Personality

Personality: “What is truth?” – John 18:38

The word “personality” comes from Latin (personalitatem) and from Old French (personalite’) meaning essential character of a self-conscious being.   Webster defines the word as: “the quality or state of being a person… the complex of characteristics that distinguishes an individual… especially the totality of an individual’s behavioral and emotional characteristics.” Webster (1828): “that which constitutes an individual a distinct person, or that which constitutes individuality (distinct existence).”  Webster: “Person” – personality of a human being… one’s bodily presence.  

The American Psychological Association states, “personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.”  Notice their use of Webster’s definitions, especially of behavioral, emotional and characteristics.   Webster (1828) defines “characteristic” as “that which constitutes a character… which distinguishes a person or thing from another…”  “Behavior” as “manner of behaving… good or bad… it expresses external appearance or action… duties of life… our future destiny depends on our behavior in this life…”  “emotion” as “a MOVING of the Mind or SOUL… internal motion or agitation of the mind…  sensible changes and visible effects, which particular passions produce… in consequence of …reaction or particular agitation of mind.”  Agitation – “act of shaking, state of being moved with… irregular action… excitement of passion.”   

Genesis: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image… and the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being (Gen. 1:26; 2:7).”

Person or human being is the whole of man – body, soul and spirit (1 Thes. 5:23).  But personality is more concerned with what makes each person distinct from one another.  Not in the sense of DNA and physical cells, but in the essence of each individual’s “being” – their Soul, which is intwined with their spirit.   For “God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).”   Notice the essence of the desire and command of God.  The Lord God “created all things” by His “will (desire),” and we human beings “exist and were created for (God’s) pleasure (Revelation 4:11 – KJV).”  And more so, the Lord requires and commands that we “fear the Lord our God, walk in all His ways, Love Him, serve the Lord God with all our heart and with all our soul, and keep His commands… for our own good (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).”

If Darwinian, divergent or convergent Evolution were true (as taught by the likes of Dawkins and most professors), then man would not exist with a soul and spirit and would simply be a much less or irrational animal.  There would be no harmony with God, in the way of Spirit and conscience.  Notice the harmony between plants and insects and animals.  Neither could survive without each other.  Photosynthesis and respiration are balanced, and 95% of all plants depend upon zoophily for pollination.   God created all these things within three (3) days of each other; they could not have survived weeks apart, much more millions of false years.   Concern also, that there is no prove of links between species, but all “living creatures (were created) each according to its kind (species) (Gen. 1:24).”

The Test of our Character / Person(ality)

There is no doubt for those that live any amount of time on this blessed earth and in “this present darkness,” that “we are hard pressed on every side… (2 Cor. 4:8).”  But this is part of the test of our character.   For the Lord says, “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind (soul), to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve (Jeremiah 17:10).”   Thus, by wisdom Solomon said, “For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil (Eccl. 12:14).”  Thus, the Lord our God, said “If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is waiting for you, it desires to have you, but you must rule over it (Gen. 4:7).”

Yet understand that “no temptation (or traumatic event) has overtaken you except such as is common to all persons; but God is faithful… (1 Cor. 10:13)” to give you “wisdom, knowledge, understanding, council, and strength (Isaiah 11:2)” to handle all things in life and death (dying).   The Lord God has provided all we need through the words, Spirit and actions of Jesus Christ, the Son of God – our Lord and Salvation.   There is wisdom and a way of repentance for all souls; but we have choices, and “if we sin willfully after we have received (the/this) knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a (the) sacrifice (of the blood of Jesus) for (our) sins (Hebrews 10:26).”

Life has a way of pulling us away from the truth in many ways.  Life – education, environments, experiences – can and do [and as orchestrated by the evil one and his demons (spirits) which influence the spirit, doctrines (teachings) and philosophies of/in the world] seek to remove us from the truth in and of the Holy Scriptures, and from the Way, Truth and Life – Jesus Christ.   We must, we are required to, recall that for which we are created, to please God, at least occasionally by service of reverence and worship to Him, and aid to our fellow persons.