1 00:00:20,950 --> 00:00:22,173 So where does character come 2 00:00:22,173 --> 00:00:24,397 from? What's the source of it? 3 00:00:24,397 --> 00:00:25,414 Aristotle. 4 00:00:25,414 --> 00:00:26,561 We talked about how the Greeks 5 00:00:26,561 --> 00:00:27,869 from a long time ago kind of 6 00:00:27,869 --> 00:00:29,046 gave us a lot of this virtue 7 00:00:29,046 --> 00:00:29,685 ethic thinking. 8 00:00:29,685 --> 00:00:31,365 So Aristotle is relevant here. 9 00:00:31,365 --> 00:00:33,093 Aristotle was convinced that 10 00:00:33,093 --> 00:00:35,413 character comes from habits and 11 00:00:35,413 --> 00:00:37,581 practices and things we do again 12 00:00:37,581 --> 00:00:39,021 and again and again. 13 00:00:39,021 --> 00:00:40,363 And so if you do something 14 00:00:40,363 --> 00:00:41,257 enough times, 15 00:00:41,257 --> 00:00:42,736 that starts to kind of get 16 00:00:42,736 --> 00:00:44,826 inscribed on you and eventually 17 00:00:44,826 --> 00:00:46,217 that's who you are. 18 00:00:46,217 --> 00:00:47,682 And so character would be formed 19 00:00:47,682 --> 00:00:50,105 by habits and practices and 20 00:00:50,105 --> 00:00:51,833 routines and doing 21 00:00:51,833 --> 00:00:53,265 the right thing. 22 00:00:53,265 --> 00:00:55,321 So just like you learn how to 23 00:00:55,321 --> 00:00:56,538 throw a football by throwing 24 00:00:56,538 --> 00:00:57,456 lots of footballs, 25 00:00:57,456 --> 00:00:58,366 just like you learn how to ride 26 00:00:58,366 --> 00:00:59,909 a bike by practicing a lot 27 00:00:59,909 --> 00:01:01,109 and you get better at it, 28 00:01:01,109 --> 00:01:02,173 he would say it's the same 29 00:01:02,173 --> 00:01:03,414 thing with character. 30 00:01:03,414 --> 00:01:05,117 That character is also taught 31 00:01:05,117 --> 00:01:06,037 and learned. Now, 32 00:01:06,037 --> 00:01:08,261 that's what Aristotle said. Now, 33 00:01:08,261 --> 00:01:09,417 we come back to that 34 00:01:09,417 --> 00:01:09,801 in a minute, 35 00:01:09,801 --> 00:01:10,833 but I want to throw in another 36 00:01:10,833 --> 00:01:12,592 thing here and I want to think 37 00:01:12,592 --> 00:01:14,338 about the unique Christian 38 00:01:14,338 --> 00:01:15,906 aspect. Aristotle's 39 00:01:15,906 --> 00:01:16,498 not a Christian. 40 00:01:16,498 --> 00:01:18,017 He's living before Christ, 41 00:01:18,017 --> 00:01:19,361 and he's not living in the 42 00:01:19,361 --> 00:01:20,998 context of a Jewish faith. 43 00:01:20,998 --> 00:01:22,638 So he's a good pagan. 44 00:01:22,638 --> 00:01:23,701 That's often how they would call 45 00:01:23,701 --> 00:01:24,518 him in their Middle Ages, 46 00:01:24,518 --> 00:01:25,669 a righteous pagan. 47 00:01:25,669 --> 00:01:27,342 But Aristotle's not functioning 48 00:01:27,342 --> 00:01:29,860 as a Christian, as Christians, 49 00:01:29,860 --> 00:01:31,173 how would we answer 50 00:01:31,173 --> 00:01:31,629 that question? 51 00:01:31,629 --> 00:01:32,961 What would we say is the 52 00:01:32,961 --> 00:01:33,978 source of character? 53 00:01:33,978 --> 00:01:35,625 Where does it come from? 54 00:01:35,625 --> 00:01:38,233 Where's the foundation of it? 55 00:01:38,233 --> 00:01:39,705 And when we think about that, 56 00:01:39,705 --> 00:01:41,009 one of the best places to start 57 00:01:41,009 --> 00:01:41,912 thinking about character 58 00:01:41,912 --> 00:01:43,902 is well, frankly, 59 00:01:43,902 --> 00:01:45,637 the story that begins most of 60 00:01:45,637 --> 00:01:46,997 our Christian lives at the 61 00:01:46,997 --> 00:01:49,957 baptismal font because there a 62 00:01:49,957 --> 00:01:52,020 remarkable thing happened there. 63 00:01:52,020 --> 00:01:53,334 God took a baby. 64 00:01:53,334 --> 00:01:54,549 And that's an awesome 65 00:01:54,549 --> 00:01:55,606 thing about baptism. 66 00:01:55,606 --> 00:01:57,419 A baby who was pretty much 67 00:01:57,419 --> 00:01:59,137 oblivious to what's going on. 68 00:01:59,137 --> 00:01:59,961 And he said, 69 00:01:59,961 --> 00:02:01,026 this is a child who's 70 00:02:01,026 --> 00:02:02,298 been born in sin. 71 00:02:02,298 --> 00:02:03,417 And I'm claiming that 72 00:02:03,417 --> 00:02:04,745 child for my own. 73 00:02:04,745 --> 00:02:06,729 And I'm going to remake this 74 00:02:06,729 --> 00:02:08,258 child into my image. 75 00:02:08,258 --> 00:02:09,824 But today I'm going to give him 76 00:02:09,824 --> 00:02:11,378 my name and I'm going to simply 77 00:02:11,378 --> 00:02:12,988 say he is mine because 78 00:02:12,988 --> 00:02:13,869 I declare it. 79 00:02:13,869 --> 00:02:14,613 And so when a person 80 00:02:14,613 --> 00:02:15,238 is baptized, 81 00:02:15,238 --> 00:02:15,902 the name of the Father, 82 00:02:15,902 --> 00:02:16,950 Son and Holy Spirit, 83 00:02:16,950 --> 00:02:18,213 the name of God is given 84 00:02:18,213 --> 00:02:18,885 to that child. 85 00:02:18,885 --> 00:02:20,470 And that child is now brought 86 00:02:20,470 --> 00:02:21,656 into a relationship 87 00:02:21,656 --> 00:02:23,122 with God himself, 88 00:02:23,122 --> 00:02:24,433 brought into a relationship 89 00:02:24,433 --> 00:02:26,001 with Christ's own body, 90 00:02:26,001 --> 00:02:27,353 the church of which that 91 00:02:27,353 --> 00:02:28,434 child becomes a member. 