REPUTATION AND CHARACTER

Reputation is the estimation of a person in the sight of God or other people.

Character is the moral and mental features that define a person, whether good or evil.

–John Wooden

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation,

because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

Exodus 5:2 (AV) — 2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know

not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

Exodus 9:13–16 (AV) — 13 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth. 16 And in

very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

Malachi 2:1, 2 (AV) — 1 And now, O ye priests, this commandment is for you. 2 If ye will not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart, to

give glory unto my name, saith the LORD of hosts, I will even send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings: yea, I have cursed

them already, because ye do not lay it to heart.

Ezekiel 36:22–23 (AV) — 22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of

Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. 23 And I will sanctify my great name,

which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

Proverbs 22:1 (AV) — 1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.

Ecclesiastes 7:1 (AV) — 1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.

Acts 2:46, 47 (AV) — 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat

with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such

as should be saved.

1 Timothy 3:7 (AV) — 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and

the snare of the devil.

Matthew 6:1–4 (AV) — 1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of

your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory

of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy

right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Matthew 6:5–8 (AV) — 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be

seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father

which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye

therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

2 Timothy 3:12 (AV) — 12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

While slander may blacken the reputation, it cannot stain the character. That is in God's keeping. So long as we do not consent to sin,

there is no power, whether human or satanic, that can bring a stain upon the soul. A man whose heart is stayed upon God is just the same in the hour of his most afflicting trials and most discouraging surroundings as when he

was in prosperity, when the light and favor of God seemed to be upon him. His words, his motives, his actions, may be misrepresented and falsified,

but he does not mind it, because he has greater interests at stake. Like Moses, he endures as “seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27);

looking “not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen” (2 Corinthians 4:18). (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings, p. 32.2)

Reproach and falsehood have ever followed those who were faithful in the discharge of duty. A righteous character, though blackened in reputation by slander and falsehood, will preserve the purity

of its virtue and excellence. Trampled in the mire, or exalted to heaven, the Christian’s life should be the same, and the proud

consciousness of innocence is its own reward. The persecution of enemies tests the foundation upon which the reputation really rests.

Sooner or later it is revealed to the world whether or not the evil reports were true, or were the poisoned shafts of malice and

revenge. (The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, p. 212.1)

John 15:19 (AV) — 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen

you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

We are not going to be petted and made much of at all. Then, this being so, every kind of reproach will be manufactured and spread

against us. I want to know how anybody is going to stand faithful to the third angel’s message and do the work of that message who

cares particularly what people say about him and has much respect for reputation or puts his dependence upon reputation? He cannot

do it. But thank the Lord, God has something a great deal better for us to depend upon, and that is character. Let us not forget that Jesus, our example in this world, “made himself of no

reputation.” (A. T. Jones. GCB 1893, page 124.9)

Now then that settles it that the people who are to give the third angel’s message and to stand faithful to God in the world are to do it with respect to character only and no

question of reputation can ever come into the calculation. No question of reputation, as to how or what men may think

or say, can ever come into our calculations any more. Never. Because reputation will not save a man. If he is going to have any respect to reputation, if that is going to come into his mind at all, then he would better give up the whole thing because he cannot have it if he stands by the

third angel’s message (A. T. Jones. GCB 1893, page 124.10)

Luke 7:3–5 (AV) — 3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he

would come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: 5 For he loveth our

nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

Daniel 6:3–5 (AV) — 3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4

Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none

occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it

against him concerning the law of his God.

Romans 1:8 (AV) — 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the

whole world.

Revelation 3:14–19 (AV) — 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched,

and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame

of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke

and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

Revelation 18:4, 5 (AV) — 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not

partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath

remembered her iniquities.

1 Samuel 16:6–7 (AV) — 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the

LORD’S anointed is before him. 7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his

stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the

LORD looketh on the heart.

IT is character alone that is acceptable to God. No brilliancy of reputation can dazzle Him. He demands truth in the inward parts.

“God looketh on the heart.” And here people make a great mistake as often as in anything else. Thousands when called upon to obey the truth of God, will put first their reputation, and what they think is

their influence, and will make their allegiance to God—their character—yield to these. Christ “made Himself of no reputation;”

so likewise did he who was the figure of Christ, he “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer

affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.” So it will ever be. The disciple is not greater

than his Lord. (A. T. Jones, PTUK, July 16, 1891, page 228.1)

–Unknown

“Character is what you have left when everything that can be taken

away from you has been taken away.”

