Developing Good Character

Developing Good Character

Lakewood COG | Speaker: Pastor Jonathan | May 7, 2017

Titus 2:11-13

11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

Character - the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing. A persons moral or ethical quality. - Dictionary.com

¥ A person’s character is the sum of his or her disposition, thoughts, intentions, desires, and actions.

¥ Good Character is Godly Character

I. A person’s character is based on their overall actions and qualities and should not be based on one or two isolated instances.

A. Examples,

1. King David was a man of good character (1 Samuel 13:14) but he was not without sin (2 Samuel 11).

2. King Ahab may have done one or two things right (1 Kings 22:35), but overall… he was still a man who had bad character (1 Kings 16:33).

B. Biblical Examples of People with Good Character:

1. Ruth (Ruth 3:11),

2. Hanani (Nehemiah 7:2),

3. David (Psalm 78:72), and

4. Job (Job 2:3).

¥ None of these folks were perfect but when you look at their overall all life they passed the “good character test.”

II. Character is the Outward Expression of our Choices.

A. Daniel “resolved not to defile himself” in Babylon (Daniel 1:8). - An indication of “Great Choices Produce Good Character."

1. It’s common for people with poor character to blame all of their problems on other people.

B. Character influences the decisions we make. Therefore, character is key in the molding of our lives.

1. “The integrity of the upright guides them” (Proverbs 11:3a).

C. Good Character will help us make good choices in bad times and keep us from sin (Proverbs 10:9a).

III. Developing Good Character?

A. We develop character by:

1. Controlling our thoughts (Philippians 4:8-9),

2. Practicing Christian conduct (2 Peter 1:5-8),

3. Guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 15:18-20), and

4. Keeping good company (1 Corinthians 15:33).

We are called to be Godly examples of good character to the world. (Titus 2:7-8).