• Home
  • About This Blog
  • Contact Me
  • Subscribe
  • Comment Policy

Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
Home Bible Reflection Character versus Image in the Church

Character versus Image in the Church

Posted on March 16, 2016 Written by Mark McIntyre Leave a Comment


Character vs. ImageThere is the potential for a huge divide between what we are on the inside and what others perceive us to be.

How others perceive me is my image, who I really am is shaped by my character. You may have heard it said that character is determined by “what I do when no one is looking.” Image is determined by what I do when I know others are looking.

Most of Christendom would agree that we are to build character and be less concerned about image, but my experience of church through the years belies this.

By its very nature, legalism is all about image and not about character. For me to be legalistic, I have to ignore all the ways I fall short of the demands that I am willing to place on others. In other words, I will have to maintain a mask of conformity while internally I know that I’m not living up to what I preach. Legalism, by its very nature is deceptive.

On the other hand, if I am living out the Gospel, I know that I don’t measure up.  As a result, I should not be concerned about others knowing that fact. A focus on the Gospel will allow me to function out of my character and allow others to do so. We don’t have to pretend, we don’t have to build an image to hide our failings.

In thinking through the life of Jesus, he broke many of the social conventions of the day so that he could live out the good news of the redemption that he brings. He was accused of regularly hanging out with disreputable people. He dined at tax collectors’ houses. He spoke with a Samaritan woman and drank from her cup. He let a known “sinner” kiss his feet and wash them with her tears. He did all sorts of things that damaged his image among the religious leaders of the day. He got the religious leaders mad enough to cause them to have Jesus killed.

Fast forward to the 21st Century. We have Christians who go out of their way to make sure that they denounce any sin or evil that they encounter. There are entire websites that are dedicated to “discernment ministry” which identifies leaders who are in error or who are associating with the wrong people. If only they could see how ironic it is that they are imitating the very behavior of the Pharisees when Jesus walked the earth.

This type of “ministry” causes people to liken the church to a castle which is build to keep enemies out. In such ministries, it is like they build a moat, put bars on all the windows, pull up the drawbridge and then wonder why they are having little impact on the surrounding community.

Rather than portraying the image of a castle, we should rather be portraying the image of a hospital or health spa where those who are in need can come to get healing. Those of us who claim to be Christians are in need of that healing and should desire that others experience it also.

When people encounter a community that is living in grace and communicating the gospel through word and action, it is very attractive and draws people in. In such a community, it is no longer necessary to worry about image.

What is interesting is that once the desire to cultivate an image goes away, it is then that true character can develop. My failings do not get addressed when I hide them, they get addressed when I allow myself and others to see them and help each other to get them addressed.


Filed Under: Bible Reflection

About Mark McIntyre

A follower of Jesus Christ who shares observations about how Scripture should impact the church and the world. Mark is the original author and editor of Attempts at Honesty.

Follow Attempts at Honesty

Honesty in your Inbox

Rumble Strips

Thankful for the rumble strips

Rumble strips on the road assist us in arriving at our destination and keep us out of the ditch. Scripture provides warnings that function as spiritual rumble strips. One is found in Galatians 5 and is the subject of this post.

Question 10

How did God create man?

Thankfully, our Western culture is built around the foundational idea of the dignity of man. This thought informs our laws and our practice. We think that murder is wrong. We think that individuals have rights that should not be violated. We think that each person should be able to do or become whatever he wishes to be.

Melon

On going back to Egypt

The point is that it is easy to look back on different situations and remember them as better than they really were. It is also easy to lose sight of the fact that God remains in control and promises to use every circumstance in which we find ourselves for his glory and our benefit (Rom. 8:28). It is easy to let our circumstances drive us to complaining rather than worship.

Randy Pope on a Healthy Church

My 50 or so years of church experience has shown me that most churches either have no plan to bring people into maturity or if they do have a plan it is not very effective. This is a shame and there is no good excuse for it.

I don’t have the chutzpah to pick up the first stone

I have heard it said that chutzpah is illustrated by the man who kills his mother and father and then pleads to the judge to let him off because he is an orphan. In other words, chutzpa is that behavior that knows no self limitation. This evening a friend sent me a link to a […]

Post Series

  • Westminster Shorter Catechism Series
  • Sermon on the Mount Series
December 2023
SMTWTFS
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31 
« Nov    

Categories

Archives

Blogger Grid
Follow me on Blogarama

Copyright © 2023 · Focus Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in