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A Polished Character

by Stephanie Romero

184 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #03-1352; ISBN 1-4120-0983-9; US$19.00, C$22.00, EUR15.50, £11.00

A Polished Character helps you to realize the jewel that you are in the eyes of Jesus. Discover how to beautify your character for Him.

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about the book      about the author      excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book What does it mean to be a "polished character?" It means that you are a jewel in the eyes of Jesus. You are being polished and made more beautiful, as you grow in your walk with Him. In A Polished Character you will discover that this is a process, not something we arrive at instantaneously. Jesus longs to continue His work in our lives. Yet we must do our part, in order to become more like Him. You will learn what it means to be a willing vessel, how to endure the refining process we go through, how to be strengthened with Christ and so much more. Most of all, you will learn the importance of making Jesus your first love.

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About the Author Stephanie Romero has been married to her husband, Dan, for more than 10 years and have three children: Daniel, Caitlin, and Jacob. She has taught workshops and written numerous articles, encouraging spiritual growth in the Lord. She has also written a homeschool curriculum, "Days of Creation Unit Study."

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Excerpts

INTRODUCTION

I am a garden
in the Kingdom of my God.
As I tend it carefully,
I enjoy the bountiful fruit
produced by the waters of the
Holy Spirit and the Son.
It takes a lot of work, as I must
also pull up weeds constantly.
May I never neglect the tending
of my garden but ever seek Him
who helps tend and prune the
garden of my heart.

by Stephanie Romero (August, 2001)

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop-a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear."
Matthew 13:3-9 (NIV)

God's Word is likened to a seed. It is a seed that either produces or doesn't. Sometimes it may even have the appearance of producing, but eventually it dies out. Jesus used the parable of a farmer sowing seed, to demonstrate the different outcomes that occur as a result of His Word going forth. Unfortunately, even though the seed has been given to us, we are not always going to receive it. It will not always take root in our hearts. And it will not always produce fruit.

In this passage of scripture, the first example we see is seed that is scattered along a path but is quickly devoured. The devil is there waiting, to quickly steal what God so desires to freely give. Satan is called a "thief," who has intentions of only stealing, killing and destroying (John 10:10). He replaces the truth with a lie. He whispers deceptive words into your ears.

We see another example of seed that falls along rocky places and springs up quickly. However, these plants wither because the seed never took root. If we truly want the Word of God to take root in our hearts, then we must cultivate the relationship. What's interesting is that The New Webster's Dictionary defines the word cultivate as: prepare land for crops. There is a preparation that we must do, work that we must do, in order to produce a crop in our relationship with the Lord. We must be in His Word, spending time with Him in prayer and seeking His presence at a Bible-believing, Bibleteaching church.

Other seed is described as falling amongst thorns that eventually choke the plants. These thorns represent the world and sin. A Christian cannot have both the world and Christ. A Christian cannot live in sin, never growing or becoming more like Him. A perfect example is found in Matthew 6:24 (NIV): No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. Too many Christians are deceived into thinking that it's okay to have both worlds. We want to have one foot in the world and the other foot in Heaven. I have heard it said that this is comparable to a Christian wanting "fire insurance." However, if you continue to live this way, you will eventually experience spiritual death.

Now we are left with yet another example. However, this is an example of God's Word truly taking root in the heart. When this has happened, fruit is produced. [You have called me a garden, she said] Oh, I pray that the [cold] north wind and the [soft] south wind may blow upon my garden, that its spices may flow out [in abundance for you in whom my soul delights]. Let my beloved come into his garden and eat its choicest fruits (Song of Solomon 4:16 TAB). Jesus is our beloved! Our garden is the character and image of Christ that we produce throughout our lives. The spices of our garden are like a sweet fragrance for the world around us. In abundance we produce character that has been pruned and shaped by the very hands of Christ.

What does your garden look like? Is it a place of bountiful fruit and fragrance? Pleasing not only to the eye, but sweet to the taste. Or does your garden look like a mess? Is it a place of weeds and dried up plants. It's time to start working in that garden. Do not neglect it! But remember that you are not the sole one to tend this garden. Jesus longs to walk with you and talk with you, strolling quietly through your garden. He longs to see you slip your hand in His and He beckons you to follow after Him.

