The Confidence Of Character
I.
There is a confidence
that flows out of a character life (Proverbs 21:29 AMP)
A. Character births
confidence (Proverbs 10:9)
1. Character has confidence
because in character you’re doing your part
a. It’s not confidence in
yourself, it’s confidence in the faithfulness of God that when you do your
part, He has already done his
b. YOUNG – Whoso is
walking in integrity walks confidently
2. The person who walks in
character will walk in confidence because they know that they are doing their
part and God always does His
a. Character gives me
grounds to expect that God’s word is going to work for me because I’m doing
what it says
3. Confidence comes from not
only hearing what God said, but it come when you start doing what you’ve heard
B. Outside of character
there is no confidence (Proverbs 14:26)
1. It’s inside character
where you know you’re giving God your best and you’re doing all that you know
to do that confidence will arise
2. MSG – The Fear-of-God builds up confidence, and makes a
world safe for your children.
II. Lack of character destroys confidence (1 John 3:21)
A. When you heart finds
fault with you confidence is destroyed
1. When you have violated
what you know is right in your heart it destroys confidence
2. When you know that you’re
not giving God your best and doing what He said confidence is destroyed
B. Hebrews 10:35 –
Your reward is with your confidence and your confidence is with your character
1. Confidence has the reward
and without confidence there will be no reward
2. If you violate what you
know is right in your heart and don’t walk in character you’re confidence will
be destroyed and your reward will be lost
III. Character giving birth to great confidence
A. Isaiah 50:4-11 –
Character births confidence
1. 4-5-He heard what was
right and refused to rebel against that
a. When he heard what the
Lord said he heard what was right
2. 6-He swore to his own
hurt and wouldn’t change from doing what was right
a. 7-He set his face like
flint (a rock is not easily conformed)
1) His face is fixed on God,
His Word, and what’s right and he’s not changing no matter how bad it hurts
3. 7-Confidence – The Lord WILL help me; I WILL NOT be
confounded (ashamed, humiliated); I KNOW that I WILL NOT be ashamed
4. 8-9 (AMP)-He knows he’s
done what God told him, and confidence comes roaring out of him
5. 9-The Lord God WILL help
me
a. Lord (Adonai)
– Master, Owner, or Lord; Signifies ownership; Servants are His by
choice; He is my Master who owns me and he protects, directs, and provides for
me
b. God (Jehovah) –
Full of life; Revealing One who reveal himself of as my intimate personal God
who never leaves me nor forsakes me; denotes the unchangeableness of God; the God of eternity