Character

One of the primary building blocks of a nation is the character of its people. Webster, in one of his renderings, notes that character is moral excellence and strength. Our nation, founded upon godly principles, has enjoyed unparalleled success and prosperity. In stark contrast, the French revolution of the eighteenth century, founded upon godless principles, produced anarchy and repression. We may confidently rely on the age-old axiom: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverb 14:34). The building of character will be the key to the continued success of our nation.

Character is that which is supplied by the inward and spiritual part of man. While the Bible stresses the importance of living exemplary lives in the outward man, it does so by encouraging the transformation of the inward man into the likeness of Jesus Christ (Col. 3:9-11; Rm. 12:1-2).

There are three persons in each of us, as Dr. Childress affirms: what people think we are, what we think ourselves to be, and what God really knows us to be. Character, in the spiritual sense, is what God knows us to be. God does not accept pretended religion, but requires service from the heart. When we serve God in the spirit as well as in the letter of the law, we find Christianity to be a character-building way of life. This is not only good for our nation; it is essential to the salvation of our souls.

— Glen Elliott —