Summary

Character is the good attributes of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), while sin is allowing healthy passions to take control (James 1:15; I John 2:15-16).

Endorsements

All Christians agree that character is good and sin is bad.

Concepts

Character

There are 9 virtuous character traits that are called the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Each has an opposite corrupted state.

Love & Hate

Unhealthy disgust becomes resentment and hate. All commandments can be simplified by loving God and others, the 2 greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-40). Read more…

Joy & Depression

Unhealthy sadness becomes depression, but only through sadness can we be healed (Matthew 5:4; Ecclesiastes 7:3) and find a deep source of joy (Philippians 4:4). Read more…

Peace & Anxiety

Unhealthy fear leads to anxiously worrying, but peace leads to courage that erases all shame and guilt (Philippians 4:6-7).

Patience & Wrath

Unhealthy anger turns into wrath, but patience is bearing with the sins of others (Ephesians 4:2,31).

Kindness & Covetousness

Not having our needs met can make us grow selfish, but kindness is thinking more of and about others (Philippians 2:3-4).

Goodness & Shame

Everyone thinks they are good (Proverbs 21:2), but that’s because we often hypocritically blind ourselves to our own sin (Matthew 7:5). A “good” person honestly seeks pure righteousness through judgment (John 7:24).

Faithfulness & Abandonment

The first commandment ever is to not follow idols (Exodus 20:3), including non-material sources of worth such as the approval of others (Galatians 1:10). Faithfulness is always trusting in God alone (Hebrews 11:6).

Gentleness & Powerlessness

Manipulation is punishing others that don’t do what you want (Matthew 5:41), but gentleness is holding people accountable to their own standards (II Timothy 2:25). Read more…

Self-control & Addiction

The weak can’t do what they want (Romans 15:1), but the self-controlled can do anything God wants them to (I Corinthians 9:25).

Spiritual Fruit Comparison

God gave us emotions to be warnings of various evils (John 11:34-35). By misunderstanding or ignoring them due to our passions, we feel more of that emotion, and it becomes corrupted, leading to sin (James 1:15). Each sin is solved by a specific Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24), a healthy manifestation of our emotions. Through understanding of these fruits, we are freed from sin (John 8:32). The primary way to understand these fruits is with their respective foundational discipline or sacrament.

Character

Love (Colossians 3:14)

Joy (Philippians 4:4)

Peace (Isaiah 26:3)

Patience (Proverbs 29:11)

Kindness (I John 3:18)

Goodness (Mark 10:20-21)

Faithfulness (Job 13:15)

Gentleness (Esther 7:3)

Self-control (Matthew 27:29-30)

Emotions

Affection/Loathing (Song 1:2)

Happiness/Sadness (John 20:11)

Bliss/Fear (Luke 22:44)

Avenged/Anger (Matt. 21:12-13)

Wonder/Boredom (Ecc. 3:11)

Acceptance/Disgust (Ps. 119:158)

Trust/Doubt (Matthew 14:30-31)

Competence/Ineptitude (Phil 4:12)

Satisfied/Needy (John 4:14-15)

Corruption

Hate (Genesis 27:41)

Depression (II Samuel 12:14,17)

Anxiety (Luke 10:40-41)

Wrath (Genesis 27:41,44)

Covetousness (I Kings 21:15-16)

Shame (Psalms 44:14-15)

Abandonment (Hosea 3:1)

Powerlessness (Matthew 15:22)

Addiction (Mark 10:21-22)

Evils

Disunity (Acts 15:39-40)

Loss (Luke 15:8)

Uncertainty (John 10:10)

Injustice (Isaiah 1:17)

Lack (I John 3:17)

Disobedience (Luke 6:46)

Idolatry (Exodus 32:1)

Manipulation (Matthew 2:2-3,16)

Confusion (Matthew 20:21-22)

Baptism (I Corinthians 12:13)

Study (Luke 15:8)

Prayer (Philippians 4:6-7)

Fellowship (Hebrews 10:24-25)

Giving (Luke 14:13-14)

Repentance & Forgiveness (Lk 17:3)

Communion (I Cor 11:24)

Worship (Revelation 5:12)

Accountability (James 5:16)

Sin

Sin is a passion for anything more than God.

Passion or fleshly desire is the root of sin (James 1:15; Romans 7:5). The way to kill fleshy desire is to seek spiritual desires, which are the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:17,22-23). By seeking the Spirit, we kill the flesh (Galatians 5:24).

Sin is the result of free will’s selfishness.

Even in a world without a tendency to sin, mankind chose to disobey God (Genesis 3:6). Life by definition must sustain itself; otherwise, it will be dead. Humans, like all animals, naturally would kill others to live (Romans 3:10-12,15): the root of selfish ego (James 3:16). This is why Jesus telling us to sacrifice our own lives is so unique and revolutionary (Matthew 16:25).

Sin Categories

All sin comes from loving the world, specifically the things or evil in it (I John 2:15). There are 2 main categories of sin: lusts of the flesh and eyes and the pride in one’s own life (I John 2:16).

Contentment & Lust

Lust makes us feel like we need various pleasures, but God has given us the ability to be content (Philippians 4:11-13). Read more…

Humility & Pride

Our life should not be about fighting for our rights (I Corinthians 9:15,19) but becoming a servant to all (Mark 10:43-45) and bearing with the weak (Galatians 6:2). This is because we know we can do nothing good on our own (Isaiah 64:6) and are fully indebted to God in gratitude (I Thessalonians 5:18). Read more…

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