s teachings are used as a framework to find meaning in life and purpose of human presence. Purpose resides in every human’s potential to strive for peace, seek equality, nurture relationships and the environment to achieve harmony with the earth (Valk, 2012). “Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior and my hope is in you all day long” (Ps 25:5). The Holy Spirit, known as God’s active force and His power in action (Lk 1:35), is used as a guide by Christians to ascertain and determine what is right. “We choose to act based on good thinking, scripture and prayer, and the Holy Spirit helps us discern the right alternatives” (Shelly & Miller, 2006, p. 89). In seeing others as the image of God, choosing what is right from wrong is influenced by beliefs cultural background and respect for one another. In this religious culture, the tendency to do wrong is seen as sinfulness. However, it is the admission of sin that leads Christians to Jesus Christ to find and experience God’s forgiveness (Shelly & Miller, 2006). The recognition of sin and eventual redemption strengthens the relationship with God which directs a life of service to humanity (Shelly & Miller,
Class notes. Man’s Desperate Need of Righteousness and God’s Glorious Provision of Righteousness. Faith Christian University. Orlando, Florida. August 2011.