92 00:02:28,434 --> 00:02:30,698 And now that child is baptized 93 00:02:30,698 --> 00:02:32,333 into Christ and that child 94 00:02:32,333 --> 00:02:33,725 is given God's name. 95 00:02:33,725 --> 00:02:36,230 And that child is God's forgiven 96 00:02:36,230 --> 00:02:38,637 boy, God's forgiven girl, 97 00:02:38,637 --> 00:02:40,805 an heir of eternal life. 98 00:02:40,805 --> 00:02:43,165 And so who am I? 99 00:02:43,165 --> 00:02:45,389 God's baptized child. 100 00:02:45,389 --> 00:02:47,005 I'm an heir of eternal life. 101 00:02:47,005 --> 00:02:48,957 I'm God's own son. 102 00:02:48,957 --> 00:02:49,965 That's who I am. 103 00:02:49,965 --> 00:02:51,660 That's my identity. 104 00:02:51,660 --> 00:02:54,012 Now, that's very true. 105 00:02:54,012 --> 00:02:55,565 That's exceedingly true. 106 00:02:55,565 --> 00:02:57,517 It's the bottom foundation of 107 00:02:57,517 --> 00:02:58,437 each of our individual 108 00:02:58,437 --> 00:02:59,880 lives in faith of us 109 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:01,721 becoming baptized and pulled 110 00:03:01,721 --> 00:03:03,361 into a relationship with God. 111 00:03:03,361 --> 00:03:05,257 The way we might say it now in 112 00:03:05,257 --> 00:03:07,793 some discussions we would say is 113 00:03:07,793 --> 00:03:09,793 that we are now pulled into the 114 00:03:09,793 --> 00:03:11,274 story that God is telling. 115 00:03:11,274 --> 00:03:13,073 The story of creation and 116 00:03:13,073 --> 00:03:15,097 redemption and fulfillment at 117 00:03:15,097 --> 00:03:16,145 the second coming of Christ. 118 00:03:16,145 --> 00:03:17,497 And now through baptism we are 119 00:03:17,497 --> 00:03:19,033 made part of that story, 120 00:03:19,033 --> 00:03:20,353 incorporated into the story 121 00:03:20,353 --> 00:03:21,218 that God is telling. 122 00:03:21,218 --> 00:03:22,913 And so now my narrative or my 123 00:03:22,913 --> 00:03:24,216 story is now made part 124 00:03:24,216 --> 00:03:25,029 of God's story. 125 00:03:25,029 --> 00:03:26,473 And I'm swept up into this 126 00:03:26,473 --> 00:03:28,105 beautiful work that God is doing 127 00:03:28,105 --> 00:03:29,497 and that's who I am. 128 00:03:29,497 --> 00:03:31,442 I'm a child living as God's 129 00:03:31,442 --> 00:03:33,689 child and my eternity is in 130 00:03:33,689 --> 00:03:35,697 God's hands and it's certain I 131 00:03:35,697 --> 00:03:37,454 will be God's forgiven child 132 00:03:37,454 --> 00:03:39,245 forever because God has said so. 133 00:03:39,245 --> 00:03:40,765 That's who I am. 134 00:03:40,765 --> 00:03:43,142 But what about Aristotle? 135 00:03:43,142 --> 00:03:44,789 Does that mean Aristotle is 136 00:03:44,789 --> 00:03:47,213 wrong and he has no 137 00:03:47,213 --> 00:03:48,301 part in this? 138 00:03:48,301 --> 00:03:51,458 Or does Aristotle somehow 139 00:03:51,458 --> 00:03:52,577 fit into this? 140 00:03:52,577 --> 00:03:53,665 It raises some interesting 141 00:03:53,665 --> 00:03:56,009 questions and raises some maybe 142 00:03:56,009 --> 00:03:57,377 almost problems for us. 143 00:03:57,377 --> 00:04:00,305 Aristotle has interesting 144 00:04:00,305 --> 00:04:02,464 lineage in the Lutheran church 145 00:04:02,464 --> 00:04:05,422 because he's been seen several 146 00:04:05,422 --> 00:04:06,285 different ways. 147 00:04:06,285 --> 00:04:08,309 Luther one time said 148 00:04:08,309 --> 00:04:10,389 that Luther well, 149 00:04:10,389 --> 00:04:11,653 Luther one time said about 150 00:04:11,653 --> 00:04:14,414 Aristotle that he was the damned 151 00:04:14,414 --> 00:04:16,557 rascally heathen because he saw 152 00:04:16,557 --> 00:04:18,317 Aristotle as being so much of 153 00:04:18,317 --> 00:04:19,917 the problem of what was going 154 00:04:19,917 --> 00:04:21,537 on in the issues that he was 155 00:04:21,537 --> 00:04:22,609 dealing with where people 156 00:04:22,609 --> 00:04:23,889 thought that by their good works 157 00:04:23,889 --> 00:04:24,802 they could earn forgiveness 158 00:04:24,802 --> 00:04:25,305 from God. 159 00:04:25,305 --> 00:04:26,337 They thought that by their good 160 00:04:26,337 --> 00:04:27,681 behavior they could have 161 00:04:27,681 --> 00:04:29,137 God on their side. 162 00:04:29,137 --> 00:04:30,793 And so Aristotle was seen 163 00:04:30,793 --> 00:04:32,278 as kind of a threat. 164 00:04:32,278 --> 00:04:34,149 So for a long time people, 165 00:04:34,149 --> 00:04:35,797 even in Lutheran circles and 166 00:04:35,797 --> 00:04:37,212 Lutheran theology were a little 167 00:04:37,212 --> 00:04:38,422 suspicious of Aristotle. 168 00:04:38,422 --> 00:04:39,741 And even to this day a lot of 169 00:04:39,741 --> 00:04:41,101 Lutherans think Aristotle can't 170 00:04:41,101 --> 00:04:42,197 be right because Luther called 171 00:04:42,197 --> 00:04:44,092 him that damn drascally heathen. 172 00:04:44,092 --> 00:04:45,817 He's got to be a bad man and he 173 00:04:45,817 --> 00:04:46,297 can't have anything 174 00:04:46,297 --> 00:04:47,353 good to teach us. 175 00:04:47,353 --> 00:04:49,449 But Luther also said later 176 00:04:49,449 --> 00:04:50,178 in his career, 177 00:04:50,178 --> 00:04:52,009 frankly that there's nothing 178 00:04:52,009 --> 00:04:53,153 better that you can read about 179 00:04:53,153 --> 00:04:54,697 how to live as a person in this 180 00:04:54,697 --> 00:04:57,070 world than Aristotle's Ethics. 