Virtue is that which is morally and ethically excellent. It is proper and honorable conduct willfully sought after. It is in this endeavor that Christianity is set apart from the philosophical and secular pursuit of moral excellence not by its governance from an earthly source but by that of a heavenly one.
Marcus Aurelius and Jesus
Reason, it can be said, is the mental power which forms conclusions, makes judgments, and enables a person to conduct their behavior virtuously. In the Meditations the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, a Stoic, extolls the character and actions of his father for his humility, sobriety, justness, lack of anger, and patience. He places reason as that which, “promises freedom from hasty judgement, and friendship towards men, and obedience to the gods.” He argues that since life is fleeting man must live for the day, in the present, realizing that the memory of him will die with those who die soon after. To Aurelius then, since death happens to all people, as does both good and bad, it is virtuous actions through the “commands of reason” that bring truth, love, and contentment. Virtue then is the highest quality in man, and it is governed by reason. Virtue is centered in and willfully pursued by human nature.
Conversely, in Matthew 5:3-11 Jesus speaks of the blessed μακάριος (makarios), the happy or fortunate, in kingdom of heaven, indeed the reward will be in heaven, the abode of God. The conduct of the believer is meant to reflect the values of