Character / Nature vs. Person / Personhood

 

Character / Nature vs. Person / Personhood

Based on the Bible and the most important point in understanding nature and person/personhood is to distinguish between “what I am” and “who I am.”

Strictly speaking, character and nature are also not identical: nature refers more deeply to the inward quality or disposition of life, whereas character is the outward expression formed through life, nature, environment, habits, and practice.

1. Integrated Comparison Table

Aspect	Character / Nature	Person / Personhood
Basic definition	Refers to “what I am like”—a person's inward nature, disposition, characteristics, and outward expression	Refers to “who I am”—a person as a subject or person, possessing selfhood, will, thought, feeling, and the capacity to make decisions
Core concept	What am I like?	Who am I?
Deepest source	Life and nature	The person and the “I”
Biblical basis	“Partakers of the divine nature” — 2 Pet. 1:4; “the new man…according to God” — Eph. 4:24	“Our outer man…our inner man” — 2 Cor. 4:16; “I am crucified with Christ” — Gal. 2:20
Human constitution	Emphasizes the quality, nature, and disposition of life	Emphasizes the subject, person, and self
Relationship to life	Nature proceeds from life; what kind of life a person has determines the nature expressed	The person is the one who possesses and lives out that life
Relationship to God	Through receiving the divine life, believers can partake of the divine nature	Believers remain human persons; they do not become a Person of the Godhead
Change at regeneration	Life and nature are changed through regeneration — John 3:6; 2 Pet. 1:4	The human person is not replaced by another divine Person
Sanctification	The Spirit sanctifies us in life, nature, and living	We remain ourselves as persons, yet live under the governing of the divine life
Transformation	Mainly concerns the transformation of our nature, mind, emotion, will, and living	The person is renewed, transformed, and adjusted; he is not replaced by another person
Nature and character	Nature is inward quality; character is nature expressed in living	The person is the one who lives out that nature and character
Example: love	Divine love becomes an inward disposition through the divine life	“I,” as a person, love the brothers
Example: humility	Divine life produces a humble disposition	I, as a person, choose to humble myself before the Lord
Example: patience	Christ as life becomes the source of patience within us	I, as a person, endure patiently by the Lord
Natural nature	The old creation and natural life produce natural tendencies and dispositions	The old “I” remains the center of the natural person
The cross	The cross deals with the natural life, natural nature, and self	The cross deals with the self as an independent center of living
The problem of the self	The self expresses itself through natural disposition, temperament, and character	The self is the person living independently of God
Relationship to the soul	Nature is expressed through the mind, emotion, and will	The person expresses himself psychologically through the soul
Relationship to the spirit	Divine nature is supplied through and mingled with the regenerated spirit and spreads into the soul	The person must turn to the spirit to live by Christ as life
“Christ in me”	Christ's divine life and nature enter into us and become the source of our new nature	Christ does not replace our person; rather, Christ lives in us
“To live is Christ”	Christ's life and nature become the content of our living	“I” remains a person, but the reality of my living becomes Christ
Galatians 2:20	The life now lived is Christ's life	“No longer I” does not mean that the human person disappears; it means that I no longer live independently as my own life and center
2 Corinthians 4:7	The earthen vessel itself is not the treasure; the natural nature needs to be dealt with	“We have this treasure in earthen vessels”—we remain vessels, persons who contain Christ
2 Corinthians 13:5	Christ becomes life and content within us	“Christ is in you” is the reality of Christ indwelling the believer
God-man living	The divine life and nature become the content of human living	One human person lives by the divine life while retaining genuine humanity
God-human relationship	God's nature enters us, enabling us to partake of the divine nature	We do not become God's divine Person; we remain redeemed human persons
Common misunderstanding	“Partaking of the divine nature” ≠ “becoming a divine Person”	“Christ lives in me” ≠ “my human person disappears”
Key distinction in Witness Lee's ministry	We become like God in life and nature	We remain distinct from God in person and Godhead
Ultimate result	Transformation and conformation to the image of Christ — Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18	Becoming mature God-men who express Christ rather than replacing God
In one sentence	Nature answers: “What am I like?”	Person answers: “Who am I?”

 

2. The Three Most Important Levels

These three concepts can be arranged in a very clear spiritual order:

Level	Concept	Question	Reality in the Believer
1	Life	What life do I have within me?	We receive the divine life through regeneration
2	Nature	What is the quality of this life?	We partake of the divine nature
3	Person	Who lives this life?	I, as a person, live by Christ

Therefore:

Life is the content → Nature is the quality → Person is the vessel and subject who lives it out.

3. Nature and Person in the Triune God

This distinction becomes especially important when speaking about the Father, Son, and Spirit. Divine nature and divine Person must not be confused.

Aspect	Divine Nature	The Three Divine Persons
What it is	What God is	Who the Father, Son, and Spirit are
Nature	The three share the same divine nature	The Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct Persons
Deity	The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Spirit is God	The Father is not the Son; the Son is not the Spirit; the Spirit is not the Father
Godhead	The one divine being and nature	The Father, Son, and Spirit are distinct in Person
Economical distinction	The same divine life and nature	The Father sends the Son; the Son accomplishes redemption; the Spirit applies and carries out God's work
Believers' relationship	Believers may partake of the divine nature	Believers do not become a divine Person of the Godhead
Conclusion	The divine nature can be shared	The divine Persons must not be confused or replaced

Thus, 2 Peter 1:4 says that believers may become “partakers of the divine nature.”