181 00:04:57,070 --> 00:04:59,062 And he commended Aristotle. 182 00:04:59,062 --> 00:05:00,797 So we've got to be a little 183 00:05:00,797 --> 00:05:01,437 more nuanced here, 184 00:05:01,437 --> 00:05:02,310 a little more careful. 185 00:05:02,310 --> 00:05:03,845 And we can't just say, well, 186 00:05:03,845 --> 00:05:05,341 I'm baptized into Christ. 187 00:05:05,341 --> 00:05:06,233 That's who I am. 188 00:05:06,233 --> 00:05:07,050 That's my identity. 189 00:05:07,050 --> 00:05:08,289 Everything else doesn't matter. 190 00:05:08,289 --> 00:05:08,977 All that matters is 191 00:05:08,977 --> 00:05:10,145 I'm in Christ. 192 00:05:10,145 --> 00:05:11,385 Yes, 193 00:05:11,385 --> 00:05:13,065 but when it comes to questions 194 00:05:13,065 --> 00:05:15,993 about character and behavior and 195 00:05:15,993 --> 00:05:17,641 ethics maybe there's a 196 00:05:17,641 --> 00:05:18,753 little more going on. 197 00:05:18,753 --> 00:05:20,417 And I believe Luther knew there 198 00:05:20,417 --> 00:05:21,273 was a little more going 199 00:05:21,273 --> 00:05:22,365 on and taught that. 200 00:05:22,365 --> 00:05:23,542 And I believe the reason Luther 201 00:05:23,542 --> 00:05:25,077 was able to say Aristotle has 202 00:05:25,077 --> 00:05:26,037 a place is because he was 203 00:05:26,037 --> 00:05:27,733 recognizing there's a right 204 00:05:27,733 --> 00:05:30,549 place in the Christian life even 205 00:05:30,549 --> 00:05:32,398 for a guy like Aristotle. 206 00:05:32,398 --> 00:05:33,497 But you have to be careful where 207 00:05:33,497 --> 00:05:34,922 he belongs and careful 208 00:05:34,922 --> 00:05:35,993 where you put him. 209 00:05:35,993 --> 00:05:36,866 That's kind of what I'm 210 00:05:36,866 --> 00:05:37,832 getting at here. 211 00:05:37,832 --> 00:05:40,801 So I would argue that in fact 212 00:05:40,801 --> 00:05:42,401 both things are true and 213 00:05:42,401 --> 00:05:43,328 have their place. 214 00:05:43,328 --> 00:05:45,313 Does my identity come from who I 215 00:05:45,313 --> 00:05:47,257 am in my baptism and that God 216 00:05:47,257 --> 00:05:49,233 has given me his name and his 217 00:05:49,233 --> 00:05:50,592 promise and incorporated me 218 00:05:50,592 --> 00:05:51,858 into his body, his church. 219 00:05:51,858 --> 00:05:53,089 Is that who I am? 220 00:05:53,089 --> 00:05:54,033 Yes. 221 00:05:54,033 --> 00:05:56,577 But does who I am and this is my 222 00:05:56,577 --> 00:05:58,929 identity also come into 223 00:05:58,929 --> 00:06:00,015 shape and come into. 224 00:06:00,015 --> 00:06:01,688 Form because of the things 225 00:06:01,688 --> 00:06:03,906 I do and how I behave. 226 00:06:03,906 --> 00:06:05,698 And so I act in a courageous 227 00:06:05,698 --> 00:06:07,561 way. Does that shape who I am? 228 00:06:07,561 --> 00:06:10,081 And I would say yes, it does. 229 00:06:10,081 --> 00:06:11,352 Yes, it does. 230 00:06:11,352 --> 00:06:12,681 It's a little of both. 231 00:06:12,681 --> 00:06:13,736 They're both going on at 232 00:06:13,736 --> 00:06:14,985 once and together. 233 00:06:14,985 --> 00:06:16,649 God is making me who I am. 234 00:06:16,649 --> 00:06:17,592 Because you see, 235 00:06:17,592 --> 00:06:19,209 even in the learning 236 00:06:19,209 --> 00:06:20,121 to do stuff, 237 00:06:20,121 --> 00:06:22,832 even in the Aristotelian way of 238 00:06:22,832 --> 00:06:24,282 shaping a person and shaping 239 00:06:24,282 --> 00:06:25,690 character by habits 240 00:06:25,690 --> 00:06:26,880 and practices, 241 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,265 even that God is using. 242 00:06:29,265 --> 00:06:31,097 God's not excluded from that. 243 00:06:31,097 --> 00:06:32,585 God's working through that, 244 00:06:32,585 --> 00:06:33,521 through his power, 245 00:06:33,521 --> 00:06:34,698 through the Holy Spirit, 246 00:06:34,698 --> 00:06:36,033 through the gifts that he gives, 247 00:06:36,033 --> 00:06:37,777 making me more and more what 248 00:06:37,777 --> 00:06:39,685 I should do, by what I do. 249 00:06:39,685 --> 00:06:41,845 God's the one who directs that. 250 00:06:41,845 --> 00:06:43,924 And we know it's true. 251 00:06:43,924 --> 00:06:45,974 We know it's true that character 252 00:06:45,974 --> 00:06:47,957 and identity is formed and 253 00:06:47,957 --> 00:06:49,445 shaped by what we do. 254 00:06:49,445 --> 00:06:50,666 C. S. Lewis, 255 00:06:50,666 --> 00:06:53,146 somewhere in his large corpus, 256 00:06:53,146 --> 00:06:54,937 tells the story or gives the 257 00:06:54,937 --> 00:06:56,945 illustration of how a very 258 00:06:56,945 --> 00:06:58,969 cowardly person can become 259 00:06:58,969 --> 00:07:01,953 courageous simply by being with 260 00:07:01,953 --> 00:07:03,873 courageous people. And he says, 261 00:07:03,873 --> 00:07:05,201 what will happen is if there's a 262 00:07:05,201 --> 00:07:06,693 cowardly person in a group of 263 00:07:06,693 --> 00:07:08,662 men who are all very courageous, 264 00:07:08,662 --> 00:07:10,222 those men will act courageously. 265 00:07:10,222 --> 00:07:11,294 They'll talk courageously. 