CHRISTIAN
CHARACTER CLINIC
2
Peter 1:5-7
CHRISTIAN CHARACTER CLINIC
WEEK #3 – MORALLY EXCELLENT! - VIRTUE
2 Peter 1:5-7 - And
beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;
·
In what areas do you strive for excellence and why?
·
How do you know when you are striving for moral
excellence?
·
Why should moral excellence be an issue for the
Christian?
The bedrock quality for Christian
character is faith. Out of our faith
should flow virtue or “moral excellence”.
According to Peter, we are to give diligence to add moral excellence to
our faith.
WHAT? – What is Moral
Excellence?
Matthew 22:37-40 - Jesus
said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great
commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Exodus 20:1-8, 12-17 - And God spake all these words, saying, [2] I
am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of
the house of bondage. [3] Thou shalt have no other gods before me. [4] Thou
shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth: [5] Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I
the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; [6] And
shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
[7] Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will
not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. [8] Remember the sabbath
day, to keep it holy. …Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be
long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. [13] Thou shalt not
kill. [14] Thou shalt not commit adultery. [15] Thou shalt not steal. [16] Thou
shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. [17] Thou shalt not covet
thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his
manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any
thing that is thy neighbour's.
WHY? – Why should I pursue moral excellence?
add to your faith virtue;
Galatians 3:22 - But
the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus
Christ might be given to them that believe.
Galatians 3:24 - Wherefore
the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be
justified by faith.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore
if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
Romans 5:17 - For
if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive
abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one,
Jesus Christ.)
Romans 8:4 - That
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit.
WHO? – Who are examples of
moral excellence?
Daniel 1:8 - But
Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion
of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of
the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
Daniel 6:3-4 - Then
this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an
excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole
realm. [4] Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against
Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault;
forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in
him.
Luke 1:6 - And
they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and
ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Luke 2:25 - And,
behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man
was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of
HOW? – How can I achieve moral
excellence?
Romans 8:3-4 -
For what the law could not do, in
that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: [4] That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh,
but after the Spirit.
Galatians 2:20 - I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son
of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Galatians 5:16 - This
I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:24-25 - And
they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
[25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
I achieve moral excellence by applying two principles
to my life:
DEATH TO SELF
DEPENDENCE ON GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT
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