Is God Really Trying to Build Character into Us? (Part 2)

   Last week, I began to challenge the idea that God is trying to build character into us.  Why?  Because we are already perfect in our identity in Christ.

   How do we unpack this in an understandable way when we all know we do not live our lives with perfect character?  In fact, we may think that our character is very poor because of the mistakes we make and the sins we still commit.  That is why our identity in Christ is so important to understand, believe and live from.  While our behavior, thoughts and motives are not perfect, our identity in Christ is perfect, complete and full.  You see, we already have in us all of the character we will ever need.

   If that is accurate, and it is, then all of the remainder of our lives is an opportunity for that character to "come out of us".   You see,  Our Father is not trying to build his character into us.  He is working in our lives to get it out!  Yes, problems, challenges, daily life, these are all opportunities for the character He placed in us to come out.  As we trust Jesus Christ to live through us more consistently, not perfectly, we mature in our expression of that character.

   Isaiah prophesied in 61:3 that those who would believe in the Messiah would be called "oaks of righteousness".  Righteousness is the perfect character of God.  When He gives us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), He gives us His perfect character minus His deity.  We don't become little gods but we do become God's children.

   I have lots of oak trees at my home.  I have noticed that when an acorn from one of those trees sprouts up from the dirt, it is an oak tree, not a palm tree nor a pine tree.   Did you know that little seedling will never be any "oakier" than it is the day it pushes up from the ground?  The rest of its life, it will simply mature into what it already is, an oak tree.

   We are complete in Christ having all of the character we will ever need in our identity in Christ.  The remainder of our lives is one opportunity after another to mature into who we already are – sons and daughters of God!   He loves us!