266 00:07:11,294 --> 00:07:12,621 And the cowardly man, 267 00:07:12,621 --> 00:07:14,589 because of the desire to be like 268 00:07:14,589 --> 00:07:15,541 them and the desire to 269 00:07:15,541 --> 00:07:16,269 fit in with them, 270 00:07:16,269 --> 00:07:17,697 will often act like 271 00:07:17,697 --> 00:07:18,738 he's courageous, 272 00:07:18,738 --> 00:07:20,617 even if he doesn't feel like it. 273 00:07:20,617 --> 00:07:22,977 And Lewis even calls this kind 274 00:07:22,977 --> 00:07:25,697 of a good hypocrisy because the 275 00:07:25,697 --> 00:07:27,377 person is actually behaving as 276 00:07:27,377 --> 00:07:28,562 if he's courageous when he's 277 00:07:28,562 --> 00:07:29,673 really not. And remember, 278 00:07:29,673 --> 00:07:31,057 the definition of hypocrisy is 279 00:07:31,057 --> 00:07:32,332 when what you do and what you 280 00:07:32,332 --> 00:07:33,734 feel or believe aren't 281 00:07:33,734 --> 00:07:34,637 matching up. 282 00:07:34,637 --> 00:07:35,797 And we usually think about 283 00:07:35,797 --> 00:07:36,733 that as a negative thing. 284 00:07:36,733 --> 00:07:38,973 I act right, but I say right, 285 00:07:38,973 --> 00:07:40,277 but I act poorly. Well, 286 00:07:40,277 --> 00:07:41,589 Lewis turns it around. He says, 287 00:07:41,589 --> 00:07:43,957 so this person is acting like 288 00:07:43,957 --> 00:07:44,913 he's supposed to do the right 289 00:07:44,913 --> 00:07:45,736 thing even though his 290 00:07:45,736 --> 00:07:46,489 heart's not there, 291 00:07:46,489 --> 00:07:47,985 but he's going to act like it. 292 00:07:47,985 --> 00:07:48,850 And eventually, 293 00:07:48,850 --> 00:07:50,842 Lewis insists that by acting 294 00:07:50,842 --> 00:07:52,306 like a courageous person hanging 295 00:07:52,306 --> 00:07:53,058 out with these courageous 296 00:07:53,058 --> 00:07:53,537 people, 297 00:07:53,537 --> 00:07:54,777 eventually the person will begin 298 00:07:54,777 --> 00:07:55,831 to start thinking like 299 00:07:55,831 --> 00:07:56,917 a courageous person. 300 00:07:56,917 --> 00:07:57,741 And when he starts 301 00:07:57,741 --> 00:07:58,533 to act like it, 302 00:07:58,533 --> 00:07:59,893 eventually he will even 303 00:07:59,893 --> 00:08:01,717 begin to feel like it. 304 00:08:01,717 --> 00:08:03,332 And there's some point that 305 00:08:03,332 --> 00:08:05,510 always happens when a character 306 00:08:05,510 --> 00:08:07,125 is actually formed into us 307 00:08:07,125 --> 00:08:09,654 through simply doing the habits. 308 00:08:09,654 --> 00:08:11,801 The person who gets up in the 309 00:08:11,801 --> 00:08:13,457 morning and starts doing an 310 00:08:13,457 --> 00:08:14,897 exercise routine and then does 311 00:08:14,897 --> 00:08:16,313 it again the next day and again 312 00:08:16,313 --> 00:08:17,457 the next day and the next day 313 00:08:17,457 --> 00:08:19,201 and the next day over the course 314 00:08:19,201 --> 00:08:21,517 of a period of time, 30 days, 315 00:08:21,517 --> 00:08:23,893 60 days a year, ten years. 316 00:08:23,893 --> 00:08:25,245 If he keeps on doing that, 317 00:08:25,245 --> 00:08:26,637 at some point people say, 318 00:08:26,637 --> 00:08:28,054 that person is an exercise 319 00:08:28,054 --> 00:08:28,726 fanatic. 320 00:08:28,726 --> 00:08:30,549 That person is really into this. 321 00:08:30,549 --> 00:08:31,701 That's who he is. 322 00:08:31,701 --> 00:08:32,837 And the person who's doing would 323 00:08:32,837 --> 00:08:35,081 say, yeah, what made me that? 324 00:08:35,081 --> 00:08:36,217 What made me that was the 325 00:08:36,217 --> 00:08:37,729 practice of doing it. 326 00:08:37,729 --> 00:08:39,721 So what I want to emphasize is 327 00:08:39,721 --> 00:08:40,513 both of these things 328 00:08:40,513 --> 00:08:41,321 are going on. 329 00:08:41,321 --> 00:08:43,712 There is a place for saying who 330 00:08:43,712 --> 00:08:45,473 I am is what God says about me. 331 00:08:45,473 --> 00:08:46,848 I'm his forgiven child. 332 00:08:46,848 --> 00:08:48,073 Absolutely true. 333 00:08:48,073 --> 00:08:49,337 But there's also the place of 334 00:08:49,337 --> 00:08:51,713 saying who I am is what I do. 335 00:08:51,713 --> 00:08:52,865 And in fact, 336 00:08:52,865 --> 00:08:54,249 we can hold both of these things 337 00:08:54,249 --> 00:08:55,673 together a little little bit by 338 00:08:55,673 --> 00:08:57,913 thinking about how there are 339 00:08:57,913 --> 00:08:59,457 kind of two components or two 340 00:08:59,457 --> 00:09:01,273 axis. I'm talking about here. 341 00:09:01,273 --> 00:09:04,057 One is the idea of God and 342 00:09:04,057 --> 00:09:05,681 my relationship to Him. 343 00:09:05,681 --> 00:09:08,040 And then we think about me 344 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,537 living down here and how I live 345 00:09:10,537 --> 00:09:12,176 as an individual in relationship 346 00:09:12,176 --> 00:09:12,785 to God. 347 00:09:12,785 --> 00:09:14,602 And we can think about how I'm 348 00:09:14,602 --> 00:09:16,121 related to Him and who I am. 349 00:09:16,121 --> 00:09:17,497 And when I'm thinking about who 350 00:09:17,497 --> 00:09:19,025 I am in my relationship 351 00:09:19,025 --> 00:09:19,641 with God, 352 00:09:19,641 --> 00:09:21,017 what really matters here is what 353 00:09:21,017 --> 00:09:22,625 God does and what he gives me. 354 00:09:22,625 --> 00:09:24,153 In baptism, for example, 355 00:09:24,153 --> 00:09:25,777 he claims me and he makes 356 00:09:25,777 --> 00:09:27,761 me his own. So who am I? 357 00:09:27,761 --> 00:09:29,896 I am God's forgiven child. 