The purpose of this book is to direct you toward Christ. It is to help you see that having a polished character is not something that happens in an instant...it develops over time. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe
(Ephesians 1:17-19, NIV).

COMING TO CHRIST

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest. [I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.] (Matthew 11:28, TAB). Jesus longs to see each and every one of us come to Him. Not because He wants to fill our lives with rituals or traditions. He desires to see us come into a living relationship with Him. What does it mean to have a living relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?

• Relationship is based upon faith.
  Faith is sometimes made to be complicated, when in reality it is quite simple: Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
  (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
• Relationship is based upon intimacy.
  You will intimately know the Lord. I am the Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.
  (John 10:14 NIV)
• Relationship is sealed with a helper, the Holy Spirit.
  We are not left on our own to figure everything out. When Jesus died, He sent us a Helper. If you love Me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth...But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
  (John 14:16-17, 26 NIV)

God's Word also teaches us that those who do not have a true relationship with the Lord, will not know the Holy Spirit.
The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him.
(John 14:17 NIV)

Having a relationship with the Lord is the same as having a relationship with anyone else, in that you must nurture it, in order for there to be growth. The more time we spend with Him, the more we get to know Him and in turn, become more like Him. No matter where we stand right now, whether we have received Him into our hearts or not, the truth remains that All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23 NIV). Our destiny, to some extent, lies in the hand of Christ but it is up to us to allow Him to direct us onto the path of eternal life. We choose whether or not we will serve Him and we also choose to what degree we will do so. If you have not received the Lord Jesus into your heart, making Him not only your Savior but Lord of your life, won't you do so now? Bow your heart to Him and ask Him to come into it. Ask Him to rule and reign in your heart. Confess that you have sinned against Him but that you believe His death upon the cross was for you. Confess that it was for your sins, in which He shed His innocent blood. Make your prayer personal and cry out to Him. He WILL answer!

The gift of coming to Christ is salvation. The Lord showed me how the story of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead, can be likened to salvation. We too, once we receive the Lord into our hearts and lives, are raised from the dead...that is, spiritual death. In John 11:1 (NIV), we are first introduced to Lazarus: Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

Lazarus was the brother of Mary, the woman who had poured expensive perfume on the Lord and had used her hair to wipe his feet. In verse 3 we read that Lazarus was loved by the Lord: So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one You love is sick." Just as Jesus had a love for Lazarus, so He has the same love for all of us. Yes, even the sinner. John 3:16 (NIV) tells us so: For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

The sickness that Lazarus had was a physical sickness. When we are not in a relationship with the Lord, we have a spiritual sickness. If we continue to live our lives without Him, that sickness will eventually turn to death. When I think back to my days before Christ, I realize now just how spiritually sick I was. I was living for the next drink, the next joint, the next momentary act of lust and passion. But all that I suffered, all the bondages in my life that had held me captive...it was all for the glory of God. In verse 4 of John 11, it says: When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." What looks bleak to us can bring great gain and glory to God. My past has served as a means of being able to minister to other women, who have gone through the same circumstances. It has drawn others closer to Christ because they have heard my testimony of forgiveness and healing. Truly, my spiritual sickness has and will continue to bring glory to God.

In John 11:6, we read something that might confuse us. We read: Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where he was two more days. To some this sounds so cold and uncompassionate of Jesus. But I am reminded that God's timing is not always our timing. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV) reminds us that there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. I know that had I not gone the many years I have without knowing the Lord, I could not possibly be used in the same way that I am being used now. Granted, this isn't saying that it's better to live without Christ...but the spiritual sicknesses that so many suffer can bring great glory to God, when they finally do come to know Him. It's all in His timing. He knows when we are ready. The day I was saved, was already predestined. He knew when I would be ready to hear and receive the Gospel. He knew when Lazarus would be ready for a healing. This is why He waited.

