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Self-Control

Self-control

Self-control is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands-and then eat just one of the pieces. ── Michael P. Green《Illustrations for Biblical Preaching》

Self-control

Self-control is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands-and then eat just one of the pieces.

Self-Discipline

Lord Joseph Duveen American head of the art firm that bore his name planned in 1915 to send one of his experts to England to examine some ancient pottery. He booked passage on the Lusitania. Then the German Embassy issued a warning that the liner might be torpedoed. Duveen wanted to call off the trip. “I can’t take the risk of your being killed ” he said to his young employee.

“Don’t worry ” said the man “I’m a strong swimmer and when I read what was happening in the Atlantic I began hardening myself by spending time every day in a tub of ice water. At first I could sit only a few minutes but this morning I stayed in that tub nearly two hours.”

Naturally Duveen laughed. It sounded preposterous. But his expert sailed and the Lusitania was torpedoed. The young man was rescued after nearly five hours in the chilly ocean still in excellent condition.

Just as this young man did so Christians should condition themselves by practicing devotional discipline behavioral discipline and discipline in doing good.—Christian Today

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is when your conscience tells you something and you don’t talk back.

Success and Discipline

”Why are men so great?” some ask. Well…

The heights by great men reached and kept

Were not attained by sudden flight;

But they while their companions slept

Were toiling upward in the night.

SELF-CONTROL

British statesman Edmund Burke argued "men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains on their own appetites. Society cannot exist unless a controlling power upon will and appetite be placed somewhere and the less of it there is within the more there is without. It is ordained in the eternal constitution of things that men of intemperate minds cannot be free. Their passions forge their fetters."

Imprimis Vol. 20 No. 9.

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During his term as President of the U.S. Lyndon Johnson was somewhat overweight. One day his wife challenged him with this blunt assertion: "You can't run the country if you can't run yourself." Respecting Mrs. Johnson's wise observation the President lost 23 pounds.

Unknown.

 
The Fruit Of The Spirit - Self-control
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. Finally we come to the last virtue listed by Paul that is found in a
 person one who is walking in the Spirit
thereby producing the fruit
 of the Spirit: "self-control" ("temperance"
KJV)
 
2. In some ways
one might consider this virtue the most important...
 a. For without self-control
the "works of the flesh" cannot be
 overcome
 b. For without self-control
the other elements of the "fruit of the
 Spirit" will not be evident
 
3. But what exactly is "self-control"?  And how can one develop this
 virtue?
 
[These are questions I will attempt to answer in this final study in
this series on "The Flesh And The Spirit"...]
 
I. DEFINING SELF-CONTROL
 
 A. THE GREEK WORD IS "EGKRATEIA" {eng-krat'-i-ah}
 1. It comes from the word "kratos" (strength)
and means "one 
 holding himself in" (ROBERTSON)
 2. THAYER defines it as: "the virtue of one who masters his
 desires and passions
especially his sensual appetites"
 3. MACKNIGHT adds the thought: "Where this virtue subsists

 temptation can have little influence."
 -- Immediately
then
we can see why this virtue is so necessary
 in overcoming the "works of the flesh" (such as fornication 
 and outbursts of wrath
Ga 5:19
20)
 
 B. IT IS FOUND ONLY THREE TIMES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT...
 1. Once in Ac 24:25
 a. Where it is included along with "righteousness" and
 "judgment"
 b. "the word follows 'righteousness'
which represents God's
 claims; therefore
self-control is to be man's response to
 such claims" (VINE)
 2. Once in Ga 5:23
where we see it is evidence of one walking
 in the Spirit
and being led by the Spirit
 3. And in 2 Pe 1:6
  a. Here we learn that it is to be added to "knowledge"
 b. "it follows 'knowledge'
suggesting that what is learned
 requires to be put into practice" (VINE)
 
[Self-control
then
is being in control of one's self; in the context
of the Scriptures
the control of self so as to be in harmony with the
will of God.
 
But it is a whole lot easier to define than it is to develop...]
 
