A Christians Disposition

  1. INTRODUCTION:

    1. DISPOSITION DEFINED: [WEBSTER'S] SAYS IT IS:
      1. The act or power of disposing, that is, to distribute and put in place arrange; To 
        incline the mind; To arrange and settle matters.
      2. The predominate direction of one’s mind.
    2. ONE’S DISPOSITION DETERMINES THE CONDUCT OF A CHRISTIAN.

  2. DISCUSSION:

    1. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION CONSISTS OF HUMILITY.
      1. God hates a haughty look.

        2. Proverbs 6:16-19 = "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, 
        seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, 
        and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth 
        wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 
        A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among 
        brethren.        "

      2. Humility is the opposite of the pride of the Pharisees.

        3. Matthew 23:5-12 = "But all their works they do for to be seen of men: 
        they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their 
        garments, And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats 
        in the synagogues, And greetings in the markets, and to be called of 
        men, Rabbi, Rabbi. But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, 
        even Christ; and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon 
        the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye 
        called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ. But he that is greatest
         among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself 
        shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted."

      3. The Christian will not think to highly of himself.

      Romans 12:3 = "For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man 
      that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to 
      think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the 
      measure of faith.      "

      Comment: There was an elder who thought the church could not continue when he 
      died. He wanted to enjoy being missed, so he stayed away from services for nearly 
      two weeks. No one even mentioned to him that he was missed when he returned and
      that caused him to become angry and left the congregation.

    2. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION ALSO CONSISTS OF KINDNESS:
      1. Every Christian "the elect of God" are to manifest kindness. 
        Colossians 3:12         = "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
         bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, 
        longsuffering;        "
      2. Kindness is sympathy in action: The good Samaritan [Luke 10:30-37], 
        was more than sympathetic, he was kind to the injured man on the Jericho road.
      3. Kindness is the opposite of being retaliatory. Romans 12:19-21 = "Dearly 
        beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it
        is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore 
        if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so 
        doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil,
        but overcome evil with good.        "

      Comment: The kindness of a Christian is not shown in dropping to the level of those 
      that wrong you, but to bring them up to the level of Christianity.

    3. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION IS FORGIVING:
      1. Forgiveness is the scent that flowers give forth even when trampled on.

        2. Matthew 6:12 = "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

        Colossians 3:13 = "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, 
        if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so 
        also do ye.        "

      2. The Christian is to be like our heavenly Father, who when He forgives, does 
        not bring it up again. Hebrews 10:17 = "And their sins and iniquities will
        I remember no more.        "
    4. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION IS PEACEABLE:

      5. Matthew 5:9 = "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be
      called the children of God.      "

      Romans 14:19 = "Let us therefore follow after the things which make 
      for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.      "

      These are not peaceful thoughts or actions:

        1. A man said to himself: "I’M going home and if my wife does not have a 
          good meal cook, I’m going to raise the roof; and if she does, I’m not 
          going to eat a bite."
        2. A man that came in late to a business meeting and as he was sitting down 
          he said: "I don’t know what you are talking about, but I’m against it."
    5. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION IS GRATEFUL:
      1. Grateful is defined as being appreciative; Thankful for that received.

        2. Colossians 3:15 = "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the 
        which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.        "

      2. Only one of the ten lepers, that was cleansed by Jesus, returned to thank Him
        [Luke 17:12-19].
      3. Ingratitude in one trait that should be absent in a Christian.
      4. A Christian should be eternally grateful for all that God has done for 
        him.
    6. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION SHOULD BE EASILY ENTREATED AND
      NOT ONE THAT IS STUBBORN OR SELF-WILLED:

      7. James 3:17 = "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable,
      gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality,
      and without hypocrisy.      "

      1. This is one of the qualifications of an elder. Titus 1:7 = "For a bishop must be
         blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given 
        to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;        "
      2. Example of stubborn: A man on e s aid that a horse was seventeen 
        feet high. Another man attempting to correct him said, "Sir, ye mean seventeen 
        hands high, don’t you?" The other man replied, "Well, what did I say?" The 
        second man answered: "You said seventeen feet high". The first man continued:
        "Well, if I said seventeen feet high, I will stick with it. That horse was seventeen 
        feet high."
    7. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION IS ONE OF FAIRNESS:
      1. The golden rule demands it. Matthew 7:12 = "Therefore all things whatsoever
         ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the
        law and the prophets.        "
      2. Some people have one rule for themselves and yet a different rule for others.
      3. Unselfishness is essential to fairness. Philippians 2:4 = "Look not every man on
        his own things, but every man also on the things of others.        "
    8. THE CHRISTIAN DISPOSITION IS COURAGEOUS:
      1. It takes lots of courage be a Christian in a world full of sin.
      2. A Christian must stand for Christ, whose name he wear.

        3. Jude 1:3 = "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the 
        common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort
        you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once 
        delivered unto the saints.        "

      3. A Christian that stands for Christ, will stand against sin, he can not 
        stand for both.

    Psalms 97:10 = "Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints;
    he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.    "

    Psalms 119:104 = "Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every
    false way.    "

    Matthew 6:24 = "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and 
    love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
    God and mammon.    "

  3. CONCLUSION:

    1. THE DISPOSITION OF A CHRISTIAN INVOLVES MUCH MORE THAN THAT
      WE HAVE DISCUSSED.
    2. DOES YOUR DISPOSITION MANIFEST IN CONDUCT THESE:
      1. Humility. 5. Grateful.
      2. Kindness. 6. Fairness.
      3. Forgiving. 7. Free of stubbornness.
      4. Peaceable. 8. Courageous.
    3. IF YOUR DISPOSITION IS LACKING IN THESE AREAS YOU WILL HEAR THE DENUNCIATION OF THE LORD:

"…Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angles;" = Matthew 25:41.

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