Christ Toothpaste?

Have you ever been around a person you just knew was a Christian's Christian, they stub their toe and something "less than holy" comes out of their mouth? How about riding with someone you looked up to in the faith only to find that their witness on "the highways and byways" wasn't one that glorified Christ to other drivers (even with a Jesus fish on the back of their ride or my favorite, the "F8ith" license plate). I'm sure we're all guilty as Christians, no matter where we are in our walk, of instances just like these and sometimes worse. It's called sin, and it's something none of us can escape. However, these momentary glimpses into our fleshly shortcomings shouldn't be the things that others can look at our lives and see as the norm.
When we look at scripture, we see a picture painted of the kind of person who's attitude, outlook, and emotions are completely under his control. The kind of person who's never brought down by circumstance, who's never downtrodden in countenance, and has tamed fits of anger and frustration into patience and graciousness.

How is it that such people able to achieve these things? What is it about them that sets them apart from the rest of us? For the unsaved it would be God's grace, for the Christian, it would be God's grace plus the work of the Holy Spirit. Let's check Galatians for some Biblical perspective on how we ought to act if we're indwelt with the living Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:19-26
"19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another."

If we live by the Spirit of God, then it would make itself known in us by providing the kinds of "fruits" listed above. This applies to every area of our life. When we are dealing with those who would be our enemies, we're still bearing fruit. When situations in our life arise that are less than favorable for us, the world should see us going through it while "bearing fruit". The Bible is actually very specific concerning the way Christians should face trials. James 1 teaches us the following:

James 1:2-3
"2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

So here the Bible actually tells us that as we grow, our progress is actully measured and given to us in our trials. R.C. Sproul had this to say regarding verse 3 of this passage

"Trials can be considered pure joy only when there is knowledge that they are designed by God for a purpose. They are tests of faith given in order to develop perseverance. In turn, perseverence produces mature Christian character."
- Reformation Study Bible commentary

This is also illustrated in Romans 5.

Romans 5:3-5
"3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

So there, we have a clear illustration of how and why a Christian can and should handle trials with a grace that should stun all onlookers. It's not because we're good people. It isn't because we were raised well. It's solely based on the fact that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and because of His work that we are good trees able bear good fruit.

Christ also promoted this principle several times during His ministry. Here's a quote from Jesus found in Luke 6.

Luke 6:43-45
"43 For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,
44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."

So we know that it's what is IN us that determines what comes OUT of us.

This presents a whole new perspective on trials and temptations that Christians endure during the race of life. We're able to see them as a sort of gauge to measure our growth and maturity. It allows us to see the areas where we need to focus on developing. Much like the law is a tutor that leads us recognizing what sin is, ultimately leading us to turn and lean on Christ, we see trials achieving the same thing in our day to day lives. Showing us the areas of our shortcomings so that we're able to turn and depend on the Holy Spirit to help us grow in those areas. We should be monitoring closely the kinds of knee-jerk reactions we give to all circumstances. When you squeeze a tube labled "Crest", you expect toothpaste as opposed to glue. So we bear the label and name of Christ, what comes out when we are squeezed?