This does not mean that believers receive God's divine Person. Rather, through the divine life, they participate in God's nature.

4. The Key Distinction in Witness Lee's Ministry Concerning the God-man Living

One of the important emphases in ministry can be summarized as follows:

We become God in life and nature, but not in the Godhead or in person.

Wrong Concept	Correct Spiritual Understanding
I become God after being saved	I receive the divine life
I become a divine Person	I partake of the divine nature
My human person disappears	My natural man is dealt with by the cross
Christ replaces my person	Christ becomes my life
I no longer need to be human	I live a genuine, uplifted humanity in the divine life
I am God	I am a child of God, a God-man, and a member of Christ
Divine and human are mutually exclusive	Divine life and proper humanity are united in the God-man living
The more spiritual I become, the less “I” exists	The more Christ becomes my life, the more normal and proper my humanity becomes

 

5. Character vs. Nature

Strictly speaking, character is not exactly the same as nature.

	Nature	Character
Position	Deeper and more inward	More outward and expressed in living
Source	The quality of life itself	Life, nature, environment, practice, habits, and training
Stability	More fundamental	Can be developed and changed through practice
Examples	Love, holiness, righteousness as qualities of divine life	Honesty, diligence, punctuality, patience, reliability
Natural man's problem	Natural life and its fallen nature	Natural habits, temperament, and character weaknesses
Transformation	Divine life gradually saturates and transforms our nature	Divine life gradually renews and transforms our character
Result	Partaking of the divine nature	Expressing Christ in practical living
Relationship	Root	Fruit

 

Thus:

Nature is the inward “what I am”; character is the outward “what I express.”

And:

The person is the “who” that lives out the nature and expresses the character.

6. The Deepest “Triangle”

A useful spiritual model is:

Life → Nature → Character → Living

But there is another crucial dimension outside this sequence:

Person → receives Life → lives out Nature → develops Character → expresses Christ

Therefore the complete model is:

Christ as Life
↓
Divine Nature enters into us
↓
Our person receives and lives by Christ
↓
Divine nature becomes expressed as Christ-like character
↓
Our living becomes an expression of Christ

7. Integration with the God-man Living

Stage	Divine Aspect	Human Aspect	Ultimate Result
Regeneration	Receive the divine life	We remain human persons	A new life enters us
Sanctification	Divine nature spreads within us	Natural nature is dealt with	Our disposition is sanctified
Transformation	Christ's element increases	Mind, emotion, and will are renewed	Human character is transformed
Conformation	We are conformed to Christ's image	Humanity is uplifted and restored	Conformed to the image of God's firstborn Son
Maturity	Divine life reaches maturity	Proper humanity is fully expressed	Mature God-man living
Expression	Christ becomes the content	The human person becomes the vessel of expression	Christ receives a corporate expression
Ultimate consummation	Divine life and nature reach their full expression	Redeemed, transformed, glorified persons	The New Jerusalem as the corporate universal expression of God and man

 

8. Major Biblical References

Scripture	Main Revelation	Related Theme
John 3:6	“That which is born of the Spirit is spirit”	Life
John 14:19–20	“Because I live, you also shall live”	Christ as life
John 15:4–5	Abiding in Christ and bearing fruit	Life and living
Romans 8:29	Conformed to the image of God's firstborn Son	Nature and image
Romans 12:2	Transformed by the renewing of the mind	Character / soul transformation
2 Corinthians 3:18	Transformed into the same image	Transformation
2 Corinthians 4:7	Treasure in earthen vessels	Christ and the human person
Galatians 2:20	“No longer I, but Christ lives in me”	Person and Christ as life
Ephesians 4:22–24	Put off the old man and put on the new man	Renewal of man and nature
Colossians 3:4	“Christ our life”	Life
2 Peter 1:4	“Partakers of the divine nature”	Divine nature
1 John 3:2	“We shall be like Him”	Ultimate transformation
Revelation 21:2, 10–11	The New Jerusalem expressing God's glory	Ultimate expression

 

9. The Most Precise Integrated Formula

Life → Nature → Character → Person → Expression 

The divine life is the source
↓
The divine nature is the inward quality
↓
The divine nature is expressed in living as Christ-like character
↓
The human person lives by Christ as life
↓
The human living becomes an expression of Christ 

Therefore, genuine God-man living is not:  “I become another divine Person.”

Rather, it is:

“I, as a human person, receive Christ as life, allow the divine nature to saturate me, and am transformed in nature, character, and living so that Christ may be expressed through me.”

10. Ultimate Conclusion

The clearest distinction is:

Nature answers: “What am I like?”

Character answers: “How is that nature expressed in my living?”

Person answers: “Who am I?”

In God's salvation:

We partake of God in life and nature, are transformed into Christ's image in our living and expression, yet remain human persons and never become a divine Person of the Godhead.

One-Sentence Summary

“Life enables us to partake of God, nature makes us like God, transformation makes us express Christ, and yet our person remains a redeemed human person—not a divine Person, but a God-man in whom God lives and is expressed.”