A Test of the Church’s Character
Each year it is estimated by a Lifeway poll that 81% of Christians observe or acknowledge the season of Lent. Lent is a period of forty days during which Christians remember the events leading up to and including the death of Jesus Christ, whose life and teachings are the foundation of Christianity.
Lent commemorates the forty days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by the devil before beginning His public ministry. The forty days that Jesus spent in the desert were nothing more than a test of His character and challenge to Jesus’ status as the Son of God.
Lent offers the church an opportunity to take a look in the mirror at itself and come to terms with what is good in our lives and what is not. As we emulate Jesus’ forty days of fasting and praying in the desert, it gives us an opportunity to evaluate those things that we are attached to in an unhealthy way.
Lent is not only a time for self-examination, for it is also a time for the testing of our character. The forty days that Jesus ventured in the desert all while enduring the temptations of the devil were nothing more than a test of His character. To test one’s character is a necessary part of life, for it reveals the true mettle or spiritual strength of a person. Your character is the mark that distinguishes who you are, whose you are and what you are.
In 1st Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul speaks to the Church of Corinth about character testing and warns them about their character that was defying the will of God. The Corinthians had been engaging in some toxic behaviors all while claiming to be followers of Jesus, so Paul, in essence, said to the Church of Corinth and to the church of today, though you may be under God’s covering, you are ever in danger because of your character.
Oh! You may carry the title of being a Christian and some may even hold some form of leadership within the Christian movement, but your character will speak to whom you really are. Your arrogance, your egos, your proclivity to succumb to narcissistic or corrupt ways and lies are not characteristics of one that is following in the steps of Jesus. Character produces results that are oftentimes not a good reflection of the God who has claimed and redeemed us.
That is why this Lenten story of Jesus being tested in the wilderness is so important because testing proves character. And when the test reveals character traits that do not line up with Jesus Christ, it offers us an opportunity to repent and seek forgiveness for the flaws in our character.
It is the character test or temptations of life that prove who or what we are. There are a lot of titles that can be claimed and successes that we can boast about, but none of it will tell the truth about who we really are like the test of our character will tell.
I believe that the universal church is having its character tested in order to prove its worthiness to be called the Church of God and how we respond to the test will determine whether it rises or falls. Take for instance, the African Methodist Episcopal Church is in the midst of a lawsuit surrounding the misappropriation of its pastor’s retirement fund. The lawsuit is a test of the A.M.E Church’s character, which has revealed some flaws in the church’s character.
As stated earlier, the real test comes through how the church responds to the test. Some people would rather have accused the lawsuit of harming the church rather than being truthful about the lack of accountability and transparency, the ongoing corrupt ways and lack of Christian ethics that have been damaging the church for years. Our church leaders cannot continue to use the church as their own personal cash cows and expect it to survive. Worse than the greed that drives our leaders to misuse church funds are those members of the lay and clergy that cowardly roll over and allow it to happen.
The church, like anyone else, will have its character tested. In Matthew 4:1-10, Jesus’ character was tested three different times. The first time, the devil tempted Jesus to turn stone into bread to feed Himself. The second time, Jesus was led to the highest part of the temple and was tempted to jump and call forth an angelic miracle to protect Himself. Because Jesus refused the first two temptations, the devil approached Him with a third temptation by taking Jesus up to a mountain top and offered Him all of the world.
Three times the devil tempted Jesus and twice he said unto Jesus, “If you be the Son of God,” as if he doubted whether Jesus was God’s Son. But on the contrary, the devil had heard God declare from heaven that Jesus was God’s beloved Son, so it was not about doubting to whether Jesus was the Son of God or not, the devil just wanted to see if Jesus could be tempted to use His divine power or spiritual privilege for selfish gain.
When God delivers us from sin and blesses us with spiritual power, it becomes a spiritual privilege from God. It is a privilege to be empowered and included within God’s family, and that is especially meaningful for the ones of us that have been called and ordained to become servant leaders within the Gospel movement, for we have been given a spiritual privilege to teach, preach and serve God’s Children.
Now! What we do with that spiritual privilege will become a test of our character. It does not speak well for anyone’s character that at any time gives into the temptation of using their spiritual privilege for personal gain. When the leaders of the church use their spiritual privilege to rob the church’ coffers for selfish gain or misuse their power in a negligent or abusive manner, their character becomes anything but Godly.
The African Methodist Episcopal Church’s character is being tested and is showing some flaws within its character. We need courageous and God-fearing servants that are willing to call those flaws into subjection and reject the old business as usual model. This church cannot continue to stand under fear of reprisal, greed, lack of transparency and fiduciary irresponsibility, nepotism or quid pro quo deals.