7 Shaping Virtues

When the gospel of Jesus Christ is embraced, it produces a culture marked by the fruit of the gospel. All churches that have come to know the grace of God should prioritize and pursue those qualities that are in keeping with the message of grace. In Sovereign Grace, the explicit gospel-focus that has marked our history has led us to value seven particular Shaping Virtues: humility, joy, gratitude, encouragement, generosity, servanthood, and godliness.

The list is not intended to be exhaustive. None of us perfectly demonstrates these qualities, and for this reason we press on toward a fuller expression of each shaping virtue in our lives. Ultimately, it is God who graciously creates and grows these qualities in his people, and he has promised to bring to completion the good work he began in us.

As we labor to keep Christ central in Sovereign Grace, our hope and prayer is that these shaping virtues will be present and increase in our churches for generations to come.  

1 . Humility

The Lord promises to bless the one “who is humble and contrite in spirit” (Isaiah 66:2). Humility is an accurate view of God and ourselves. It is foundational to all other shaping virtues, because without humility we will experience neither the desire nor the grace necessary to cultivate them. The gospel humbles us as we come to grasp that “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). This humility before God prompts humility toward others. In keeping with Jesus’ example, we are commanded, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

2. Joy

The gospel is “good news of great joy…for all people” (Luke 2:10). As believers hear and embrace the good news of salvation by grace alone, the natural response is to rejoice. In the gospel, God gives us himself, and in his presence there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11). Christians are commanded to “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4) because the gospel is a source of joy that can’t be touched by any circumstance in life. Even in our suffering and sorrows we can rejoice, knowing “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17). This kind of joy becomes contagious in local churches and is especially reflected in our corporate worship.

3. Gratitude

All gospel benefits are received as undeserved gifts from a gracious God. The only appropriate response to such generous grace is gratitude. “I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart” (Psalm 86:12). A thankful heart is cultivated the more we remember, understand, and appreciate all the ways the Lord has blessed us in the gospel and through his common grace, by which he “richly provides us with everything to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). We are also grateful for other Christians: “We give thanks to God always for all of you” (1 Thessalonians 1:2). Each local church is to be a community of gratitude, giving thanks to God in everything we do: “And whatever you do, in words or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).   

4. Encouragement

God is “the God of…encouragement” (Romans 15:5) who strengthens and sustains his people through the ministry of encouragement. There is nothing more encouraging to our souls than knowing that because of Christ, we are and will always remain in right standing with God. However, the harsh realities of a fallen world often obscure the glories of the gospel in our lives. We can grow discouraged and weary as we serve, suffer, and battle remaining sin. Encouragement is the means God uses to fortify us to live in light of what is true. In the gospel and in all the precious promises of God, we have a treasure trove of encouraging truth. Although every believer can and must encourage themselves in the Lord, the emphasis in Scripture falls on the privilege, joy, and responsibility we have to discover and point out evidences of grace in others and remind each other of the truth: “Encourage one another and build one another up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11); “consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24).  

5. Generosity

All things belong to God, the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17). The gospel of Jesus Christ is an act of cosmic generosity. The cross is the pulpit of God’s love and the overflow of his grace and mercy to undeserving sinners. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16) The demonstration of divine generosity continues because, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)  As beneficiaries of such generosity, we now have every motivation and grace to be generous likewise with our time, money and talents on behalf of God’s people and for God’s mission.We give joyfully and freely, knowing “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).  

6. Servanthood

The gospel saves us into a life of service, first to God and then, as an expression of that service, to others.  “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). Jesus, our faithful Master, defines service as true greatness: “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44). He ultimately demonstrated this greatness for us in laying down his life for us: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He also calls us to follow his example to serve not simply “in word or talk but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18), thus we love and care for one another in practical ways (Romans 12:13; Galatians 6:2). The Holy Spirit empowers us for a life of service in the church by distributing gifts to every Christian: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Peter 4:10).

7. Godliness

In justification, God has declared guilty sinners to be righteous through faith in the finished work of Christ and has done so “by his grace as a gift” (Romans 3:24). Thus, those who are freely saved through the gospel are also called, empowered, and motivated to live a life that reflects God and pleases him. Motivated by a desire to please and honor the Lord, Christians are to strive after holiness (Hebrews 12:14) and be doers of the word (James 1:22). We put sin to death (Colossians 3:5) and we live in all things for God (Colossians 3:17). In so doing, our lives testify to the goodness of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the reality of the gospel. Compelled by grace, believers grow in the knowledge of God, obey Christ’s commands, walk by the Spirit, mortify sin, and pursue God’s priorities and purposes (Mark 12:30-31; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 John 5:2-3). This results in godliness, progressively increasing in the believer’s life.