The characteristics of a good Christian are based on following the example of Christ when he came to this world, where he put love into practice above all things, giving his life for each one of us to give us salvation and free us from slavery. of sin.
For which we must be grateful and do the will of the Father to carry out the purpose that God has with us. In this way, we will be giving good testimony as children of the Most High and glorifying his name.
Characteristics of a good Christian
Being a good Christian means doing the will of God at all times, being able to repent when we make mistakes, and always ask our Heavenly Father for direction, since without him we will not be able to obtain victory in our spiritual battles, those that are manifested daily. in our life and that can take away our access to the kingdom of heaven.
Once you accept Christ as your only and true Lord and Savior, surrender your life to him, and also surrender all your burdens, you cleanse yourself of sin and are born again, letting the things of the world die, the carnal to give entrance to a spiritual world filled with the admirable light of Christ.
In this way, the Holy Spirit makes us love our neighbor, always be grateful for all things, feel joy and have peace in the midst of adversity. Therefore, every believer who has Christ in his heart must present the following characteristics:
1. Reflects the love of God
One of the most important characteristics that a good Christian must have is love for God first since to love others we must have our Lord as a priority, reflect on his mercy and be willing to help others.
Therefore, it is impossible for a person to say that he is a Christian and not manifest love since this would be somewhat contradictory since God is love. The Holy Scriptures do not tell us that we only love when the love is reciprocal or when that person deserves it, but it tells us that we must love others as ourselves.
But in order to love others, we must primarily love God, as the word says: “ Love your God with all that you think, with all that you are, and with all that you are worth ” (Mark 12:30) In this way, the good Christian must be interested in the needs of his brothers in Christ as well as his relatives and loved ones and be willing to serve and give without condition.
On the other hand, another of the characteristic that the Christian must have is to deny himself, in order to have God as a priority and to be able to love his neighbor, as Jesus expresses it in the word: “If anyone wants to come after me, deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
In this way, if we deny ourselves, we will allow God to do His will in us and to manifest the Holy Spirit and its fruits, where love is the basis of all the characteristics that a good Christian should have.
2. We forgive those who offend
One of the characteristics of a good Christian is that we forgive, just as we ask God for forgiveness, and he forgives us. This is fundamental to be able to give entrance to the Holy Spirit in our life since, without genuine repentance, we will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven.
When we ask God for forgiveness from our hearts, he gives us the ability to forgive others, and thus fulfill God’s will, which is perfect and does not add sadness. However, many times we put up obstacles to forgive that do not allow us to live in freedom since this binds us and enslaves us to live in bitterness and resentment.
On the other hand, it is important that as Christians we delve into the word and read it in-depth to learn more about God and his purpose here on earth.
That is why studying the word gives us the tools to combat evil, to find forgiveness, and open our hearts with humility before God and our neighbor since the love of our Father must be manifested in his children to bear witness to the work that the Lord has done in each one of us.
So we are transformed into new creatures, bathed in the blood of Christ that cleanses all sin and frees us from the bonds of the devil. Without forgiveness, we will not be able to be in the presence of God. As we can see in the word: “Shouldn’t you also have mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?” (Matthew 18:33)
3. He has joy
Another characteristic of a good Christian is to have joy in his heart despite the storms he has to go through since joy comes from the Lord and surpasses all understanding. But having joy does not mean that we have to always be smiling, but rather that in our soul we find that joy of being children of God and we receive blessings with gratitude and a good disposition of the heart.
The joy of the Lord is our strength, it is our encouragement, our encouragement in the midst of trial, in the midst of sadness, because we know that we are his children and that he will do what he has promised because his word is not deceitful, it is real and will be fully fulfilled.
But we must understand this sincerely and genuinely since God scrutinizes our hearts and knows everything about us, even the places of our being that are unknown even to us since God works in a supernatural way and his mysteries are totally unknown to him. man because we are limited. But if we get closer to him, we will be able to know deep and mysterious things that we do not know yet.
When you are a faithful believer who has wholeheartedly accepted Christ as the only savior, you understand that our plane is not earthly and that the things of this world are temporary. So every difficult situation, problem, sadness, or anguish, is fleeting.
