God still uses people with bad character.

Character is our commitment to doing the right thing regardless of the personal cost. It’s been said that character is defined by what you do when you think no one is watching.

Character involves the will to respond to values, principles and core values, rather than to the huge onslaught of appetites, urges, whims, or impulses that bombard us. Clearly, there can be parts of ourselves we don’t want the world or the Church to see. Typically, we tend to hide the aspects that would not be viewed favourably by those we look up to in our lives, and we can also tend to hide our weaknesses.

We need daily, to seek the guidance and help of the Holy Spirit to walk in the truth and with integrity. The Holy Spirit’s help must be sought, it’s not a matter of will power, but you do have your part in it a willingness to follow God’s leading.

Fruit is required

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26

Jim Packer says a similar thing with great eloquence in his book, ‘Keep in step with the Spirit’:

“Character is an important issue in the Church. Do we really want to give responsibility, opportunity and even profile to the man or woman who is poor or lacking in character?”

We all make mistakes, but ongoing character issues are ones that need to be addressed before these other issues we have mentioned are embraced. Paul’s epistle to Timothy is a handbook on character issues, and what is required from all, including leaders. Character is not something that is imputed as a finished work of Christ, but something we grow in over our lifetime.

That lifetime-process is not excuse for bad character though. There are certain mandates from Scripture that determine our walk before God. Character issues mean that we don’t lie, don’t steal, don’t envy and so on.

But it is not just what we don’t do, but what we do. The list of ‘don’ts’ become objectively a list of positives for us, a list of the things that we do; we do speak honestly, we are trustworthy, we do think of others above ourselves, We’re living on the flip side of the way that we once walked.

The interesting feature in 1 & 2 Timothy, is that the entire focus is not on gift or ability, but character.

God still uses people with bad character. It’s not a matter of being perfect before God will choose to use you but if we want to honour God then we must endeavour to have a teachable, godly character that seeks to live a Christ-like and scripture-honouring life.

If you lie, what guarantee does the Church have that you are telling the truth? If you exaggerate how will they know and trust what you are saying when you say that God has spoken to you? And God does speak, sometimes audibly.

Exaggeration is a subtle issue that some prophetic people suffer from. It demonstrates a lack of character, and shows the need to draw more attention to what is being said or claimed than is appropriate. Exaggeration is indirectly, self serving and focuses on oneself.

Why the fuss?

What matters most in terms of Church life is not your giftedness or abilities the the Holy Spirit has given you, but your capacity to walk with character. Do you display the fruit of the Spirit in your life? Is it hanging as it were, ‘off of the tree’, or are you like the fig tree that Jesus inspected. He saw it from a distance, it had great promise of fruitfulness but when it came under scrutiny nothing was there. It would shortly wither and die!

Character promises and actually delivers great value

Church leadership has to use the resources that they have in people, but with wisdom. They have to ask the questions, ‘can this person be trusted?’, ‘are they doing the job for personal profile or to serve?’

Unfortunately sometimes the question has to be raised, ‘If we don’t let this ‘prophetic’ person do what they want, will they leave?’ The very fact that the question is raised reveals the issue of character.

Proven character

Romans 5:3-4, “We also exult in our sufferings, knowing that suffering brings about endurance; and endurance [brings about] proven character.” The focus here is on this word “proven” (dokimen). The idea is that when you put metal through a fiery testing and it comes out on the other side persevering and enduring, what you call that metal is “proven” or “authentic” or “genuine.” That’s the sense here. Church can sometimes be like that fiery furnace!

Proven character brings about hope.

Romans 5:4, ”endurance [brings about] proven character; and proven character [brings about] hope.”

One of the great obstacles to a full and strong hope in the glory of God is the fear that we are hypocrites that our faith is not real and that we just inherited it from our parents and have been motivated by things that are not honoring to God. One of the purposes of afflictions in our lives is to give us victory over those fears and make us full of hope and confidence as the children of God. Every prophet is called first as a child of God.

Prophets are part of the Church, not outside of it doing their own thing and accountable to no-one except God.

God takes us through hard times to temper the steel of our faith and show us that we are real, authentic, genuine, proven, and in that way give us hope that we really will inherit the glory of God and not come into judgment.

The Bible tells us about some extraordinary acts of faith and obedience exhibited in the lives of ordinary people in the face of adversity, hardship and persecution.

It also tells stories of the encounters of prophets that many in modern society have sought to emulate, but very few have actually experienced, despite their claims. There is something strangely comforting about making ‘others like us’. Elijah, we are told, was a man like just like us. He encountered the same struggles as us, the same hunger, passion and longing.

Such assertion gives us hope, strengthens our resolve and helps us focus on the task at hand – serving God in-spite of the painful hardships we may face and encounter. Small wonder that we quickly make John the Baptist also a man, just like us! It is often taught that after seeing the power of God in a most remarkable way, and testifying to the fact that here, in front of the nation, was the very lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, that now, locked up in prison, John the Baptist has second thoughts, doubts.

