Stability of character will ensure effectiveness of charisma.
It is a fact that false prophets can work miracles without doing God's will and while living in sin (Mt 7:21ff). They won't enter eternal life, of course, despite their desperate attempts to call the One Lord who actually isn't/wasn't! Even today many claim to be God's ministers, but He knows the ones who truly belong to Him, and it is those who abstain from wickedness and immorality (2 Tim 2:19). Indeed, without holiness no one will see the Lord (Hebr 12:14), as only the pure in heart will see God (Mt 5:8). But our concern must not be that which is fake and false, but with what is genuine and good (Phil 4:8). It's no good sitting around and complaining about the bad stuff in world; rather, we should be equipped and strengthened to bring light into darkness. After all, light simply dispells darkness!
So, what are going to do? Simple: we need to establish the basis for God to move through us. The foundation for charism - God's giftings and anointing - is godly character. That is, in order to not be mislead by pride because of the miraculous, we need the strength and purity of character to handle things right. Hence, stability of character ensures effectivness of charisma.
By way of analogy, when the pipe is clean, the water can be poured out in purity. God's minister must be pure and mature channels to carry and transmit God's power. He is the Holy Spirit, hence the biblical requirments for holiness.
To use another anology, if the foundation of a building is weak it will one day collapse and cause huge damage. That is another way of putting Jesus' parable of the two men building a house, one on a rock, the other on sand. The storms raged against both houses, but only one stood the test. This is a brilliant way of saying that obedience to God's word, living by His values and principles, is the only way to live successful, constructive and strong in a world gone mad! Especially in our 'modern' world of liberalism and relativism where anything goes and nothing is right or wrong, many terrible long-term consequences will further ruin these societies. Money rules over values and morals, and the first victims are always children. And if children can't learn decent values then society is on a downward spirale to chaos and destruction. It's better to have less material possession but good values and happiness of heart - we all know it, but few pursue it. Jesus was right in saying that a person's life doesn't consist of the abudance of possessions. There is more to life than meets the eye!
What this world desperately needs is people of character. We had too many leaders with charisma but bad character that spoiled so much trust and goodwill. In our present global leadership crisis, it's high time for the true leaders in the Church to arise and be light and salt to the world. If light is absent, darkness prevails; if salt is rare, preservation cannot be granted. Unless we have godly character we cannot effectively carry divine charisma - it can, in fact, be a dangerous venture. God wants leaders and people of character that can effectively carry God-given charisma.
So, what are going to do? Simple: we need to establish the basis for God to move through us. The foundation for charism - God's giftings and anointing - is godly character. That is, in order to not be mislead by pride because of the miraculous, we need the strength and purity of character to handle things right. Hence, stability of character ensures effectivness of charisma.
By way of analogy, when the pipe is clean, the water can be poured out in purity. God's minister must be pure and mature channels to carry and transmit God's power. He is the Holy Spirit, hence the biblical requirments for holiness.
To use another anology, if the foundation of a building is weak it will one day collapse and cause huge damage. That is another way of putting Jesus' parable of the two men building a house, one on a rock, the other on sand. The storms raged against both houses, but only one stood the test. This is a brilliant way of saying that obedience to God's word, living by His values and principles, is the only way to live successful, constructive and strong in a world gone mad! Especially in our 'modern' world of liberalism and relativism where anything goes and nothing is right or wrong, many terrible long-term consequences will further ruin these societies. Money rules over values and morals, and the first victims are always children. And if children can't learn decent values then society is on a downward spirale to chaos and destruction. It's better to have less material possession but good values and happiness of heart - we all know it, but few pursue it. Jesus was right in saying that a person's life doesn't consist of the abudance of possessions. There is more to life than meets the eye!
What this world desperately needs is people of character. We had too many leaders with charisma but bad character that spoiled so much trust and goodwill. In our present global leadership crisis, it's high time for the true leaders in the Church to arise and be light and salt to the world. If light is absent, darkness prevails; if salt is rare, preservation cannot be granted. Unless we have godly character we cannot effectively carry divine charisma - it can, in fact, be a dangerous venture. God wants leaders and people of character that can effectively carry God-given charisma.
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