But eternity with Christ is our main goal, and we must put aside the things that bind us to the carnal and enter into the joy of the Lord, in the spiritual world full of the presence of God. As can be seen in the word: “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2)
4. He has peace
When you are a good Christian you have peace above all things because you know that in the midst of the storm, God works in surprising and supernatural ways. He calms the worst storms and gives you serenity in the midst of adversity.
So being a believer does not keep you away from all problems, but with Christ, we can overcome every spiritual battle because we fight with hosts and principalities of darkness. As seen in the word:
“I have told you all of the above so that you may have peace in me . Here in the world you will have many trials and sorrows; but take heart, for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)
Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about peace, and there are different strategies to have inner peace. But the peace that the Lord gives is unlike any other, since his peace is not temporary, but is eternal. And this peace is not associated with natural circumstances but goes beyond human understanding so that it is fully revealed in the life of the believer.
5. Patient is shown
Patience is another characteristic of a good Christian and should be reflected at all times, especially in circumstances of great adversity, where our loyalty to Christ is tested.
Being patient for the children of God is waiting for God’s time and will, knowing that he will act when you least expect it. Patience reveals your confidence, faith, security, and hope. That is why the word exhorts us in the following way: “He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who is impatient in spirit exalts folly” (Proverbs 14:29).
6. He is kind
Kindness is associated with love and is revealed through friendly gestures and acts towards others. In this way, we are demonstrating that we have been transformed by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us and fills us with grace.
To be kind we must put aside our vanity, pride, and arrogance and give what we have received from God since we are the image and likeness of Christ. Therefore, we must emanate his love towards others, showing what the Lord has done for us since if he loves us, that love must be imparted to others.
When you are kind, they can win more souls for Christ because they are reflecting what God has done in you, being a pleasant, pleasant, supportive, and cordial person. In this way we exalt and glorify the name of Christ. This is what the word teaches us:
“Do nothing out of selfishness or vanity; rather, humbly regard others as superior to yourselves. Each one should look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4)
In this sense, there are different ways to show kindness and treat others well, and it is through words, which should be used to build and exhort, and not to destroy and judge badly. If through what we say, we build, that can bring many benefits not only for the person but for yourself, because you are growing spiritually and you are putting into practice what you have learned in the word of God. That makes you a good Christian, a good child of the Lord.
However, we must not only be kind to our friends and relatives, but we must also be kind to our enemies. Which is not so easy because your loyalty to Christ and the love that he has showered on you is put to the test.
Love your enemies and pray for those who mistreat you. In this way, they will show that they act like their Father God, who is in heaven.
7. Trust fully in God
The trust we have in God defines us as his true children, regardless of situations of great difficulty: “ Trusting in God is being totally sure that one is going to receive what he expects. It is being convinced that something exists, even when you cannot see it” (Hebrews 11:1)
The Lord knows how to reward those who have faith in him since by doing so we show him fidelity and we are placing him first in our lives. In this way all things work for good.
8. He is humble
Being humble is one of the characteristics of a good Christian that cannot be excluded, since Jesus Christ was a great example of humility, since being the Son of God he was humiliated, spat on, beaten, insulted, insulted, and still asked for forgiveness. for their adversaries.
We must internalize this sample of humility in our hearts and understand that our kingdom is not of this world, but that we are called to enter the heavenly kingdom with white garments. Therefore the things of the world are temporary, but the glory of God is eternal.
9. Has self-control
The good Christian has self-control and self-control because he is guided by the Most High, who has given us the freedom to choose between good and evil. And every choice we make has consequences. Unlike the animals, the Lord gave us self-control so that we can control our evil desires. So if someone needs help controlling his impulses, he can look to God for the strength he needs.
10. A Christian bears fruit
The good Christian shows the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, peace, kindness, joy, humility, self-control, faith, among others, as reflected in the word of God:
“Instead, the Spirit of God makes us love others, always be joyful, and live in peace with everyone. It makes us be patient and kind, treat others well, have confidence in God, be humble, and know how to control our bad desires. There is no law against all this” (Galatians 5:22-23)
In this sense, being a good Christian will help you grow in your spiritual life. The life of a person changes significantly the moment he receives Christ in his heart since now he is the image and likeness of Christ in this world, and he is no longer independent but has an Almighty God who protects him and he owns his life.