Study Notes

Foundation Statement: The character you walk in will effect the protection that you have

 

I.      Introduction

A.    You can be a good person and do wrong things.  Just because a person does the wrong thing or makes a wrong decision does not make that person a bad person. 

1.      Generally people are good people.  There is a major difference in being a good person and actually doing right things.

2.      People have mistaken their desire and intention to do right with the act of doing right.  You can be a good person who desires and intends to do right, but that doesn’t count as doing right.  We cannot pass off our intention and desire for doing right as the action of actually doing right. You can be a good person who wants to do right, but wanting to do right and doing right is to different things.

3.      There are a lot of believers who do wrong things.  Their intention and desire is to do right, but without knowledge of what’s right and then a willingness to do right, that intention and desire never manifests into action. 

4.      Bad things happen to good people when good people don’t do the right things

B.     Want and hunger or two different things.  You can want to eat and not eat.  But if you’re hungry to eat, hunger is the motivation that moves you into the action of doing what it takes eat.  We can want to see God move and want to see the world changed, but want with no hunger will manifest as an unfilled dream and desire. 

C.    Doctrines and principles aren’t set by your experiences, they are set by the word

II.     Make the connection between the protection you have and the character you walk in

A.    Character is going to watch you, guard you, and protect you (Psalm 25:21)

1.      Preserve – To guard, watch, watch over, keep, guard from dangers, be blockaded

a.      RHM – Let uprightness watch over me

b.      KNOX – Uprightness and purity be my shield

c.      JERUS – Let innocence and integrity be my protection

d.      TAY – Assign Godliness and integrity as my bodyguards

e.      NCV – May goodness and honesty guard me

f.       NIRV – May my honest and good life keep me safe

2.      Make the connection between your protection and your character

a.      What he does (right or wrong) is going to have a lot 2 do w/ him being protected

b.      Make the connection between what you do and don’t do from God’s word and what happens in your life

3.      This is going to keep him protected

a.      He’s given God his whole heart

b.      He’s serving God with innocence of heart

c.      He’s serving God with simplicity of heart

d.      He’s doing what’s right according to the Word

B.     Lack of character opens the door to the devil (Proverbs 11:3)

1.      Destroy-Dead, destroyer, oppress, robber, waste-John 10:10 – Steal, kill, and destroy

a.      We lthink perverseness as some ugly sin; perverseness not doing what God said

b.      NIRV – Those who do what is right are guided by their honest lives.  But those who aren't faithful are destroyed by their trickery.

c.      TNIV – The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

d.      Ephesians 4:26 – Stop giving place to the devil

e.      1 Peter – 5:8-He’s looking for someone who will violate the character of the Father

2.      Character & integrity will lead a person into God’s best for their life (Gen 39- Joseph)

C.    Lack of character makes you vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy (Proverbs 2:7)

1.      A shield protects you against attacks of the enemy

a.      Doing what’s right will keep you shielded from the attacks of the enemy

b.      When we you don’t walk uprightly in character, the shield is down, and you’re open game for the enemy

2.      CEV-God gives helpful advice to everyone who obeys him, and protects all of those, who live as they should.

III.   Your redemption from the curse is connected to your character (Psalm 26:1-12)

A.    There’s a connection between walking in character and walking in your redemption

1.      A person can be born-again and redeemed from the curse, but the effects of that curse are still available for people who walk out into it by violating character

a.      People who walk in character will be the same people who walk in the redemption that Jesus provided

2.      Is it possible to be born again & redeemed from the curse, but stay underdeveloped in character & have life full of the curse that Jesus died to redeem you from?

a.      People who have a low level of character will see a high manifestation of the curse in their lives

B.     The learners and followers of Jesus who have forsaken all that they have and totally committed and submitted to him are the ones who walk in freedom (John 8:31-32)

1.      Disciples are learners and followers of Jesus; Just because you’re a believer does not mean that you’re a disciple

a.      Disciples continue in his word, striving to be just like him everyday of their lives, they’ve forsaken all that they have, and have totally submitted and committed to the master

b.      You’re level of commitment to the Lord and submission to the Lord (your character) is going to determine the level of freedom that you walk in

2.      The disciples are the people who walk in freedom because they are the ones who walk in the character of Jesus

C.    Deut 28:1-2, 5-If u walk in character you get the blessing, if you don’t you get the curse

IV.   Help from God is found IN YOUR character and integrity (Psalm 41:12)

A.    God can help the person who will walk in character

1.      People limit God in the help that He can give with their lack of character

2.      God’s limited in the help He can give to a person who doesn’t do what he says

a.      If you’ll be a person of character, do what’s right, and do what God says you’ll receive the support and help

b.      God’s always helping, but those who don’t walk in character can’t receive that help

c.      CEV-You have helped me b/c I am innocent, & u will always be close to my side.

d.      Holman-You supported me b/c of my integrity & set me in Your presence forever.

3.      God helps people who walk in character (Psalm 115:11)

B.     What kind of help does the Lord give us? (Romans 8:26 – Sunantilambano) 

V.    People who walk in character will walk free from harm

A.    Character repels evil (Proverbs 19:23)

1.      The person who respects God and honors God shall not (cannot) be visited with evil

a.      NIV – Untouched by trouble

b.      NASB – Untouched by evil

c.      NLT – Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm.

d.      DARBY-The fear of God [tendeth] to life, and he [that hath it] shall rest satisfied without being visited with evil.

e.      NCV – Those who respect the Lord will live and be satisfied, unbothered by trouble.

f.       BAS – The Fear of the Lord gives life: and he who has it will have need of nothing; no evil will come his way

g.      NEB – The fear of the Lord is life; he who is full of it will rest untouched by evil

B.     Character can lengthen your days and lack of it can shorten them

1.      Proverbs 10:27-Walking in character will lengthen your days

2.      Pr 14:27-People who walk in character, honoring & respecting God will avoid death

C.    Obedience and character is safe (Proverbs 10:29)

1.      People of character who do things God’s way will find that God’s way of doing things and their walk of character to be a place where its safe and protected

a.      Dal 3-The safest place on this Earth is the place of character where you’re doing what the Father says

b.      John 8:59-Jesus was so protected when he walked the Earth b/c of his character

c.      Psalm 91 – The secret place of the most high is that place of character

2.      People who live a character life are strong people

a.      A low-character life is a weary one; when you live in character you’ll be strong