358 00:09:29,896 --> 00:09:31,889 God says, so that's who I am. 359 00:09:31,889 --> 00:09:33,114 It's my identity. 360 00:09:33,114 --> 00:09:34,873 What do I do to make that 361 00:09:34,873 --> 00:09:36,353 happen? Nothing. 362 00:09:36,353 --> 00:09:38,081 I simply receive what he gives. 363 00:09:38,081 --> 00:09:39,394 I'm totally passive, 364 00:09:39,394 --> 00:09:40,817 and God simply gives me his 365 00:09:40,817 --> 00:09:42,581 gifts. So in this area, 366 00:09:42,581 --> 00:09:43,550 I'm passive. 367 00:09:43,550 --> 00:09:44,461 God's simply giving me 368 00:09:44,461 --> 00:09:45,470 the gifts of baptism. 369 00:09:45,470 --> 00:09:46,997 He gives me all the blessings of 370 00:09:46,997 --> 00:09:48,597 Christ and he delivers these to 371 00:09:48,597 --> 00:09:50,421 me without me doing anything. 372 00:09:50,421 --> 00:09:51,940 I simply receive. 373 00:09:51,940 --> 00:09:53,257 But then there's also the 374 00:09:53,257 --> 00:09:54,929 reality that as an individual 375 00:09:54,929 --> 00:09:56,593 I'm living this life not 376 00:09:56,593 --> 00:09:57,641 only before God, 377 00:09:57,641 --> 00:09:59,704 but also in the world. 378 00:09:59,704 --> 00:10:01,848 And I've got other people around 379 00:10:01,848 --> 00:10:04,154 me and I've got God's creation 380 00:10:04,154 --> 00:10:05,081 all around me. 381 00:10:05,081 --> 00:10:07,798 There are the trees that exist 382 00:10:07,798 --> 00:10:09,125 around me and there are 383 00:10:09,125 --> 00:10:11,285 mountains that exist around me, 384 00:10:11,285 --> 00:10:12,598 and then there are the animals 385 00:10:12,598 --> 00:10:13,492 that exist around me. 386 00:10:13,492 --> 00:10:14,293 Whether you've got little 387 00:10:14,293 --> 00:10:16,797 bunnies or you've got other 388 00:10:16,797 --> 00:10:17,694 kinds of animals, 389 00:10:17,694 --> 00:10:19,442 you've got all God's creation 390 00:10:19,442 --> 00:10:20,377 all around you. 391 00:10:20,377 --> 00:10:21,873 Don't get hung up on my art. 392 00:10:21,873 --> 00:10:22,745 The point is, 393 00:10:22,745 --> 00:10:24,929 the creation is all around us 394 00:10:24,929 --> 00:10:26,416 and we also are functioning with 395 00:10:26,416 --> 00:10:28,545 that. And in this relationship, 396 00:10:28,545 --> 00:10:30,689 I've got things to do and things 397 00:10:30,689 --> 00:10:32,718 to get done and things to carry 398 00:10:32,718 --> 00:10:34,229 out and things to occupy me. 399 00:10:34,229 --> 00:10:35,621 And when I'm doing these things, 400 00:10:35,621 --> 00:10:36,916 I'm doing them for the good of 401 00:10:36,916 --> 00:10:38,566 my neighbor around me, frankly. 402 00:10:38,566 --> 00:10:40,197 And so when I'm serving my 403 00:10:40,197 --> 00:10:41,382 neighbor and I'm accomplishing 404 00:10:41,382 --> 00:10:42,693 what he needs me to do, 405 00:10:42,693 --> 00:10:43,676 this is good. 406 00:10:43,676 --> 00:10:44,930 This is God pleasing. 407 00:10:44,930 --> 00:10:46,737 Does it make God love me more? 408 00:10:46,737 --> 00:10:47,353 No, 409 00:10:47,353 --> 00:10:48,777 God loves me completely in 410 00:10:48,777 --> 00:10:49,416 Christ because of 411 00:10:49,416 --> 00:10:50,065 what he's done. 412 00:10:50,065 --> 00:10:50,961 And that's simply the 413 00:10:50,961 --> 00:10:52,065 passive gift I get. 414 00:10:52,065 --> 00:10:53,185 But then in the relationship 415 00:10:53,185 --> 00:10:54,545 with those things around me, 416 00:10:54,545 --> 00:10:56,262 I'm very active. 417 00:10:56,262 --> 00:10:57,589 I'm doing things. 418 00:10:57,589 --> 00:10:59,142 I've got responsibilities. 419 00:10:59,142 --> 00:11:00,094 And frankly, 420 00:11:00,094 --> 00:11:01,662 people around me are counting 421 00:11:01,662 --> 00:11:02,621 on me to do things. 422 00:11:02,621 --> 00:11:03,973 My wife is counting on 423 00:11:03,973 --> 00:11:04,725 me to do things, 424 00:11:04,725 --> 00:11:05,854 my kids are counting 425 00:11:05,854 --> 00:11:06,829 on me to do things. 426 00:11:06,829 --> 00:11:08,165 And I need to do those things 427 00:11:08,165 --> 00:11:09,617 well for the benefit of those 428 00:11:09,617 --> 00:11:11,097 around me so that everybody 429 00:11:11,097 --> 00:11:11,874 prospers. 430 00:11:11,874 --> 00:11:13,656 And so I'm serving my family 431 00:11:13,656 --> 00:11:14,656 and I'm serving the 432 00:11:14,656 --> 00:11:15,473 rest of creation. 433 00:11:15,473 --> 00:11:16,482 And I'm very active 434 00:11:16,482 --> 00:11:17,361 in doing this. 435 00:11:17,361 --> 00:11:18,656 And this is what it means for 436 00:11:18,656 --> 00:11:20,497 me to be a human being, 437 00:11:20,497 --> 00:11:22,982 living as the recipient of God's 438 00:11:22,982 --> 00:11:24,653 gifts and living actively doing 439 00:11:24,653 --> 00:11:26,053 what God has called me to do. 440 00:11:26,053 --> 00:11:27,557 And we can talk about this in 441 00:11:27,557 --> 00:11:29,077 some senses of being two 442 00:11:29,077 --> 00:11:30,494 kinds of righteousness. 