As part of our new focus as a school, we have developed a graduate profile. This is a picture of what we want our students to be like after spending time with us. We do not necessarily expect they will fit the profile perfectly, but that they are well on the way to becoming like this and be recognised as having these characteristics. The first is Godly character. 

Human beings are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26 – 27) and so are most complete when we reflect His characteristics. There is some discussion about what being made in God’s image might actually mean, but theologians often think of it in two ways: firstly, we are, in essence, like God – we can reason, have personality, free will and self-consciousness; and secondly, we function like God, in that we rule over the Creation even while being under God’s rule. We are not divine, but we do reflect what God is like to other human beings. This image or likeness is not just contained in each individual, but rather God’s image is reflected throughout humanity, and His work is to be undertaken by humanity as a whole. 

Godly character is our goal, although it will take a lifetime and beyond to achieve it. It consists of those qualities that represent the goodness and perfection of God Himself: love, joy in all things, being at peace and peace-making, patience in all circumstances and with others, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). To this list we may also add qualities such as humility, purity, modesty, integrity, contentment, diligence and so on. 

While we often talk about "good" character, we at GPCC want to go further than the usual definition of what a good character might be like and re-connect back to the Creator’s perspective. In God’s Word, the Bible tells us that no human being is good and that even our apparent goodness (our righteousness) is like filthy rags to a holy and perfectly good God (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:23). This is the problem of the human condition – we are "fallen" from the sinless state we were in at the time of Creation and have now been infected by the sin virus, such that all of us are born into sin and cannot have the Godly character we were designed to have. 

The good news is that through God’s plan of redemption, Jesus makes a way for us to re-connect with God, have our spirits renewed and begin a life journey of growth and movement towards Godly character as we deal to the sin in our lives with the help of God’s Spirit. Christians call this process sanctification. 

While all students can seek to become people like this, it is really only possible to make permanent change when they accept Jesus’ gift of salvation, turn from their previous way of life and commit to follow Jesus, dealing with the old bad habits in their lives and asking God to re-shape them into His likeness again. 

In this way we begin to return to what God intended us to be – perfect people, serving Him in caring for the world and living together in harmony with nature and with others. The other graduate profile characteristics are most effective and most easily developed when we get this one right. 

Phillip Nash