The kingdom which he anticipated was not coming in a way that he thought. He sends disciples to Jesus to ask for reassurance, “Are you the One to come – or do we look for another?” Is that how you read it? It’s an argument that we have spoken into the silence of Scripture – and John Calvin was not convinced of this either!

I suggest that if you consider the wider evidence of Scripture you might see things differently. I’m not going to answer all of your questions here, but I do think there is enough here to begin to see things differently.

Character reference

We have a lot of information to hand about John and his fiery ministry. We know about his parents encounter with God, his very unusual conception, his Nazarite lifestyle and upbringing. We know nothing directly about his childhood, but we do find him emerging suddenly from the wilderness almost like a lion, roaring with the message of the imminent coming Christ. And as soon as he comes into His presence John knows that this is the One.

This is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. The river Jordan becomes a national pulpit to which thousands would gather. Something remarkable has happened off of the pages of the New Testament that few people give time to consider. Sometime before John’s encounter with Christ he has an encounter with God, and God sends John to baptize people with water with one remit, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’

This commission was not based on a dream, vision, impression or encouragement from friends. God SPOKE to him – an audible voice. When what God had spoken to him happened, he knew it. No convincing was necessary.

John was a prophet who heard God, could see into the realm of the Spirit, discerned the condition of men’s heart and knew intimacy with God. At this point in the history of Israel, for the first time ever, God and prophet are ministering in full view of mankind.

It was far greater than the encounters of Israel with Moses. God had arrived, and the only person telling everyone to get their hearts right in deep repentance for their sin, was John, the prophet. Immediately John starts to close down his ministry and references Christ at every level. The Pharisees and Romans had not escaped John’s lion-like ministry. John was articulate and the crowds loved him – but they would love Jesus more.

Your opinion matters

What do you say of John? A man that doubted just like you? Christ asked the crowd what they expected when they went to the desert to see John: a reed swaying in the wind, a man dressed in fine clothes, or a prophet? When Christ asked the crowd if they expected to see a swaying reed, he was referring to the firmness of John’s conviction and message. John’s message did not depend on his audience. He had the same message for tax collectors, religious leaders, and rulers: repent, for the kingdom of heaven is a hand. John was not politically correct. He never altered his message to accommodate an audience.

He was a straight reed that did not sway from of his convictions; thus, his imprisonment and death. The truth is, Jesus referred to John as the greatest prophet.

And there you have it. Not a doubting prophet, a frustrated prophet or even a prophet needing a little encouragement.

That question

So what about the the thing that is in your mind right now – John’s question from prison?

• Matthew 11:2-3 John, having heard in the prison, the works of the Christ, having sent two of his disciples to Him, said to Him, “Are you the coming One, or are we to look for another?”

• Luke 7:18-19 And the disciples brought word to John concerning all these things; and having called two certain disciples, John sent them to the Lord saying, “Are you the coming One or are we to look for another?”

The answer to interpreting this correctly may be found at the beginning of those two verses; having heard about the works of Christ…

An answer?

John has heard the stories that are being told across Israel about a man who could raise the dead, heal the sick, cast out demons. The ambiguous question that emerges is one that maybe has to be seen in its full context. John is in prison and sends his disciples to go and ask the Messiah if He is the One, and if not, should they look for another.

The disciples are waiting for the Messiah. John was the friend of the Bridegroom, delighting to hear His voice. He had seen the Spirit come on Him, by revelation he knew who Jesus was. Crowds had been baptised under a baptism of repentance and John knew that Jesus was the absolutely sinless one. Now, days from death he sends disciples to go to Jesus and see, and ask questions.

A ministry decreasing, focused on raising awareness of another. John doesn’t need to be convinced, but the disciples do – and they go and see, hear and experience the most astonishing outpouring of grace, compassion and kindness the world has ever seen. First hand.

The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.

Who is the question really for? And if the answer goes back, isn’t it something that places a call on the hearts of the disciples that are about to lose a prophet mentor and gain a Messiah?

We don’t have to believe that John was doubting Jesus. Nothing critical to our salvation is at stake here. There is no gentle rebuke here from Jesus, or admonishment for John not give up hope.

John the Baptist is on fire, and everyone lavished the ministry of the prophet that came as one calling in the wilderness, “Prepare the way for the Lord!” Legends John the Baptist was an awesome prophet of God, and I daresay if his ministry had been in the days of Samuel or Elijah, that legends would have been told about him in the journals of Israel.

As it is, the focus swiftly moves from John the Baptiser, to the lowly, humble Lamb of God that came from Nazareth that was Himself our magnificent substitution, taking away our every sin,  paying for it with his own life and imputing to us all of His own righteousness.

This is the One who would be raised by the Father from the terrifying grip of death and be crowned as the eternal King of Kings, and Lord of all Lords, sovereign over every rule, throne and principality. And John was the one that made way for Him to be revealed to Israel, and to the World. I suggest to you that John wasn’t wavering – his question was to clarify things for his disciples.

Maybe we need to apologise to John the Baptist.