443 00:11:30,494 --> 00:11:31,955 A righteousness I receive 444 00:11:31,955 --> 00:11:32,409 from God, 445 00:11:32,409 --> 00:11:34,057 which is just passively given to 446 00:11:34,057 --> 00:11:36,257 me and a righteousness that I do 447 00:11:36,257 --> 00:11:38,857 and accomplish by my busyness in 448 00:11:38,857 --> 00:11:40,920 the world. That's very active. 449 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,250 Both of these are Lutheran. 450 00:11:43,250 --> 00:11:44,465 Both of these Luther talks 451 00:11:44,465 --> 00:11:45,425 about all over the place. 452 00:11:45,425 --> 00:11:46,752 Both of these show up in the 453 00:11:46,752 --> 00:11:48,377 Augsburg Confession and in the 454 00:11:48,377 --> 00:11:49,416 Confessions all over the place. 455 00:11:49,416 --> 00:11:50,506 In the book of Conquer. 456 00:11:50,506 --> 00:11:51,858 This is a very scriptural 457 00:11:51,858 --> 00:11:52,713 way of talking. 458 00:11:52,713 --> 00:11:55,061 Paul does this all the time. 459 00:11:55,061 --> 00:11:56,176 He talks about who 460 00:11:56,176 --> 00:11:57,177 he is in Christ, 461 00:11:57,177 --> 00:11:58,368 but then he also talks about 462 00:11:58,368 --> 00:11:59,895 his responsibilities and. 463 00:11:59,895 --> 00:12:01,266 His duties and fulfilling 464 00:12:01,266 --> 00:12:01,858 his task. 465 00:12:01,858 --> 00:12:02,857 And he teaches us to do 466 00:12:02,857 --> 00:12:04,169 the same thing. Well, 467 00:12:04,169 --> 00:12:05,545 here's what's going on. 468 00:12:05,545 --> 00:12:07,481 The person who's doing all this, 469 00:12:07,481 --> 00:12:08,497 this agent, 470 00:12:08,497 --> 00:12:10,345 this individual in the middle, 471 00:12:10,345 --> 00:12:11,713 has character coming from 472 00:12:11,713 --> 00:12:12,777 God who's given to him, 473 00:12:12,777 --> 00:12:13,721 simply given to him. 474 00:12:13,721 --> 00:12:15,737 And he achieves character by the 475 00:12:15,737 --> 00:12:17,737 things he does in relating to 476 00:12:17,737 --> 00:12:18,937 those people around him and 477 00:12:18,937 --> 00:12:20,040 those creatures around him. 478 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,297 The sum total of what he does in 479 00:12:22,297 --> 00:12:24,137 his act of righteousness and in 480 00:12:24,137 --> 00:12:25,241 what he gives treats his of 481 00:12:25,241 --> 00:12:26,697 righteousness that together 482 00:12:26,697 --> 00:12:28,986 becomes his character. 483 00:12:28,986 --> 00:12:30,313 And even what he's doing 484 00:12:30,313 --> 00:12:31,201 over here, remember, 485 00:12:31,201 --> 00:12:32,608 is done by the grace of God 486 00:12:32,608 --> 00:12:33,785 and by the power of God. 487 00:12:33,785 --> 00:12:35,329 God enables him to do the things 488 00:12:35,329 --> 00:12:37,098 that he does. Paul, 489 00:12:37,098 --> 00:12:38,009 as I mentioned, 490 00:12:38,009 --> 00:12:39,906 really exhibits this beautifully 491 00:12:39,906 --> 00:12:41,989 because he knows what it means 492 00:12:41,989 --> 00:12:43,789 to be right before God. 493 00:12:43,789 --> 00:12:45,302 And we can use the nice Latin 494 00:12:45,302 --> 00:12:47,710 phrase here, which is coram deo, 495 00:12:47,710 --> 00:12:49,237 which simply means in the 496 00:12:49,237 --> 00:12:50,868 presence of God or before 497 00:12:50,868 --> 00:12:51,973 the face of God. 498 00:12:51,973 --> 00:12:53,293 And he knows what it's right 499 00:12:53,293 --> 00:12:54,978 to be righteous coram deo. 500 00:12:54,978 --> 00:12:56,562 It's all God's gift. 501 00:12:56,562 --> 00:12:57,921 And he knows what it's like to 502 00:12:57,921 --> 00:12:59,577 be busy doing what God gives us 503 00:12:59,577 --> 00:13:01,337 to do before the face of the 504 00:13:01,337 --> 00:13:03,841 world or coram mundo in the 505 00:13:03,841 --> 00:13:04,848 world's relationship. 506 00:13:04,848 --> 00:13:06,081 So when he's thinking about what 507 00:13:06,081 --> 00:13:06,693 he should be doing 508 00:13:06,693 --> 00:13:07,885 out in the world, 509 00:13:07,885 --> 00:13:09,894 he gives us clear direction. 510 00:13:09,894 --> 00:13:11,158 Think about how he operates 511 00:13:11,158 --> 00:13:12,286 in most of his letters. 512 00:13:12,286 --> 00:13:13,701 The Book of Ephesians is a 513 00:13:13,701 --> 00:13:15,021 perfect example of this. 514 00:13:15,021 --> 00:13:16,082 In the Book of Ephesians, 515 00:13:16,082 --> 00:13:18,393 Paul starts by establishing who 516 00:13:18,393 --> 00:13:20,001 these Ephesian Christians are. 517 00:13:20,001 --> 00:13:22,272 They're God's chosen people 518 00:13:22,272 --> 00:13:24,265 called by him from before time 519 00:13:24,265 --> 00:13:26,105 began. God had chosen them. 520 00:13:26,105 --> 00:13:27,281 They're his elect people. 521 00:13:27,281 --> 00:13:28,641 And he lays this out. 522 00:13:28,641 --> 00:13:29,961 And then towards the 523 00:13:29,961 --> 00:13:30,473 end of the book, 524 00:13:30,473 --> 00:13:32,277 he also turns a corner and he 525 00:13:32,277 --> 00:13:33,396 starts getting into all this 526 00:13:33,396 --> 00:13:34,661 concrete, practical stuff. 