SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 CAC LIVING WATER DEVOTIONAL : TOPIC – CHARISMA WITHOUT CHARACTER

By | September 6, 2021

SEPTEMBER 7, 2021 CAC LIVING WATER DEVOTIONAL : TOPIC – CHARISMA WITHOUT CHARACTER

Read previous CAC Living Water Devotionals here

LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

CHARISMA WITHOUT CHARACTER

Read: Matthew 7:15-23

Matthew 7:13-23 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

MEMORISE:
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love (2 Peter 1:5-7)

EXPOSITION
Someone might be competent but not compassionate. You may be gifted but not spirit-filled, clever yet a criminal/unclean. There is great gulf between the gifts of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. The former can give you fame, popularity, wealth without heaven (cf.Prov. 18:16), while the latter gives heaven plus the positive additional good thing of life. Which one would you prefer? The carnal Christian prefers the former because of the recognition and remuneration (financial benefits) involved, but the Spirit-filled, heaven-conscious one is less concerned with those seeming ‘benefits,’ since they are only ephemeral compared to the not incomparable glory to come (Matt. 6:33, Rom. 8:18).

The idea in Matthew 7:21 is that Jesus will tell those who are good at displaying charisma without character to depart His presence, because they are not known of Him. Only the number of people who allow the character of Christ (Christ-likeness) to source out of their lives would be welcomed into the joy of God. The truth is, Charisma without character is equal to chaos in the church. Every believer must realise that there is great difference between doing something well and doing it right. That it is well done does not mean it is rightly done. God is more interested in you doing it right according to His will and purpose than you struggling to do it well the way you suppose.

Charisma is good, but without character, the farthest it can take you is above yourself, after which it would helplessly drop you down to yourself. Whereas, character will take you outside and above yourself, and sustain you there. Character will never stop to carry you until it has taken you to God. When you need charisma most is when it will disappoint you.

Character makes you a sought-after, to both God and man. Our good works without character are mess before God, though they may be celebrated by man. Nevertheless, we need both, and should therefore desire and pray for them, just that we mustn’t exalt charisma over character.

PRAYER POINTS
1. Lord, deliver me from the danger of being charismatic without Christly character.
2. Every necessary ingredient that will make me to be fruitful as Your child, Lord, deposit them in me, now.
3. Pray for every worker/minister/leader in Churches everywhere to be more concerned with their character in relation to Christ than their charisma.

EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Psalms 115:7 – 119:1; 1 Corinthians 11:23 – 12:10

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