–Dwight Moody

“Character is what you are in the dark”

But Christ has given us no assurance that to attain perfection of character is an easy matter. A noble, all-round character is not

inherited. It does not come to us by accident. A noble character is earned by individual effort through the merits and grace of Christ.

God gives the talents, the powers of the mind; we form the character. It is formed by hard, stern battles with self. Conflict after

conflict must be waged against hereditary tendencies. We shall have to criticize ourselves closely, and allow not one unfavorable

trait to remain uncorrected. (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 331.1)

The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand to

help you. (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 332.4)

As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be

accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings. (Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 333.1)

The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life. Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and

weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in the flesh. His character is to be ours. The Lord says of those who believe in Him, “I will dwell in them, and walk in

them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16. (The Desire of Ages, p. 311.4)

Hebrews 1:3 (AV) — 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins,

sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Express Image: χαρακτήρ (charaktēr):

a representation as an exact

reproduction of a particular form or

structure—‘exact representation

(Louw-Nida)

Psalm 34:8 (AV) — 8 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Exodus 33:19 (AV) — 19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and

will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.

Exodus 34:6–7 (AV) — 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious,

longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

Revelation 4:8 (AV) — 8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which

was, and is, and is to come.

1 Peter 1:15–16 (AV) — 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written,

Be ye holy; for I am holy.

Romans 12:1–2 (AV) — 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,

acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of

your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Hebrews 12:14 (AV) — 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Matthew 11:29 (AV) — 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto

your souls.

Matthew 5:5 (AV) — 5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 19:8 (AV) — 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

Matthew 5:8 (AV) — 8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (AV) — 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to

glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

It has been truly said, “Show me your company, and I will show you your character.” The youth fail to realize how sensibly both their

character and their reputation are affected by their choice of associates. One seeks the company of those whose tastes and habits and practices are congenial. He who prefers the society of the ignorant and vicious to that of the wise and good shows that his own character is defective. His tastes and habits may at first be altogether dissimilar to the tastes and habits of

those whose company he seeks; but as he mingles with this class, his thoughts and feelings change; he sacrifices right principles and insensibly yet unavoidably sinks to the level of his companions. As a stream always

partakes of the property of the soil through which it runs, so the principles and habits of youth invariably become tinctured with the character of the

company in which they mingle. (Ellen White, CT, p. 221.1)

2 Corinthians 4:1–6 (AV) — 1 Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But if our gospel be hid,

it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your

servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge

of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Mental ability and genius are not character, for these are often possessed by those who have the very opposite of a good character. Reputation is not character. True character is a quality of the soul, revealing itself in the conduct. (The

Youth’s Instructor, November 3, 1886, par. 1.)

We think with horror of the cannibal who feasts on the still warm and trembling flesh of his victim; but are

the results of even this practice more terrible than are the agony and ruin caused by misrepresenting motive, blackening reputation, dissecting character? Let the children, and the youth as well, learn what God says

about these things: (Education, p. 235.4)

“The next Sunday, at the commencement of love-feast, the presiding elder read off our names, seven in number, as

discontinued from the church. He stated that we were not expelled on account of any wrong or immoral conduct, that we were of unblemished character and enviable reputation; but

we had been guilty of walking contrary to the rules of the Methodist church. He also declared that a door was now open and all who were guilty of a similar breach of the rules, would be dealt with in like manner. (Life Sketches, 1888 ed. p. 175.1)

A man may not have a pleasant exterior, he may be deficient in many respects, but if he has a reputation for straightforward honesty, he will be respected. Stern integrity covers many objectionable traits of character. A man who steadfastly

adheres to truth will win the confidence of all. Not only will his brethren in the faith trust him, but unbelievers will be

constrained to acknowledge him as a man of honor.— (Letter 3, 1878, Mind Character and Personality, vol. 2, p 437.4)

Firm integrity shines forth as gold amid the dross and rubbish of the world. Deceit, falsehood, and unfaithfulness may be

glossed over and hidden from the eyes of man, but not from the eyes of God. The angels of God, who watch the development of character and weigh moral worth, record in the books of heaven

these minor transactions which reveal character. If a workman in the daily vocations of life is unfaithful and slights his work, the world will not judge incorrectly if they estimate his standard in religion according to his standard in business.

(Testimonies for the Church, vol. 4, p. 310.2)

– Theodore Roosevelt

“Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in the life of an

individual and of nations alike.”