527 00:13:34,661 --> 00:13:36,597 He talks about now that 528 00:13:36,597 --> 00:13:37,781 you know who you are, 529 00:13:37,781 --> 00:13:39,845 now that you know why God has 530 00:13:39,845 --> 00:13:41,966 claimed you and he's asserted 531 00:13:41,966 --> 00:13:43,341 you as his very own you know 532 00:13:43,341 --> 00:13:44,746 who you are coram deo. 533 00:13:44,746 --> 00:13:45,521 What are you supposed to be 534 00:13:45,521 --> 00:13:48,360 doing coram mundo love your wife, 535 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:49,393 take care of your kids 536 00:13:49,393 --> 00:13:50,289 the right way. 537 00:13:50,289 --> 00:13:52,057 Treat your servants the right 538 00:13:52,057 --> 00:13:53,138 way. If you're a servant, 539 00:13:53,138 --> 00:13:54,713 treat your master the right way. 540 00:13:54,713 --> 00:13:56,461 Do the things God has given you. 541 00:13:56,461 --> 00:13:58,094 Discharge your responsibilities 542 00:13:58,094 --> 00:13:59,949 in the corom mundo realm the right 543 00:13:59,949 --> 00:14:02,012 way. And when you're doing that, 544 00:14:02,012 --> 00:14:03,437 you're becoming more and more 545 00:14:03,437 --> 00:14:04,396 and more the person God 546 00:14:04,396 --> 00:14:05,893 has called you to be. 547 00:14:05,893 --> 00:14:07,357 There's one more twist here 548 00:14:07,357 --> 00:14:08,655 which is kind of interesting. 549 00:14:08,655 --> 00:14:11,113 Aristotle's goal for all of his 550 00:14:11,113 --> 00:14:12,896 talk was that he could become a 551 00:14:12,896 --> 00:14:14,529 virtuous man who everything 552 00:14:14,529 --> 00:14:15,545 he was supposed to be. 553 00:14:15,545 --> 00:14:17,113 And his goal was very much about 554 00:14:17,113 --> 00:14:19,314 becoming myself a virtuous, 555 00:14:19,314 --> 00:14:21,145 upright man. Now, 556 00:14:21,145 --> 00:14:22,097 Christians have a little 557 00:14:22,097 --> 00:14:22,922 different goal. 558 00:14:22,922 --> 00:14:25,558 Our goal is not self reflective. 559 00:14:25,558 --> 00:14:27,317 We're not becoming a person of 560 00:14:27,317 --> 00:14:28,757 character so that we can have 561 00:14:28,757 --> 00:14:30,197 great character and so God can 562 00:14:30,197 --> 00:14:31,261 be so impressed or we can 563 00:14:31,261 --> 00:14:32,229 get blessings from God. 564 00:14:32,229 --> 00:14:33,529 Other people can say, wow, 565 00:14:33,529 --> 00:14:34,201 you're awesome. 566 00:14:34,201 --> 00:14:35,418 That's not the goal. 567 00:14:35,418 --> 00:14:37,017 Because where do we stand with 568 00:14:37,017 --> 00:14:39,226 God? It's purely by grace. 569 00:14:39,226 --> 00:14:40,401 It's purely what God has 570 00:14:40,401 --> 00:14:41,321 given us in Christ. 571 00:14:41,321 --> 00:14:42,394 We're simply passive. 572 00:14:42,394 --> 00:14:43,585 We don't have to earn anything, 573 00:14:43,585 --> 00:14:44,793 and we can't earn anything. 574 00:14:44,793 --> 00:14:45,537 In fact, 575 00:14:45,537 --> 00:14:48,089 if I try to use the things I do 576 00:14:48,089 --> 00:14:49,881 in this world to impress God, 577 00:14:49,881 --> 00:14:51,464 I've messed everything up. 578 00:14:51,464 --> 00:14:53,769 Because now I'm offending God, 579 00:14:53,769 --> 00:14:54,762 but not simply receiving 580 00:14:54,762 --> 00:14:55,249 His gifts. 581 00:14:55,249 --> 00:14:56,656 And now I'm treating people like 582 00:14:56,656 --> 00:14:58,378 they're merely means or tools 583 00:14:58,378 --> 00:14:59,775 to me being right with God. 584 00:14:59,775 --> 00:15:01,065 That's all wrong. 585 00:15:01,065 --> 00:15:02,266 For the Christian. 586 00:15:02,266 --> 00:15:04,137 The goal is to say I want to 587 00:15:04,137 --> 00:15:06,449 have character simply because 588 00:15:06,449 --> 00:15:07,416 that's what God has 589 00:15:07,416 --> 00:15:08,473 called me to be. 590 00:15:08,473 --> 00:15:11,040 And when I have character and 591 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:11,841 I'm functioning the way 592 00:15:11,841 --> 00:15:12,800 I should function, 593 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:14,353 I do better what God 594 00:15:14,353 --> 00:15:15,512 has given me to do. 595 00:15:15,512 --> 00:15:17,482 People benefit more when I'm 596 00:15:17,482 --> 00:15:18,442 having the kind of character 597 00:15:18,442 --> 00:15:19,633 God wants me to have and 598 00:15:19,633 --> 00:15:21,257 exemplifying and exhibiting the 599 00:15:21,257 --> 00:15:22,297 virtues God would have me 600 00:15:22,297 --> 00:15:24,298 to have. People benefit, 601 00:15:24,298 --> 00:15:25,722 my kids benefit, 602 00:15:25,722 --> 00:15:27,105 my wife benefits, 603 00:15:27,105 --> 00:15:28,842 my coworkers benefit, 604 00:15:28,842 --> 00:15:30,193 everbody benefits. 605 00:15:30,193 --> 00:15:31,857 When I'm doing what God has 606 00:15:31,857 --> 00:15:33,161 given me to do and when 607 00:15:33,161 --> 00:15:34,081 I'm doing it well. 608 00:15:34,081 --> 00:15:35,944 So a Christian says, yes, 609 00:15:35,944 --> 00:15:37,554 I want to cultivate character. 610 00:15:37,554 --> 00:15:37,888 Yes, 611 00:15:37,888 --> 00:15:38,977 I want to strive for more 612 00:15:38,977 --> 00:15:39,738 and more character. 