The Importance of Godly Character

Many have wondered: Why didn’t God in the beginning simply create people as spirit beings without human nature? Why did He first make us physical—from the dust of the earth—then offer to grant us eternal life only if we, with His help, vigorously resist the weaknesses of our flesh?

If God can do all things, why didn’t He just create us with perfect character? In other words, what is the purpose of this difficult and trying physical life? Couldn’t our heartache and suffering have been avoided?

Of course God could have done all of that—if He had been willing to create us without the personal character we need for making personal choices. It all gets back to our free will, our freedom of choice. God Himself had a choice about how humankind would be created. He could have made us automatons, functioning like preprogrammed robots whose only course of action is to carry out the instructions of their maker. But He chose to create us like Him, capable of making choices that are limited only by our knowledge and character. This requires that we learn right from wrong and that our character develop gradually by our decisions under God’s guidance and assistance.

Is God actively creating character in human beings?

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

“. . . Be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and . . . put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24, King James Version).

God is not finished with us. We are still His workmanship. He is creating in us “righteousness and true holiness”—His character.

As human beings, our character is not firmly set; it is not permanent. We can change our minds and behavior. We can make mistakes and learn from them. We can learn from the fruits of our right and wrong choices.

Since we can change our minds—and repent of our errors—God can change us even more and develop in us the will and the capacity to steadfastly choose what is right over what is wrong. “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him” (Philippians 2:13, New Living Translation).

Of course, God requires that we first recognize and willingly reverse our wrong behavior by allowing His Spirit to empower us to make the needed changes. Then we can become a new person “created in righteousness and true holiness.”

What aspect of our character is most important to God?

“For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

The Bible uses the word heart to describe our innermost thoughts, motives and attitudes. God knows what goes on inside our minds. He evaluates our intents and motivations (Hebrew 4:12-13). The internal aspects of our character count the most with Him. He considers our behavior in light of what is in our hearts (compare Jeremiah 17:10; Deuteronomy 10:12).

Can God change our hearts?

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them” (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

If we yield our will to God, He will empower us through the Holy Spirit to live by the principles of righteousness as He defines them in His laws. Each of us must be “a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing [or keeping straight along with] the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). It is through studying the Scriptures that we “may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God writes what we learn from His Word in our hearts by His Spirit (Hebrews 8:10; 2 Corinthians 3:3), making it a permanent part of our thinking and nature.

How can God be sure what is really in someone’s heart?

“What is man, that You should exalt him, that You should set Your heart on him, that You should visit [or deal with] him every morning, and test him every moment?” (Job 7:17-18).

We face trials and difficulties so God can know how committed we are to His way of life. He has to find out if our character will endure hardship and suffering. Only then can He trust us with the powers that will come with ultimately being transformed into His likeness for eternity. Life in the flesh today is not only for learning lessons and building character; it is for testing that character.