The Character Assessment Scale (CAS or CASm)
The New Testament teaches that fruits of the spirit are signs that we are being inspired by the eternal life of God coming through us. Natural and sinful fruits of the flesh come from being touched by the lives of others, and from our trying to touch them. Every experience we take in and every expression we give out carries a mixture of flesh and spirit. We need God to help us see exactly what we are taking in and giving out with our choices.
The Bible teaches about nine experiences and expressions of life that we are made to long for especially: health, peace, love, respect, purpose, grace, sexuality, wealth, and truth. For each of these,God gives us authentic soul foods, the spiritual fruits. But we want people to long for us, so we play god and fashion counterfeit junk-food idols to feed the flesh. With our beliefs, habits, and relationships, how can we “know them by their fruits” as Jesus called us to do?
In Romans 12: 1-2, God calls us to avoid conforming to ways of this world and give our flesh up to God through the renewal of our minds, so we can discern and test the will of God, to see how delightful and good for us it really is. Here and now, you can take our free online test, the CAS. It measures nine pairs of flesh and spirit fruits for each of these basic soul foods we are made to long for. It takes just 15 minutes, and results come to you right away. Plus, this test is completely private and anonymous: no one, including us, can know who you are or how you scored unless you share your results with them. So, you can tell yourself the truth here.
Your scores will compare you to other Christians who have taken this test. (Another similar test is made for everybody, and normed on a general population. The Better Life Test [BLT] has questions and offers resources without biblical language, using its own website, to-the-well.org.) Both websites point test-takers to dozens of resources to help you “be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” These tests were created 40 years ago at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, researched in several professional journals of psychology and religion, featured twice by the American Psychological Association, and are now being studied at Asbury University.
For each of the nine issues, here we give you devotional guides that explain 20+ scriptures, psychological insights that show causes and effects of the fruits, and parenting tips to help you learn from your childhood and raise morally healthy children. The PAD Fruit Check helps you discern the flesh-and-spirit mix of your primary relationships and commitments. This entire website is designed to help people find a new life in the good life, especially through its blog, podcast, and flowchart. All this is here to give you a brand-new vision of the kingdom of God, and how to find yourself in it. It all starts with taking the test.