What is God’s Character?

Christian Author and Pastor Ron Craig

I invite you to think along with me about this righteousness subject. In John 8:44, Jesus said those whose spiritual father is the devil will carry out the will of their father the devil. He is a liar and murderer. And those religious people Christ was addressing proved to be just that—liars and murderers. Like father like son is the principle. Thus, the devil’s spiritual children (1 John 3:10) are not righteous but unrighteous. God being our spiritual Father, and we being His children, ought not we carry out His will, and display His character? (Like Father like son or daughter) And just what is God’s character? Righteousness! Thus, we must be righteous, just as 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 John 3:7 plainly teach. (Many other Scriptures as well.) If we make such a change of attitude about ourselves as Christians, there will be a major improvement in the way we Christians deport ourselves in this unrighteous world. This evil world needs to see some righteousness being displayed. And if we believers do not display it, who is going to show the world what real righteousness looks like?

(But, what believer would dare claim he or she is righteous? That would just not be humble. Only God is righteous. To claim that we are righteous would be saying we are divine.) You may or may not agree with that doctrine, but that is the general argument in many religious circles. That is a false humility! Let me tell you what real humilityis. It is agreeing with God! False humility may seem to be the way to go, but in reality it is agreeing with the devil, and disagreeing with God; and so cannot be helpful to us. 

     And a slight glimpse into the next lesson, not only does the Bible say that believers are the very righteousness of God, and partakers of His divine nature, but that we are the pure and holy temple of God—the place where He now dwells here on earth. Even in ancient Israel, God said that when He walked through their camp there was to be no kind of filth visible. They had to bury their human waste with a paddle outside of their camp, so that no impurities would be in the camp. God being unchanging, why would He have lowered the standard in the New Testament? God demands a pure people, and we are it. If not us, who? If not now, when? Let us believe what God says about us!