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(or The Elements of Character)
Whenever human behavior is being examined, much may be said about the “will,” the power of choice that the Creator has placed within humanity so that it may properly reflect His nature as a free, moral Entity. For the Christian, the will is what allows us to bring the invisible things of God into the visible world. In human actions, in the works of the saints, the Faith of Jesus is revealed, and men are saved. Because of our will, because of our decisions, we may choose to accept the Sacrifice of the Son of God on our behalf, and are thereby transformed, even as it is written, “And the Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let him that heareth say, ‘Come.’ And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) It is thus that we cooperate with divinity in the labor of the Gospel ministry as God has intended.
The will, however, is only one aspect of the “finished product” of salvation; that is, the character of Jesus Christ made manifest in our human flesh. (Ephesians 4:11-16) The will alone cannot accomplish the Father’s purpose within His people, and therefore if our understanding is to be perfect, it must be expanded.
Christian writers, including those of the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church, have written extensively about the subject of character. For example, the formation of character has been described by means of its “chain:” thoughts lead to actions, actions lead to habits, habits make up our character, and character determines eternal destiny. The Chain of Character and its Biblical foundation is the subject of several articles such as “Every Link in The Chain.”
Usually, whenever there is a discussion of character, the focus is on its formation or its results, rarely what it IS – those things of which character actually consists in essence. To address this issue, and as a result of prayer and contemplation, God has provided us with insight illustrated in the following diagram:
Three elements are depicted: the Law, the Will, and the Desire. The Law, although it touches on thoughts in the tenth and final Commandment, is primarily designed to teach righteousness by describing behaviors; thus, it has to do with the realm of the Body. The Desire identifies what it is that we want. It is formed by thinking about the things that we can see or conceive; therefore, it naturally belongs to the arena of the Mind. The Will, the element first mentioned in this article, is the aspect of humanity that touches divinity. It determines our actions based upon our beliefs, and thus it perfectly reflects the Spirit. A pure will leads one to perform the works of Heaven, and one can only do so through the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Conversely, a corrupted will is bound to the works of the flesh, being controlled by the baser spirits of either the “self” or the fallen tempters.
Character is perfected when all three elements, Law, Desire, and Will, are in perfect balance. Each alone is important, but incomplete without the other two. This may be explained by means of a pattern of simple “equations” thus:
Elemental Formula = Result → Effect → Impact
This is simpler than it sounds. Various combinations of the three elements of character may be listed, followed by the result of those combinations, and then their immediate effects and long-term impact on the soul.
As a first example, the equation representing what has already been written is:
L + W + D = The Character of Christ → Perfection → Salvation
As stated, the balanced presence of the Law, the Will and the Desire results in the character of Jesus. We know what our Father expects of us (Law), we want to be in harmony with His intentions (Desire), and we make the choice to actually accomplish them in our lives (Will). When the character of Christ is fully formed within an individual, he or she is “perfect, even as [our] Father which is in Heaven is perfect,” (Matthew 5:48) and the result is inevitably everlasting life.
But what happens if there is no balance? By means of our equations the effect of isolating each of the elements may be revealed. This is worthy of much prayer and thought, as knowledge of the divine character has the power to identify many evils from which humanity must be cleansed.
Here is the first isolated element:
L – W – D = Oppression → Rebellion → Satanism
In plain words, Law, minus Will, minus Desire, results in Oppression. This leads to Rebellion, and the soul becomes polluted by Satanic thoughts and beliefs.
If there is only Law, but no Desire to follow it, and no Will to accomplish it, then order can only be maintained by force. If the universe were to operate this way, with angels and humans forced to obey the dictates of the Law despite their desires or the freedom to choose, this would be oppression. This would be slavery, and the inevitable result would be rebellion in those who desired this freedom.
