The virtuous circle is a pathway to living a life of righteousness and honor. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of virtues and how they reinforce each other. It underscores the importance of courage, self-restraint, and wisdom in shaping our character.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Courage and Self-Restraint: Confidence in adversity and self-control are foundational virtues.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Wisdom and Judgment: Making wise decisions involves considering consequences and choosing paths that benefit all.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Action and Character: Our actions shape our character, so we should embody genuine love and strive for goodness.</li></ul>

The Circle.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

Transformation begins with renewing your mind and aligning your thoughts with divine wisdom. This involves making conscious choices and developing habits that reflect God's love.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Renewal and Transformation: Offering your body as a living sacrifice and renewing your mind to discern God's will.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Character Formation: Hard decisions and actions that align with God's love and stewardship.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Support and Companionship: Surround yourself with like-minded individuals for support and moral progress.</li></ul>

Transformed by the Renewal of Your Mind

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Christians are called royal priests, a term that signifies their role as mediators between God and humanity. This involves engaging in worship and mission to reflect God's love into the world and developing habits that align with divine virtues.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Worship and Mission: Engaging in activities that reflect God's love and glory.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Priestly Duty: Developing habits of virtue that align with God's plans for us.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Corporate Virtue: The life of worship as a collective expression of faith, hope, and love.</li></ul>

The Royal Priesthood.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession."

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">By integrating these principles from "After You Believe," we can move beyond initial belief to a life of virtuous action. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">For instance, when faced with a challenging situation, we can draw strength from the Lord's presence (Joshua 1:9) and make decisions that align with God's love and wisdom (Romans 12:2). </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Embrace these insights to transform our character and reflect divine love in all we do.</li></ul>

Conclusion

Virtue is not a one-time achievement but a continuous process. It results from thought, choice, and, most importantly, practice. By consciously developing daily habits that align with Christian virtues, we can pave the way for a transformed life filled with purpose and meaning.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Daily Practice: Consciously deciding to act in ways that reflect virtues.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Character and Choice: Virtue results from thoughtful and deliberate actions.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Inner Transformation: Allowing transformation to inform and redirect habits of life.</li></ul>

Practicing Virtues Daily.

Living a life of virtue is not a solitary endeavor but a communal one. It involves worship, mission, and developing habits that reflect God's love. It's about being part of a community that strives for collective growth and supports and encourages each individual's journey towards virtuous living.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Worship and Mission: Loving God and His creations and developing habits that reflect this love.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Community and Virtue: Christians are called to develop characters of love, gentleness, and meekness.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Authenticity and Habits: Habits reinforce virtues and express faith, hope, and love.</li></ul>

Virtue in Action

Faith, hope, and love are the permanent virtues that guide Christian life. They are the foundation upon which the fruit of the Spirit, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, is developed within a unified community.<ul><li class="ql-align-justify">Permanent Virtues: Faith, hope, and love are central to Christian character.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Fruit of the Spirit: Nine varieties of fruit, including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Unified Body: The unified body of Christ strives for a life of self-giving love.</li></ul>

Three Virtues, Nine Varieties of Fruit, One Body.

Belief is the beginning, but transformation is the journey that follows. 'After You Believe' explores how faith, hope, and love shape our lives and lead us to embody virtues that reflect the divine image. Let's delve into the principles that guide us from belief to virtuous living.

From the author of the acclaimed Simply Christian and Surprised by Hope comes a book that addresses the question that has plagued humans for centuries—what is our purpose? As Christians, what are we to do with that ambiguous time between baptism and the funeral? It's easy to become preoccupied with who gets into heaven; the real challenge is how we are going to live in the here and now. Wright dispels the common misconception that Christian living is nothing more than a checklist of dos and don'ts. Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible's call for a revolution—a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives. We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.

JOHN 13:34

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