(2) The gospel of Divine Forgiveness has had a distinctive and powerful effect upon the characters of those w ho have accepted it. Indeed, it has pro- dneed a new type of charaeler, wliiili e.aii be de- seriheil only as being born a,i;aiii(du :f\ 2 Co 5''-"*). Forgiveness was by no means a new idea, for it has never been set forth willi more beauty and com- pleteness th.-m in tlierroi-lnisand the Psalmists of the Old Testanienl. I'.nL .h -n, was the first to apply it to the individual soul with the view of pro- dmili- i' (I : irirr of a ihild of the Kingdom ; and , ■ i , \. Iiieli made His teaching seem ri-\>'': I .x-eii I.:a-elienious in the eyes of
tl," ;ais:.,i:,a, 01 the Cid Covenant (Mk 25-'-, Lk 7"""''"}. The average good person is now as much as ever inclined to resent the 'opening of the Kingdom of heaven to all believers' through the remission of sins. Ifc contradicts the view accepted hy nil avera'je inovalisls lliai. il i^ by the mainten- .a'liee of virl ne thai 1m:i\-i'ii niu~l lie won, and that losen the bands iiy as a caution, ;, « ho treat the lot(ie. and argue .nnd,' hut also thing apart
cmlv
agamst all who piearli laiih .. ^
from ethical enthusiasm. Ihit Si. r.nil li.id learned the secret of his Master when he Hung himself into the advanced ]H,-ilioTi of ' jnstilieation by faith.' It»:i .1' u II !i~elf who had the daring originalil \ 'o I . ter on a new foundation
without f.' ,1 : I . . it (Lk 7"-™, Mt 26-'- =»).
Itnmsl, 1, • . . I ■ icnicmbcred that it was not so murli ih.- lunaiii'm of .T.-us (o set up a
ii\'al tyi f eh,ur;Mii'r, as in re-lore lie' character
of tho^e «lio had In ; il ; lo ■a\e a new ehance to the personality thai was overh.naie and fettered by its environment. lie was essentially a physi- cian of the sick (Lk 5-'"^-), a seeker off the lost (Lk 15. 19'", Mt 18'-"-), a giver of rest to the heavy laden (Mt ll-s"-), fulfilling the words, 'He shall be called Jesus : fm- he shall save his people from their sins' (Mt I', ef. .In 3"). The great contribution, then, to the foiniingof character in the gospel of F'orgiveiiess is ii.jL that it adds any- thing to the ideal of virtue, but that it unseals the great motive of humble and adoring gratitude, and opens the way for that tide of love which is itself the fullilling of the Law (Lk 7" IS"- ■'). The
280
CHAKACTER
CHARACTER
business of Jesus was not the chiselling and polish- ing of character, but primarily its creation among the multitudes who would be shut out by the Pharisees from the kingdom of righteousness. The gospel does not so much teach now to be good as why to be good. Yet it must be admitted that in this teaching of grace as a redeeming power, Jesus did not simply profess to level sinners up to the virtuous. Rather He made the beatitude of the forgiven appear in comparison with the self-com- placency of the virtuous as sunshine to moonlight (Lk 6"-^ IS^i-"). The result of thus opening the fountains of a great deep was to be seen in a new humility and tenderness, an une.\anipled moral scrupulousness and solicitude, for the pride of the natural man is overwhelmed by the sense of what he owes (Mt IS-^-^, John 21'=-i», Gal 2-", Col 3'- "). (3) The third illustration of grace through which the scattered forces of character can be regathered is the Divine Indwelling, which, although not made conspicuous in the Synoptists, is essential to the Christian conception of character. The remark- able transformation which came over tlie chief Apostles after the events of Calvary and the Garden, was expressly attributed by them to the fulfilment of Christ's promise to return and dwell in them through the Spirit (Ac 19''' 2'"- =», Jn J4i5-i8| The character that has learned its worth from the Divine Fatherhood, and found its release in the Divine P'orgiveness, gains its strength and means of independence from the Divine Indwell- ing. The real strength of character from tlie Christian point of view lies in the sense of weak- ness and the dependence on grace. Its ideal is not self-possession and self-complacency, but a possession by Christ (Gal S-""), and a pleasing of Christ (Ph l^"). And because its standard is so higli, namely, the perfection of God Himself (Mt S**), the only chance of attaining it is to realize that the sufficient power comes from the imparted life (Jn 20='-23), to take the yoke of Christ (Mt 11'"), or to abide in Him (Jn is*). If we can rely on God's Fatherhood, we can be sure He will give the best gift, the Holy Spirit (Lk ll'^), which is to enable the discinles to do greater things even than Jesus Himself (Jn 14'-), because t'hus His own power will be multiplied in and through them (1 Jn4'^-").
From the Christian point of view, then, char- acter depends for its final strength and beauty on the measure of its surrender and receptivity. Its turning-point is found in that decisive acceptance of Christ which is called ' conversion,' and which is not mere acquiescence, but allegiance as well, not only requiring an attitude of tlie soul, but also its adventure with and for the Lord it has recog- nized. When room has been made for the Divine indwelling in immediate .sequence to tlie Divine forgiveness, there may be an assurance that tlirough grace and witli much patience the fruits of Christian character will come (Mk 4»- ="• -«"="). Christian character depends on Christ's indwell- ivliic h :ire more appropriately i.illrd • fruits of the Spirit,' V ai.' nut the attainment I'll! til'- growth of the new, w ni till! Spirit of life which ui- I...1M.' In Gal 5'---=' they w, i(,y, peace, long-suffering, laithliiiness, meekness, tem- perance'; and in 2 P P" : 'faith, virtue, know- ledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.' From which it wUl be seen that there is no ordered system of ethics in the New Testament ; but the sum and substance of it is that life is primarily to be the gradual demonstration of the Divine indwelling, that the world may see that Christians are alike i^ossessed