Human beings who see God’s requirements this way, as “We must do this and that in order to be saved,” will not be satisfied with His salvation, because they do not know His character. Like Satan himself, they will rebel against the oppression that they believe is taking place, and accept the religion of “self” that the demons practice. The Law does not save, as the Scripture rightly tells us; it exists to teach. (Galatians 3:19-25) It is only when Christ is within us, giving the desire for righteousness, and the will to accomplish it, that we will be in unity with the divine, and escape the fate of the fallen ones.
The next isolated element is the Will. As mentioned at the very beginning, as important as the will is (and all three elements are important) by itself it cannot accomplish righteousness. We see:
W – L – D = Anarchy → Heresy → Separation
If there is only the Will, the drive to make choices and do “things” without knowledge of the Law, and without the Desire for righteousness, only chaos can result. The Bible (as well as various Christian authors) takes a largely negative view of such things as independent ministries, groups formed by individuals for the promotion of particular doctrines outside of an actual Church setting. (cf. Romans 12:5, 1Peter 5:5, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Corinthians 1:9-10) Occasionally, several independent ministries that are associated with the same Church may teach different, even conflicting, doctrines... an obvious problem with consistency. Independent ministries often get some idea, some doctrine, that they believe is the “key message for the age,” and then they run with it, neither teaching the Law as it ought to be taught, nor fully believing in Righteousness by Faith, the belief that God gives us complete victory over our sins (1 John 3:10) in response to our prayers, our Desire, to be perfect in love and character.
More generally, the result of this chaos, this anarchy, is “Heresy,” a word found translated in the singular that way in only one verse – Acts 24:14 [KJV]. As much as it has been (mis)used by legalistic traditions in the past, it simply means “division.” Will without Desire or Law causes one to become stubborn, literally “willful,” not wanting to do anything that would edify the Body of Christ or promote sanctification, but only to proudly resist any and all attempts (including those by the Spirit of God) to inspire holy desires or a knowledge of God’s true requirements.
With such an individual or group there can be no unity, no harmony, and so we see divorces, dis-fellowships, denominationalism, independent ministries, and various other evils that result from schisms. Is there chaos, disharmony, or the threat of separation? This imbalance is the reason why.
The third element in isolation may be described this way:
D – W – L = Perversion → Frustration → Self-destruction
Desire, without temperance that comes from the right use of the Will, or knowledge of truth that comes from familiarity with the Law, is a terrible curse. The Buddhist religion, in fact, teaches that all suffering in the world comes from desire, and therefore one of its core principles is to release one’s self from all desire in order to know peace.
This is not terribly far from the truth, but Christians know that there are “holy” desires because they are in a relationship with the Creator who crafted them, and taught them to His people through His Law. By the work of the Holy Spirit, righteous desires are fulfilled and carnal ones are eliminated; thus, the Godly soul knows peace. This is the true Sabbath of the Lord. (Matthew 11:28, Hebrews 4:9-11)
One may find many instances of unbridled desire in the Scriptures, such as the unfortunate incident between King David’s children Amnon and Tamar. (2 Samuel 13) By many and diverse examples, the Word of God reveals to us that sorrow is always the result of unholy desires, whether they are fulfilled or not. This leads to frustration, and ultimately the destruction of the soul. It should be noted that the word “perversion” is used here, not in the strictly sexual sense (although that can easily result from desires uninhibited by self-control and respect for God’s commandments) but more generally. The appetite for food may be perverted, for example, or the appetite for fashion. In each case the cause is exactly the same: desire without restraint of the Law or the Will.
It may easily be seen, then, that while each of the elements of character is important, none of them in isolation can bring about the results that our Father desires for His children. In fact, focusing on any one element of the three to the exclusion of others will inevitably result in total disaster, even though each of the three is absolutely “good.” It is exactly in this sense that the New Testament will speak of the Law and the Commandments. The “Law is good,” as it is written, but it must be used “lawfully,” properly. (1Timothy 1:8) It is described as a blessing, a gift for our good even in the New Testament era; after all, if it is going to be used properly, then obviously it needs to be “used.” We dare not throw the Law out (as many Christian traditions have) simply because it has been misused over the years for legalistic purposes.