613 00:15:39,738 --> 00:15:40,938 I want to be the kind of upright 614 00:15:40,938 --> 00:15:42,261 person God has called me to be, 615 00:15:42,261 --> 00:15:44,085 not as an end in itself, 616 00:15:44,085 --> 00:15:46,021 but because it better serves 617 00:15:46,021 --> 00:15:47,149 those around me. 618 00:15:47,149 --> 00:15:49,156 And this is a noble and an 619 00:15:49,156 --> 00:15:50,468 upright and a worthy goal. 620 00:15:50,468 --> 00:15:51,457 So you see, 621 00:15:51,457 --> 00:15:53,817 Aristotle does fit because what 622 00:15:53,817 --> 00:15:55,185 Aristotle is doing is he's 623 00:15:55,185 --> 00:15:56,498 saying in the coram 624 00:15:56,498 --> 00:15:57,514 mundo realm, 625 00:15:57,514 --> 00:15:58,992 in the reality of simply doing 626 00:15:58,992 --> 00:16:01,658 things, practices, habits, 627 00:16:01,658 --> 00:16:03,434 learning to control behaviors, 628 00:16:03,434 --> 00:16:04,698 all that fits. 629 00:16:04,698 --> 00:16:07,262 And so routines and disciplining 630 00:16:07,262 --> 00:16:08,421 yourself and getting up in the 631 00:16:08,421 --> 00:16:09,597 morning and exercising and 632 00:16:09,597 --> 00:16:10,509 getting up in the morning and 633 00:16:10,509 --> 00:16:12,886 reading your Bible and praying 634 00:16:12,886 --> 00:16:13,772 for your family, 635 00:16:13,772 --> 00:16:15,117 all that becomes part of the 636 00:16:15,117 --> 00:16:16,317 practices and the routines and 637 00:16:16,317 --> 00:16:18,085 disciplines that shape and form 638 00:16:18,085 --> 00:16:19,186 character and make 639 00:16:19,186 --> 00:16:20,297 you who you are. 640 00:16:20,297 --> 00:16:21,842 It doesn't negate the coram 641 00:16:21,842 --> 00:16:22,594 deo realities. 642 00:16:22,594 --> 00:16:23,817 This is always there. 643 00:16:23,817 --> 00:16:24,641 And in fact, 644 00:16:24,641 --> 00:16:26,345 what's always going to happen is 645 00:16:26,345 --> 00:16:27,457 when I'm trying to be what 646 00:16:27,457 --> 00:16:28,393 God calls me to be, 647 00:16:28,393 --> 00:16:30,737 here going to fall short and so 648 00:16:30,737 --> 00:16:32,333 it's going to drive me back into 649 00:16:32,333 --> 00:16:34,102 God's arms waiting to receive 650 00:16:34,102 --> 00:16:35,293 again his grace which 651 00:16:35,293 --> 00:16:36,589 he will freely give. 652 00:16:36,589 --> 00:16:38,013 That's the beauty of how this 653 00:16:38,013 --> 00:16:39,381 thing works. And you, 654 00:16:39,381 --> 00:16:40,478 the individual Christian, 655 00:16:40,478 --> 00:16:42,093 live right where these two 656 00:16:42,093 --> 00:16:43,211 realities come together. 657 00:16:43,211 --> 00:16:45,537 You are both realities at once. 658 00:16:45,537 --> 00:16:47,538 God's forgiven child and God's 659 00:16:47,538 --> 00:16:48,888 agent busily working 660 00:16:48,888 --> 00:16:49,561 in the world, 661 00:16:49,561 --> 00:16:50,697 doing what God has given you 662 00:16:50,697 --> 00:16:52,249 to do. This is what St. 663 00:16:52,249 --> 00:16:53,713 Paul knew. This is what St. 664 00:16:53,713 --> 00:16:55,873 Paul describes about how the 665 00:16:55,873 --> 00:16:57,176 person living before God is 666 00:16:57,176 --> 00:16:58,464 living always justified, 667 00:16:58,464 --> 00:17:00,133 always forgiven and always 668 00:17:00,133 --> 00:17:01,173 striving to be more and more 669 00:17:01,173 --> 00:17:02,629 what God calls Him to be. 670 00:17:02,629 --> 00:17:03,653 Now, in the study today, 671 00:17:03,653 --> 00:17:04,421 you're going to explore a 672 00:17:04,421 --> 00:17:05,252 little bit more from St. 673 00:17:05,252 --> 00:17:07,229 Paul and how he exemplifies this 674 00:17:07,229 --> 00:17:08,429 and how he teaches this. 675 00:17:08,429 --> 00:17:09,733 And I hope you'll begin to see 676 00:17:09,733 --> 00:17:11,456 how we don't have to pit these 677 00:17:11,456 --> 00:17:12,688 two things against each other. 678 00:17:12,688 --> 00:17:13,992 But we live in both of them 679 00:17:13,992 --> 00:17:15,032 together in a right 680 00:17:15,032 --> 00:17:15,608 relationship. 681 00:17:15,608 --> 00:17:16,905 We don't confuse them, 682 00:17:16,905 --> 00:17:18,017 but we also don't drive them 683 00:17:18,017 --> 00:17:19,377 apart because we don't want to 684 00:17:19,377 --> 00:17:21,453 fall prey to false teaching of 685 00:17:21,453 --> 00:17:22,973 being either legalistic thinking 686 00:17:22,973 --> 00:17:24,581 somehow what I do earns brownie 687 00:17:24,581 --> 00:17:26,317 points with God or being 688 00:17:26,317 --> 00:17:28,541 antinomian or having no use for 689 00:17:28,541 --> 00:17:30,046 the law and saying I'm forgiven. 690 00:17:30,046 --> 00:17:30,525 In Christ, 691 00:17:30,525 --> 00:17:31,974 the law doesn't matter anymore. 692 00:17:31,974 --> 00:17:32,309 Well, 693 00:17:32,309 --> 00:17:34,016 that's not quite entirely true, 694 00:17:34,016 --> 00:17:36,682 because the law is what drives 695 00:17:36,682 --> 00:17:38,193 and directs and guides me 696 00:17:38,193 --> 00:17:39,241 as I'm living here. 697 00:17:39,241 --> 00:17:40,273 But we'll talk more about 698 00:17:40,273 --> 00:17:41,905 that next time. For now, 699 00:17:41,905 --> 00:17:42,777 let's explore a little 700 00:17:42,777 --> 00:17:43,473 bit more about St. 701 00:17:43,473 --> 00:17:45,264 Paul and what he teaches us 702 00:17:45,264 --> 00:17:46,730 about how character grows.