ANOINTED CHARACTER - By Tommy Truth

Hey Kids, this is Tommy Truth. Before we hit the mat and start training for our first belt in Christjitsu on the topic- Godly Character vs Sinful Man- I want to spar a few rounds with you and explain what Character is.

What is Character?

Your character is who you really are. We all think about a lot of things that are not godly sometimes, and things we would be ashamed of if our training partners, instructors and parents knew. “Character is like a champion martial artist and reputation like his picture. The picture is what we think of; the champion is the real thing.” My reputation is what others think of me, which may or may not be true, but my character is who I really am. Your character is the real you in the sense that you cannot separate what you do from who you are.

One of the main difference between our character and God's character is that we have two faces sometimes; a “public” face and a “private” face. God, however, never changes. The Bible tells us that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). Most of us tend to act with better behavior around others than we do in private. The other day I was at a mall with Ryan Respect and my other training partners when I noticed a video camera. It’s not that I was going to do anything wrong because I am a Christjitsu Black-belt and the Grandmaster has transformed my character, but just knowing the cameras were there resulted in my thinking, “I need to watch what I am doing because someone could be watching me.” Think about it this way, your true character is how you act when nobody is looking.

As ChristJitsu trained Anointed Fighters, we want to make sure that we are pursuing those virtues that our Grandmaster has. Certainly this list for us would include: love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and humility. In fact, the character traits of the Grandmaster are written in the bible in Galatians 5:22-23.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…" -Galatians 5:22-23

The type of character you have is your choice. This is why it was once said that, “Your character is the championship of your choices.” If you make poor choices, such as stealing, lying, or laziness, then you have poor character. I may not have a choice regarding the punches and kicks I am hit with during the good fight, but I always have a choice concerning how I counter punch those situations.

What does the ChrisJitsu Grandmaster Say about Character?

The Grandmaster absolutely cares about character, so much so that it could be said that the Bible is a character handbook. It is filled with instructions on what it means to live like a champion, that is, in a “godly” and upright manner. The Bible is also filled with stories of Anointed Fighters who have done it right, and many who have not. These are for our learning so we can benefit from the examples of others.

One of the very first records in the Bible is about an Anointed Fighter (Adam) who failed to heed the Grandmasters' instructions during the good fight, resulting in a knock out loss inside the Cage of Life that is being felt even to this day.

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" -Romans 5:12

Adam’s good fighting career is filled with numerous character lessons. When he sinned, Adam’s character demonstrated rebellion and rejection of the Grandmaster. Although Adam was created physically and morally perfect, he chose to disobey the Grandmaster, and character is always the result of choices. Adam’s actions included disobedience, and a lack of submitting to the Grandmaster, which is what we call P-R-I-D-E. One of the most important traits of godly character is humility, which is the opposite of pride. The words of the prophet Obadiah, written thousands of years later, ring as true for Adam as they do for us today.

"The pride of your heart has deceived you…" Obadiah 1:3

Since the day of Adam's loss inside the Cage of Life, The Grandmaster has been directing Anointed Fighters back to the path of moral high ground through ChristJitsu. The Ten Commandments include directives that show Anointed Fighters what to do to have godly character. These include, “Thou shall not” lie, steal, commit adultery, covet, or murder (Exod. 20:7-17). Clearly, God’s Word is filled with instructions concerning how Anointed Fighters with godly character are to both think and act.

As you begin your training, pray for God to show you and teach you how to have his character in your life. Remember, it is called a fight for a reason. However, we fight from Victory not for Victory. KEEP FIGHTING!