Now, if one element of character used in isolation results in disaster, what would happen if “most” of the formula were present? What if one had two out of three, the “compounds” from which character is built? The popular quotation is, “Two out of three ain’t bad,” but in spiritual things, two out of three is imperfection, incompleteness... defeat. The Christian wants the entire substance of character, not merely some of the atoms or the molecules of which it is constructed by the Divine Craftsman.
Just as with the individual units, each pair of elements is a good thing. They are only made corrupt by the loss of the third element, so just looking at the various pairs on their own merits:
The formula for this diagram is:
W + D = Relationship, or we might say Commitment
One wishes to be close to some person, place, or spiritual ideal, and this is brought to fruition by decisions, by following through with one’s choices. This is the foundation on which committed relationships are built. Decisions must be backed up by actions.
The second formula is this:
L + W = Obedience
One who has this combination knows what the Heavenly Father requires, and chooses to accomplish it. This is obedience; naturally, this is a very good and essential component of character.
The final pair may be illustrated in this way:
L + D = Conscience
One knows the requirements of the Father, and desires to do them in his or her spirit. This is the educated and spirit-led conscience, one that prompts the individual toward righteousness, and clearly this is absolutely necessary for sanctification to occur.
Each of these is good – absolutely vital; however, these pairs are incomplete, and if the third element is not brought in, then none of them are sufficient to perfect the character. If growth is not continued into a perfect balance of all three, then the pairs harden and become corrupt. A relationship with the Divine Lawgivers, the Father and Son, is everlasting life, (John 17:3) but merely having a “spiritual” relationship with whatsoever or whosoever one worships (W + D) does not result in salvation, neither does blind obedience (W + L), or a refined conscience (L + D) without the actions resulting from the will that bring it to life.
Let us see, then, what happens if we remove even one of the three from our equations.
L + W – D = Legalism → Hypocrisy → Condemnation
With the Law and the Will, we have Obedience. If, however, we have obedience without Desire, then we have dead formalism and obedience that is mindless (remember, “Desire” is mind). We have legalism, justification based on the act of obeying, which quickly leads to hypocrisy. The word hypocrite comes from a Greek term that literally means an “actor,” a pretender, one who goes through the motions. Hypocrites will judge others by standards to which they do not hold themselves. God, however, does hold them to these standards, for “with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again,” (Matthew 7:2) since that is our understanding of truth. Hypocrites judged by their own standards will inevitably be found wanting; therefore, blind obedience must necessarily end in condemnation at the time of judgment.
Next we have:
L + D – W = Failure → Discouragement → Apostasy
One may know the Law, and desire to do it, having an awakened conscience. Without true conversion, however, without the abiding presence of Christ within that provides us with the will to accomplish righteousness, (John 14:23, 1 John 2:14, 1 John 3:24) all we have is a measure of faith without works, an impotent and useless religion.
Those who attempt to satisfy their conscience without the power to do so will fail, time and time again. They are driven by guilt to enter into a “sin-repent cycle” well known to false religions, and cannot avoid becoming discouraged. They know the right thing to do, but they cannot find it within themselves to do it with any consistency. They confess their failures, and promise to do better, but such resolutions only last for a short time, and so they inevitably find themselves coming short once again. Sadly, this is the experience, to one degree or another, of multitudes of Christians who have not accepted the Gospel in its entirety, unadulterated by the traditions of men. Ultimately, many will fall away from the faith altogether, because faith without works is “dead,” (James 2:26) lacking the right spirit (remember, “Will” is spirit). They must therefore choose to believe something different, something other than the truth in order to justify themselves – the very definition of apostasy.
Finally:
W + D – L = Ignorance → Confusion → Idolatry
This formula has been left until the end for a reason. Many of the problems faced by human beings, and those within Christian Churches are no exception, result from flawed communication. People want to speak with one another. They decide to communicate, and do... but they have not always known the “rules” to make communication effective. It should not be thought that the “Law of God” is only the 10 Commandments as they are worded in the Bible, or some other list of Heaven-approved activities found in, or compiled from, the Bible. Rather, the Law of God consists of every principle of His character that forms the standard to which we are held. This includes the manner in which He wishes for His people to communicate.