II. DEVELOPING SELF-CONTROL
 
 A. THE SCRIPTURES DESCRIBE THE DIFFICULTY OF SELF-CONTROL...
 1. The wisdom of Solomon declared it is easier to capture a city
 than to be in control of our spirit - Pr 16:32; cf. 25:28
 2. Just controlling the tongue
is a difficult challenge...
 a. Failure to bridle the tongue renders our religion useless 
 - Ja 1:26
 b. It is easier to tame wild animals! - Ja 3:7-10
 
 B. HOWEVER
IN CHRIST THERE IS STRENGTH TO CONTROL SELF...
 1. Consider the dilemma described by Paul in Ro 7:14-24
 a. A dilemma experienced by one trying to do the will of God
 outside of Christ
having only the Law
 b. A dilemma that leads to...
 1) The inability to perform as one wishes
despite the will
 to do - Ro 7:18
 2) The state of captivity to the law of sin - Ro 7:23
 3) The condition of despair - Ro 7:24
 c. However
in Ro 7:25 we see a glimpse of hope
a hint of
 the answer to this dilemma (i.e.
Jesus Christ!)
 2. The answer is stated very clearly in our text - cf. Ga 5:24
 a. "...those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with
 its passions and desires"
 1) This does not deny the fact there is still a battle 
 going on - cf. Ga 5:17
 2) But those in Christ have undergone a fundamental change
 3) In a way difficult to comprehend
they have "crucified
 the flesh" - Ga 5:24
 b. This took place when they were united with Christ in His
 death
in baptism...
  1) In baptism
our body of sin is put to death
crucified
 with Christ - Ro 6:3-6
 2) When we are raised from that watery grave
we rise to 
 walk in newness of life
free to live for God! - Ro 6:7

  12-13
 c. This does not mean we are no longer tempted to sin
but in
 some significant way we are free from the "dominion" 
 (absolute rule) of sin! - cf. Ro 6:14
 3. For those in Christ
there is added strength as they "walk
 according to the Spirit"!
 a. Yes
we enjoy freedom from the "condemnation" of sin - cf.
 Ro 8:1
 b. But there is more
freedom also from the "power" of sin

 freedom from "the law (principle) of sin and death" - Ro
 8:2
 1) The "law (principle) of the Spirit of life in Christ"
 provides this freedom!
 2) The context suggests that this refers to the aid of the
 Spirit to help us overcome the "deeds of the body" - cf.
 Ro 8:11-14; Ep 3:16
20
 c. Isn't this what Paul was talking about in Ga 5:16-18
25?
 1) If you walk in the Spirit
putting to death the deeds of
 the body by the help of the Spirit
will you not defeat
 the lust of the flesh?
 2) Since you have been made alive in the Spirit (cf. Jn 
 3:5; Ti 3:5)
should you not also walk in the Spirit
 (that is
utilize the help that is there)?
 
 C. WHAT THEN IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY?
 1. First
trust in God's Word
that by His grace...
 a. Our old man of sin was indeed crucified with Christ in our
 baptism - Ro 6:6
 b. We did indeed crucify the flesh with its passions and 
 desires - Ga 5:24
 c. That God can indeed strengthen us by His Spirit in the 
 inner man - Ep 3:16
 d. That with God's help we can do all things according to His
 will - Ph 4:13
 2. And then
with such faith
continue the process begun in our
 baptism...
 a. Put to death the deeds of the body - Ro 8:13
 b. Put to death our members here on the earth - Co 3:5
8-9
 c. Put ON the new man...
 1) A process which also began in baptism
when we put on
 Christ - Ga 3:27
 2) A process which continues as we grow daily - cf. Co 3:
 10-14
 d. Work as though it all depended upon you - Ph 2:12
 e. But remember that you are not alone
that God is at work in
 you too!- Ph 2:13
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. As one cooperates with God in the doing of His Will
self-control
 will be a natural by-product (i.e.
evidence that one is walking in
 the Spirit)
 
2. We cannot overestimate the importance of developing "self-control"
 in our lives...
 a. Without it
we cannot defeat the temptations that come our way
 b. Without it
we cannot overcome the works of the flesh 
 c. Without it
we cannot grow as we should in Christ
 d. Without it
we cannot bear the fruit of the Spirit!
 
3. Yet in Christ we have every reason
every motivation
to develop the
 virtue of "self-control"
 a. We have been set free from the dominion of sin
 b. We have the aid of God through His indwelling Spirit
 c. We even have the assurance of forgiveness when we fall (1 Jn
 1:9)
knowing that as long as we are willing to repent and try
 again
there is help from God!
 -- The key question is
"Do we trust the Lord to help us
enough so
 to walk by faith and do His Will?"
 
This brings to an end our study on "The Flesh And The Spirit". I hope
that in some small way I have encouraged you to "walk in the Spirit"

and NOT to "fulfill the lust of the flesh". The over-riding reason
for doing so is found in Paul's own words:
 
 "If we live in the Spirit
let us also walk in the Spirit" (Ga 5:25)
 
In truth
by the "washing of regeneration and renewing of the Spirit"
(Ti 3:5) God saved us and caused us to be "born again of the water and
the Spirit" (Jn 3:5). Since in our baptism God has made us alive by
the Spirit of God
shouldn't we seek to walk in such a way so as to
produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives?

－－《Executable Outlines》