Apostolic Character Traits

Gal 6:14  But God forbid (May it never happen to me) that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, 

• ( The effect of the world on Paul is nothing; it is dead to Him.  It stands crucified to him, and its effects on Paul will never change, they are permanent.  It is a past action with permanent results.  This is the meaning of the perfect tense in which this verb is found.)and I unto the world.

Gal6:15  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth(inward strength and force, to have strength to overcome health, ability, capacity) any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

• Only Christ being formed and birthed in us is of any capacity or ability for us to overcome and get the victory.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed( don’t take on the outward form or fashion of the world by a disobedient walk with the Lord) to this world: but be ye transformed( metamorphosis; or attain to a complete and radical inward change and becoming a totally different individual)  by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove( only when we are radically changed can we then test, approve and possess for ourselves the mature, well pleasing, and good will of God) what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

• Remember the example of the lowly caterpillar being transformed into the beautiful butterfly.  Metamorphosis?  What about the tadpole being transformed into a frog?  Total and radical change!  Guess what?  That is exactly what the Lord wants out of our lives.  The death of ourselves on the cross and the resurrection life of our Lord within us should be so extraordinary, that indeed we all become lovely and free butterflies for His glory. Unrecognizable as a tadpole is from a frog because Jesus lives so big in us, should find us with no former remembrance of our “tadpolish” existence.  At least that should be our goal!)

Col 4:12  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring (always agonizing in an athletic struggle, fervently) for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 

 1) Brought to a place of spiritual maturity in ever aspect of our lives; and having a full assurance and understanding of everything that God has willed for our lives.
2) Knowing and understanding every aspect of what God has called us to do and willed for us, and perform it with all spiritual maturity)
3)To the limit of the very maturity of Christ’s character so that we can fulfill every aspect of Christ will through it.
                        
James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

• Much inward strength and capacity has the prayers of a righteous man to show itself efficient, active, capable and full of energy possessing everything that the Father has willed.

Philippians 1:20  According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness,( As Christ is magnified and made great in his life, the power of God within Paul brings much freedom to him.  Paul can live out the gospel in confidence, candor, fearlessness and honesty, unhindered in every way.) as always, so  now also Christ shall be magnified in my body), whether it be by life, or by death.

• The apostle Paul’s desire was to take his life and use it as a magnifying glass that would make Jesus Christ great.  His expectation is one of stretching out his head to be able to anxiously observe this process becoming a reality in his life.

Phillip 2:12 ¶ Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out(Utterly accomplish, finish and achieve to completion everything that has to do with your salvation.  Utterly finish it!  Do not leave anything lacking! Therefore growing up into Christ in all things.)
    your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Matt 10:37  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

• To have real weight or clout with Jesus.  The word for love in this scripture is affection for Jesus above that of anything else.  Having a greater affection for anything in this life makes a believer unfit and unprepared to follow Jesus.  He is unable to adequately respond to the life and the call of Jesus.  There will be a lack of balance between the believer and Jesus himself.  He will not deserve Jesus.)

Luke 5:10  And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11  And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

·        These disciples literally sent off, gave up, left behind all.  It is an attitude of the heart.  To follow Jesus is to follow Him and live the same life, which He lives.  It means to travel with Him on the same path that He travels on.  It is symbolic of an exterior call, but with an absolute commitment to one exclusive Master, Jesus, whether by life and even by death, if necessary.  The believer participates not only not only in salvation but in suffering as well.

 2Cor 12:15  And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

·        I will very gladly incur personal expense for your Christian well-being.  I will pour my very soul out for your progress in the faith.  I will exhaust myself by spending and using myself up for your spiritual maturing in Christ.

Philippians 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

• I persecute, pursue, and overtake, in hope that I can grasp, seize, and make my own, all of what is contained in what Christ originally grasped and seized me for.

Philippians  3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

• Therefore I neglect and no longer care for what is behind me. I stretch myself out and towards, and run swiftly after what is before me. The direction being, the mark of the goal of the high price of unbroken fellowship of Christ’s resurrection life, and the hope of His calling for me.

1Cor 9:24 ¶ Know ye not that they which run (to run and spend my strength in attaining to something) in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.(to posses and make my own.  Jesus said that He glorified the Father by completing all that the Father had placed before Him to do. 

25  And every man that striveth for the mastery (the agony of athletic competition) is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26    I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  

·        Our faith must contain a clear perception of God’s vision for our lives.  “Without a vision the people perish.” We must not walk obscurely, as those who do not know the voice of God.  We must not trash the air aimlessly with those things that Christ has not called us to, no matter how noble or praiseworthy they might be.  Our time must not be wasted by the missed discernment of God’s will; too much is at stake!  Our punch must be sure; we must strike straight and not spare.

27 But I keep under my body (To beat the body black and blue, or get a black eye), and bring it into subjection (make my body a slave to the Spirit of God)  lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway .

Acts 20:24  But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.  

• Of no account do I make my life or hold my life in honor, so that I may complete my course on the horse track on which I am racing upon with joy, and the ministry that I received from the Lord to testify fully and thoroughly of the glad tidings of the grace of God.