When it was time to go to Lazarus, the disciples were concerned for the safety of Jesus. Jesus explained the difference between walking by daylight and walking by night. He also told the disciples that Lazarus had "fallen asleep," which they thought meant he was sleeping and resting. But Jesus explained that Lazarus had actually died and that He was glad He wasn't there, so that they would believe. When Jesus finally arrived, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Death, as everyone knew it, was permanent. Spiritual sickness, which can lead to death, need not be permanent. It is never too early and it is certainly never too late. Jesus gladly accepts the prayer of repentance from a 3 year old, as much as He does from an 83 year old.

Perhaps the most telling verse in this story of Lazarus lies in John 11:25-26: Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" Do YOU believe this? Jesus truly is THE resurrection and the life! By no other name can we be saved! It is the blood of Jesus Christ, shed on the cross of Calvary that provides eternal life through Him. Our bodies are dead because of sin, yet our spirit is alive because of righteousness (Romans 8:10)...but this is only possible when we ask Him into our hearts. The awesome redemptive work of His shed blood never ceases to amaze me. Romans 8:11 (NIV) says: And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.

He will raise us from the dead, just as He did for Lazarus. Let's go back to the story of Lazarus and understand even more of the picture we receive of salvation through Christ. How do you think Jesus feels about those who are dead to sin? He feels the same way He felt when Lazarus laid dead in the tomb: He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled (John 11:33). When Jesus asked where they had laid him, they said to come and see. Then we read the shortest verse in the Bible: Jesus wept (John 11:35). Jesus weeps for those who do not know Him. He does not desire to see any perish. I think back again to my days before Christ. How He must have wept for my soul. How He must weep for the souls of those who will perish, unless they repent and turn from their wicked ways. The redeemed of the Lord understand this great love. We have been pulled from the miry pit and placed into the loving, protective hands of our Lord and Savior. John 11:36 says Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!" This goes back to John 3:16, where we understand that His love for us was so great that He was willing to be crucified. He was willing to take the punishment for our sins. He was willing to bear the cross, in order that we might receive eternal life. Oh, how He loves us!!!!

I am so thankful that this story does not end with the death of Lazarus, just as the story doesn't have to end with the spiritual death of the lost. The stone was taken away and Jesus looked up, praying to His heavenly Father about how thankful He was for hearing Him. Jesus is the bridge that connects our prayers to God the Father. With that, He called out in a loud voice "Lazarus, come out!" (John 11:43). He says to us, "Come out! Come out of your life of sin and enter into My salvation!" Lazarus came out, with strips of linen wrapped about him. Jesus told those around Him to remove the grave clothes. This is what happens to the sinner, dressed in grave clothes of death and destruction...we come out of death, removing the old clothes and we are now clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." (1 Corinthians 15:53-54 NIV). Death was swallowed up in victory the day Lazarus walked from the tomb alive. The same is true when we walk from the tomb of death and the hold that satan has on our lives...we must take off the grave clothes, the old habits and behavior patterns and put on the clothing that represents Christ!

Understand that coming to Christ is a continuous process. He not only wants to dwell in our hearts, He wants us to live a spirit-filled life. The spirit-filled Christian is one who recognizes the power behind the name of Jesus and His shed blood. This is not a wavering relationship, based on convenience or feelings. It is an alive, active and vibrant relationship. The spirit-filled Christian can never have enough of Him and says As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God (Psalm 42:1 NIV). The yearning and desire of a spirit-filled Christian is to know Him more and to become more like Him. The spirit-filled Christian is never content to stay where they are at. They want more of Jesus!