A Bible study about communication, which examines the acronym S.T.A.R.S., was written to address this issue, and may be well worth an examination for those who wish to see the Biblical approach to both written and spoken conversation.
For the record, the letters represent:
- Significance
- Timeliness
- Accuracy
- Relevance
- Sanctifying Power
Communication issues are but one example. In general, where there is Will and Desire, where there is a relationship, a commitment or covenant, but no Law that determines righteousness, there will be ignorance of the divine standard. There will be a lack of understanding what the Father truly requires of His people, what the right actions are that we ought to undertake (remember, “Law” is body, governing the actions). If there is activity and discussion within the realm of ignorance, confusion and misunderstandings naturally arise. It should be understood that confusion is a kind of idolatry, especially when knowledge and clarity are spiritual gifts that we receive if we worship the true and only God, “for God is not the Author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:33) Confusion, in fact, always leads to more open forms of idolatry where religious observances are concerned.
There are many among the various Churches who sincerely desire to follow the teachings of the Bible. Some of them are the nicest, most committed Christians one may ever meet. They are humble, meek, and kind-hearted. Though they may accept doctrines not found in the Scriptures, whether they are Sunday-keepers, or have a Trinitarian view of the Godhead, or teach doctrines contrary to the Biblical Feasts, or have this or that other teaching in error, they are doing what they know to do of righteousness with sincerity. Unfortunately, because they have not received the benefit of the Law in this New Testament age, they do not know how to worship the God of the Bible in the perfect way that He has declared He ought to be worshipped, in Spirit and in absolute, untainted truth.
The Father says, “Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.” (2Kings 17:3) The Son says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Of both the Father and Son it is written, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. Here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.” (1John 5:2, Rev 14:12)
This may be summarized simply as, “You have holy desire, and a sanctified will? That is good... now you must learn the Law, and what the Father requires of you, so that you may use them the right way.” This is Agape love: perfect, divine love. This is the manifestation of the divine character.
Those who do not know God’s Law may honor Him in all that they can, hence the influence of both the Desire and the Will (a relationship, a commitment) but God has also said that without knowledge of Him in spirit and in truth, the people will perish. (John 4:24, Hosea 4:6) Those who attempt to pursue a relationship with God after their own suppositions, inclinations, or based on human tradition, do so without knowledge of the Law. As a direct consequence, they will not know how to prepare themselves for the events prophesied to break shortly upon the world, not for the darkness of the Time of Trouble (Daniel 12:1, Matthew 24:3-31) nor for the bright glory of the return of the Son of God, (Mark 14:61-62, 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Revelation 22:7) because they have not come to know His Person as it is expressed in the Commandments and teachings He has provided for us.
Fortunately, such dedicated individuals as these are often open to the evangelist, who brings the “Good News” about our Father, the holy Gospel. Their desire makes them open to pursuing the truth, and their will ensures that if they indeed learn the truth, if they accept it with humility and honesty, they will commit to it.
In conclusion, there is much that might yet be understood from this simple idea, that perfection of character is the result of God’s perfect Law, a sanctified Desire, and the conviction to use human Will in the right way. Salvation, of course, is of God, obtained by faith and not by works; and yet the will of the Christian is itself a gift from God. It is the means by which one grasps the Gospel message and brings it into the world according to the instruction, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)
Within the born-again believer, the three elements of character work in perfect concert. All three equations of life must be active. Having knowledge of the Law, a Desire to do righteousness and the Will to bring it to life causes the appearance of the Fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) Taken in pairs, we find the same is true. A relationship with the Father and Son, as well as obedience to Their instructions, and having a Spirit-led conscience that maintains the mind in a state of peace is another way of describing the Character of Christ, but all three elements, and thus all three pairs, must be present.
When they are, the Christian fulfills righteousness, and the Scripture is found to be true: “[Jesus] shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed [...] that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:10, 12)
David.