Character & Sin
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)
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…