There are dozens of passages which describe what should characterize a Christian’s behavior. With our limited space, we’ll consider several portions and may the Lord impress these on our hearts.

*1st John 2:29: “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who PRACTICES RIGHTEOUSNESS is born of Him” (NKJV). The Christian will be characterized by RIGHTEOUSNESS. This means he be known for “doing what is right.” Another way of putting this is he will NOT practice sin, as we read in 1st John 3:9, “No one who is born of God practices sin” (NASB).

*1st John 3:14: “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we LOVE THE BRETHREN.” The Christian will be characterized by LOVE, especially for other Christians. And of course, there will be a love for God as well. Both of these thoughts are brought out in 1st John 5:1, “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who love Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.”

*Titus 2:11-12: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, and GODLY in the present age.” The Christian should be characterized being SOBER (which is “self-control”), RIGHTEOUS (doing “what is right” towards our fellow-man), and GODLY (being “conscious of God’s presence with us”). So, God’s grace teaches us what our conduct should be towards ourselves, other men, and God.

*Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” We often quote verses 8-9 to show men that they can’t be saved by good works, but this verse teaches us that after we are saved the Christian should be characterized by GOOD WORKS. Good works are the FRUIT of salvation, not the ROOT. This is what James emphasized in James 2:14-17, “What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has not works? Can THAT FAITH save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has not works, is dead, being by itself.” If one professes to be saved through faith in Christ, there must be good works in their lives or their faith is a “dead faith.” In other words, it is MERE PROFESSION. A “living faith” produces GOOD WORKS!

*Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL.” The Christian will be characterized by this nine-fold cluster of fruit! The Holy Spirit is really giving us a “portrait of Christ’s moral character” in these verses, for the Lord manifested all nine of these precious qualities from the manger to the cross. The Christian now possesses His life and the Holy Spirit so these things should be seen in our lives. In fact, as we “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (see 2nd Peter 3:18) we become more like Christ (see 2nd Corinthians 3:18) and this is the character that men should see in us at all times. (267.1) (DO)