Christian Characteristics as Defined by the Bible

By Venus R. Toppins

Throughout my life, growing up in a Southern Baptist Church, going to Sunday school, and just generally being raised in a Christian atmosphere, I was never taught about what a Christian looks like and what characteristics a Christian should have. I mean, of course, I was taught all the traditional Bible stories, and you should do this, and you shouldn’t do that, but nothing about character. I had an old family Bible that I had received with a set of encyclopedias that I bought in my younger years—early twenties. Within that there were several pages that said Christian characteristics. All it did was give the characteristic itself and Bible verses where to find it. I thought this would be an awesome Sunday school lesson series. So with that and lots of prayer, I started preparing lessons picking out one or two characteristics to teach for Sunday school that Sunday. This is the finished work of those Sunday school lessons.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781662446184

Book preview

Obedience

Exodus 19:5

Exodus 20:6

Psalm 1:2 (1–6)

Psalm 111:10

Isaiah 1:19 (15–20)

Matthew 12:50

Romans 13:1, 7 (1–14)

2 John 6

Definition.

The state, fact, or an instance of obeying, or a willingness to obey; submission. To be guided by; submit to the control of.

God gave us free will. We can choose to follow Him, or not. If we want to be saved from eternal damnation, then we must do certain things. Follow the plan of salvation is the first step of obedience. Then to be blessed, you must do other things. God doesn’t ask us to do that much. It really isn’t that difficult to do the little He requires of us. Not that we are to obey to get blessed, but as a reward of obeying, we are blessed. Just like, as parents, we would not reward our children for choosing to rebel. God is not going to reward us for rebelling against His will. As long as we are seeking and following God’s will for our lives, that opens the doors for God to reward us for that.

Forgiveness

Proverbs 19:11

Proverbs 24:17, 29

Matthew 5:39, 44 (39–48)

Matthew 6:12

Mark 11:25 (25–26)

1 Corinthians 4:12, 13

Ephesians 4:32 (23–32)

Definition.

A forgiving or being forgiven; pardon. Inclination to forgive or pardon. Absolve.

We have to forgive what others do to us. God cannot and will not forgive us if we do not. We are supposed to be examples of Christ and God. How can we be examples if we are holding stuff against people? Think about some of the things you have done. What if God was unwilling to forgive you? Where would you be? Are you better than God? Do you know something God doesn’t? God knows why you make the mistakes you make, so therefore, He knows why others make the mistakes they make. With saying that you won’t, or can’t forgive someone, then you are saying that you are their judge, and they don’t deserve forgiveness. God says the opposite. We are instructed not to judge and that we do need to forgive others.

Knowledge

Genesis 2:9

Exodus 31:3

2 Chronicles 1:10 (6–13)

Psalm 119:66

Proverbs 1:7 (1–9)

Proverbs 2:3 (1–22)

Proverbs 24:5 (1–6)

2 Peter 1:5 (1–10)

Definition.

The act, fact, or state of knowing; acquaintance or familiarity; awareness; understanding. All that has been perceived or grasped by the mind; learning; enlightenment.

Knowledge of all kind is from God. God gives us knowledge to be able to complete the assignments He gives us. We also have to seek knowledge on our own. The more we know about, the more we can do. The more we must do. With knowledge comes responsibility. When you know about something you, then have to act. That is why they say sometimes that ignorance is bliss. If you don’t know, then you do not have the responsibility of acting on that knowledge. If you don’t know that someone is being abused, then you can’t do anything about it. But the rules change when you have knowledge of abuse. Morally, you must help that person. This motto of responsibility of knowledge is applied in all aspects of life. You cannot grow as a Christian without seeking knowledge. You also cannot be an effective witness without knowledge of God’s Word.

Honesty

Psalm 24:3, 4

Proverbs 12:22 (17–22)

Proverbs 16:11

Luke 6:31

Philippians 4:8

Hebrews 13:18

Definition.

The state or quality of being honest. Honor. A refraining from lying, cheating, or stealing; a being truthful, trustworthy, or upright. Sincerity; fairness; straightforwardness. Chastity.

When everything is stripped away from you, what do you have left that is yours? Your word. You always have your word. There is only one way to lose that. You have to destroy that yourself. You do that by lying, cheating, or stealing. People find out that you lie, cheat, or steal, and your word means nothing to them anymore. We are supposed to be effective witnesses. We cannot be effective if no one believes what we say. If you are known to be a person that tells the truth, people will respect you and your opinion. They will come to you for advice, and they will most likely use your advice. When you speak of Christ and what He has done in your life, they will be more willing to listen. You will get more of an opportunity to make a good impact on their life.

Kindliness

Psalm 112:5 (4–5)

Proverbs 14:21

Matthew 5:7

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (1–13)

Ephesians 4:32 (24–32)

1 John 3:17, 18

Definition.

The state, quality or habit of being kind; gracious; benign. Agreeable or pleasant act or treatment. Kind feeling; affection; goodwill.

God shows us kindness every day. We