Righteous Character

Philippians 1:11

Righteous Character

Philippians 1:9-11 - I pray that

your love will overflow more and

more, and that you will keep on

growing in knowledge and

understanding. 10For I want you

to understand what really

matters, so that you may live

pure and blameless lives until the

day of Christ’s return. 11May you

always be filled with the fruit

of your salvation - the

righteous character produced

in your life by Jesus Christ -

for this will bring much glory

and praise to God. NLT

I. Fruit of your Salvation

(Righteousness)

This is the Righteous Character

Christ imputed to your account

at conversion

Be more concerned with your

character than with your reputation.

Your character is what you really are

while your reputation is merely what

others think you are. Sanctity of Life, C. Swindoll, Word, 1990, p.

What is in Process,

What is Continuing?

The expression of this

Righteous Character

When it is seen it is the

Fruit of the Spirit

In order for the Fruit of your

Salvation to be seen in your life

you must abide in Christ.

This is the continuing or process

portion of what the

Apostle is saying.

We need Him for salvation and

we need Him to express

righteous character.

The measure of a man’s real

character is what he would do if he

knew he would never be found out.

Source Unknown

Galatians 5:16-25 – So I say, let

the Holy Spirit guide your

lives. Then you won’t be doing

what your sinful nature craves. 17The sinful nature wants to do

evil, which is just the opposite of

what the Spirit wants.

And the Spirit gives us desires

that are the opposite of what the

sinful nature desires. These two

forces are constantly fighting

each other, so you are not free to

carry out your good intentions. 18But when you are directed by

the Spirit, you are not under

obligation to the law of Moses.

19When you follow the desires of

your sinful nature, the results are

very clear: sexual immorality,

impurity, lustful pleasures, 20idolatry, sorcery, hostility,

quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of

anger, selfish ambition,

dissension,

division, 21envy, drunkenness,

wild parties, and other sins like

these. Let me tell you again, as I

have before, that anyone living

that sort of life will not inherit the

Kingdom of God.

22But the Holy Spirit produces

this kind of fruit in our lives: love,

joy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control.

There is no law against these

things!.

24Those who belong to Christ

Jesus have nailed the passions

and desires of their sinful nature

to his cross and crucified them

there. 25Since we are living by the

Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s

leading in every part of our lives. NLT

Fame is a vapor, Popularity an

accident. Riches take wings.

Only one thing endures,

Character. Horace Greely

James 3:18 – And those who are

peacemakers will plant seeds of

peace and reap a harvest of

righteousness.

Character is much better kept

than recovered.Thomas Paine

The Fruit of Righteousness also

includes winning people to Christ.

Romans 1:13 - I want you to

know, brothers, that I have often

intended to come to you (but thus

far have been prevented), in

order that I may reap some

harvest among you as well as

among the rest of the Gentiles. ESV

Colossians 1:4-6 - For we have

heard of your faith in Christ Jesus

and your love for all of God’s

people, 5which come from your

confident hope of what God has

reserved for you in heaven. You

have had this expectation ever

since you first heard the truth of

the Good News.

6This same Good News that

came to you is going out all over

the world. It is bearing fruit

everywhere by changing lives,

just as it changed your lives from

the day you first heard and

understood the truth about God’s

wonderful grace. NLT

The best index to a person’s

character is:

How he treats people who can’t

do him any good, and

How he treats people who can’t

fight back.Abigail Van Buren

God has little patience with those

weak souls who say to

themselves, “I shall go this far

and no farther.” Is it up to the

creature to make the law for his

Creator? What would a king say

of a subject, or a master of a

servant, who only served him in

his own way, who feared to care

too much for his interests, and

who was embarrassed in public

because of belonging to him?

What will the King of Kings say to

us if we act like these cowardly

servants?

Francois Fenelon

II. for this will bring much glory

and praise to God.

John 15:8 - When you produce

much fruit, you are my true

disciples. This brings great glory

to my Father. NLT

1 Corinthians 10:31 – So

whether you eat or drink, or

whatever you do, do it all for the

glory of God. NLT

I think we delight to praise what

we enjoy because the praise not

merely expresses but completes

the enjoyment. It is not out of

compliment that lovers keep on

telling one another how beautiful

they are; the delight is incomplete

till it is expressed. C. S. Lewis

Ephesians 1:11-14 –

Furthermore, because we are

united with Christ, we have

received an inheritance from

God, for he chose us in

advance, and he makes

everything work out according

to his plan.

12God’s purpose was that we

Jews who were the first to trust in

Christ would bring praise and

glory to God.

13And now you Gentiles have

also heard the truth, the Good

News that God saves you. And

when you believed in Christ, he

identified you as his own by

giving you the Holy Spirit, whom

he promised long ago.

14The Spirit is God’s guarantee

that he will give us the

inheritance he promised and that

he has purchased us to be his

own people. He did this so we

would praise and glorify him. NLT

Reputation is made in a moment;

Character is built in a lifetime.

Reputation grows like a

mushroom;

Character grows like an oak.

Reputation makes you rich or

makes you poor;

Character makes you happy or

makes you miserable.

Reputation is what men say

about you on your tombstone;

Character is what angels say

about you before the

throne of God.

Your Reputation

is what men think you are.

Your Character

is what God knows you to be.

William Hershey Davis

His goal is not to pamper us

physically but

to perfect us spiritually.

Paul W. Powell

God is more concerned about our

character than our comfort.

III. Meditation & Application

Reflect on the last time you

naturally praised and glorified

God at work, school or play.

What ignited

your praise and glory

to God?

How were you impacted

when you did this?