Jesus does not want to see His people in bondage to religion. He wants to become the foundation of our lives. He wants to be our lifesustaining breath. He does not desire that we involve ourselves in traditions. In Isaiah 1, the Lord God speaks through the prophet Isaiah, concerning His thoughts on the sacrifices, traditions and festivals. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me [unless they are the offering of the heart]? says the Lord. I have had enough of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts [without obedience]; and I do not delight in the blood of bulls or of lambs or of he-goats [without righteousness]. When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you that your [unholy feet] trample My courts? Bring no more offerings of vanity (emptiness, falsity, vain-glory, and futility); [your hollow offering of] incense is an abomination to Me; the New Moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure--[it is] iniquity and profanation, even the solemn meeting. Your New Moon festivals and your [hypocritical] appointed feasts My soul hates. They are an oppressive burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. And when you spread forth your hands [in prayer, imploring help], I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood! (Isaiah 1:11-15, TAB). What the Lord requires of us is an abandoning of our hearts--a surrendering of ourselves to Him. Our sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise will mean nothing, unless it is accompanied with obedience. Our festivals, meetings and assemblies will mean nothing, unless they are accompanied with humility and holiness. Our prayers will bounce back, unless we come before Him in repentance and a spirit of brokenness. Fortunately, this passage of scripture continues, with hope and a word of what the Lord desires to see from His people. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes! Cease to do evil. Learn to do right! Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool (Isaiah 1:16-18, TAB).

Although I have never experienced the bondage of religion, I have known the bondage of hatred, anger, violence, perversion, drunkenness, lust, adultery, depression and more. The Lord has taken every one of those sins and nailed them to the cross. He wants to do the same for you. He longs to see you come to His cross. What does it mean to come to the cross? It is a complete surrendering of yourself. It is an emptying out of everything you are. It is a place you come to when there is nothing left within you. It is a place of rest and comfort.

The Lord has given me several visions. These are clear, vivid images that come into my mind. The most dramatic image ever imprinted into my mind was during an evening communion service at my church. In this vision I saw a rough, jagged, wooden cross. However, it was as if the picture had zoomed in, much like a camera would, to capture a close-up of one portion of the cross. There were drops of blood falling, in slow motion. And each single drop of blood represented something in my life. Some drops represented an area of sin in my life. Other drops represented hurts and disappointments. Each drop of blood represented something new and unique. I could almost hear Him saying, upon each drop that fell, "This was for you." His shed blood took away all my sin, all my hurts, all my weaknesses, all my illnesses, all the strongholds in my life. He said, "It is finished" and just like that, victory was mine.

When we come to the cross, we are coming to Christ. Both represent life, healing, joy, peace and so much more. For some, coming to Christ gives them a false assurance of everything in life going right. Reality quickly hits, and we come to understand that not only did Christ provide a sacrifice, but so must we. We sacrifice our wants, our desires, our comforts, and our time...in order to serve our Lord and Savior.

Truthfully, at times I look back over my time as a Christian and I feel pain in my heart. I have been hurt, betrayed, and slandered. I have endured heartache, loss and sorrow. I have felt the heavy burden of depression and guilt. I have struggled with strongholds and bondages in my life. I have seen others die without Christ. I have seen loved ones fall away. I have been up nights, worrying about the health of my children. I have seen my family in need and I have watched everything around me come falling down. Yet, I have stood strong and firm in my faith. How? Because I have never forgotten the cross. Each word spoken against me was that drop of blood falling. Each illness was that drop of blood falling. Each stronghold was that drop of blood falling. It was shed. I go to the cross and I see that victory is mine. This is not based upon my feelings and emotions; rather, it is based upon my faith in Him. It is the only way I can say that today I am a stronger person because of those things. Because of His shed blood, I can do everything through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13 NIV).

Coming to Christ means that we dwell in Him. We take up our residence within the very core of His heart. Psalm 91:1 (NIV) says He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. One of my favorite songs has a verse that strikes deep within me, every time I hear it:

In the secret, in the quiet place
in the stillness, You are there.

We dwell with Him in a secret place that is just for us. It is a one-on-one relationship and what I experience with Him is unique and different than what anyone else experiences. Do you dwell in the secret place of the Most High? To do so, you must be taking time out of your day to meet with Him. It is an intimate, cherished moment of time that cannot be shared with another. It is a secret place because only you can hear His voice, when He speaks to your individual life. No matter if you meet with Him in the livingroom, the kitchen or bathroom...you can make that time a sacred and precious secret meeting with Christ.

