The Perfect Character of the Risen Messiah Revealed in Those Who Believe

Coffee With God: 5/5/2023 | 1 Timothy 1:16

The Perfect Character of the Risen Messiah Revealed in Those Who Believe

“But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost (sinner), Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Did you know that patience is a direct byproduct of following Jesus? It’s true. Patience and all the other fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control) are the consequences of plugging into the one who called himself The Vine.

You might think, “Wait a minute, I know non-Christians who practice patience.”

Yes, you do! That is not a surprise at all. As long as a person, whether in Christ or not, possesses a conscience that has not been seared shut or totally silenced, you should expect to see evidence of God’s moral law written on their hearts.

However, what a person outside of Christ cannot exhibit is the perfect patience of Jesus Christ. For that, you need more than a conscience. You need His Spirit.

And sadly, many Christians who possess Christ’s Spirit still live as if they only have themselves to depend on when it comes to their moods, attitudes, outlooks, and behaviors.

For Paul, the practice of patience came down to a simple mindset:

I received God’s mercy so that Jesus Christ could display his perfect character in me.

When was the last time you thought about your salvation in this light? Have you ever considered that one of the reasons you were not raptured to heaven the moment you were saved is because God wants to display his perfect character through you?

The difference between legalism and holiness is not found in the limits we place on ourselves. It’s located in the motivation behind those restrictions.

I do not want to be holy because I am trying to prove myself to God. I want to be holy because I have tasted my Father’s goodness and character. And the more I experience him, the more I long to be like Him.

The practical side of the Christian life (I’m talking here about how we live in light of what God has done for us, including how we treat the seemingly mundane, everyday tasks of life) does not begin with one placing new restrictions on their actions (although that will come). It starts with putting on a new mindset:

I received God’s mercy so that Jesus Christ could display his perfect character in me.

Jesus Christ is in me.

I am in Jesus Christ, and He is in me.

He is in me.

Many Christian and non-Christian people exhibit character traits consistent with the moral law God has written on their hearts.

But Christians are called to exhibit something far better: the perfect character of a Risen Messiah. This should not come as a surprise, nor should it feel like a burden being placed on you. Our call to holiness comes directly from our Messiah, the One who is able to execute every plan and intention He has for our lives as we learn to trust and follow the Holy Spirit at work within us.