To better understand what it means to dwell with Him, we need to examine comparisons between the tabernacle of the Old Testament and the temple of the New Testament. The Hebrew word for tabernacle is mishkan, which means: dwelling place. The tabernacle served as the dwelling place for God. The Greek word for temple is naos, which comes from naio and means: to dwell. I Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) says Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? We are the temple of the living God and it is His Spirit that dwells within us, when we become children of Him.

We can learn a lot from the Israelites, when we read the Old Testament. We can learn lessons about wandering in the wilderness, going around the same mountain or how God's blessings are available to those who are obedient. Remember when Moses was given the Ten Commandments and the people saw just a glimpse of the Almighty God? When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die" (Exodus 20:18,19 NIV). The Israelites had a fear of God's presence. We must not fear, instead come boldly to the throne of grace! When they spoke out in fear, Moses responded, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning (Exodus 20:20). We must have a reverent, godly fear of God...yet we must also have a boldness to come before Him. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) says Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

In the Old Testament the glory of the Lord manifested itself within. I want the glory of the Lord to be manifested in me, His temple! I want to be bold and say as Moses did Now show me Your glory (Exodus 33:18). Exodus 40:34-35 demonstrates the magnificence and impact of the glory of God manifesting itself. Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. How disappointing it must have been, to know that the glory of the Lord was filling the tabernacle, yet not being able to enter in! We can enter into the glory and presence of the Lord. We don't have to let fear prevent us from receiving all that the Lord has for us. He manifests Himself to us in so many different ways...but when we stand back, at a distance, we will never fully enter into all that He has for us. Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over His face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:12-18 NIV). If there is a veil over your heart, ask Jesus to remove it.

Christ manifests Himself within us, His temple, when we allow Him to. We have free access to Him. Therefore, brethren, since we have full freedom and confidence to enter into the [Holy of] Holies [by the power and virtue] in the blood of Jesus, By this fresh (new) and living way which He initiated and dedicated and opened for us through the separating curtain (veil of the Holy of Holies), that is, through His flesh...Let us all come forward and draw near with true (honest and sincere) hearts in unqualified assurance and absolute conviction (Hebrews 10:19-20, 22 TAB).

We come to a deep revelation, when we come to Christ. We better understand how He cares for us. In John 10:1-18 we read about Jesus being the Good Shepherd and how we, His flock, are being watched over. When Jesus spoke in parables, it was to give us a better understanding of the lessons and stories that He shared. However, I don't believe that our minds could ever fully grasp the scope of Christ's love for us.

I found a picture, in a Bible computer program that I have, of a shepherd in Israel guiding his flock. The commentary next to the picture said: "Sheep are very dependent upon the care and protection of their shepherd. A good shepherd will provide his flock with green pasture and clear water, while protecting them from predators." How much this describes our Good Shepherd!

We are so dependent upon our Shepherd. It is His care and His protection that guides us in life. He also provides us with green pastures...we read in Psalm 23:2 (NIV) He makes me lie down in green pastures. The Greek word "pastures" is na'ah. It means "a primitive root; properly, to be at home, i.e. (by implication) to be pleasant (or suitable), i.e. beautiful: KJV - be beautiful, become, be comely." He brings us to pleasant places, found in the beauty of His love. He provides us with clear water, the water of His Holy Spirit. He invites us to drink from the outpouring of His love. Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters... (Isaiah 55:1 NIV). It says that a shepherd protects his sheep from predators. Our Good Shepherd protects us from our number one enemy, the devil. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (I Peter 5:8 NIV). In fact, His greatest demonstration of protection ever provided for us is found in John 10:11, I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Without the shedding of His blood upon the cross of Calvary, we would have all, like sheep, have gone astray (Isaiah 53:6). But He gently steered us back onto the right path, the one that takes us into His loving arms.

The wonderful news about coming to Christ is that it's not just a one time occurrence. We must daily come to Him. We must daily seek His face. We must daily lay ourselves at His feet and His mercy and pick up our own cross...and follow Him. Come to Christ...come to Him now!

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Catalogue Information

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