August 30, 1990 Self-control (Temperance) Very few of us would argue with the statement that a lack of self control lies at the roots of many of the worlds problems. The problems range from such troubles as drug abuse, the savings and loan crises, to marriage and family problems. We find it hard to deny ourselves what we want or feel we need. According to John F. MacArthur the basic definition of self control is the ability to keep oneself in check. 1 Self-control, or in many translations temperance, is not restricted to the present meaning of not drinking alcoholic beverages. It denotes rather a strength of character allowing the mind and spirit to control the appetites of the body. In many places in the Bible these desires are called "of the flesh" or the "natural" man. Romans 8:5-14 speaks of how important the conflict between the spirit and natural is. God wants us to have victory over our bondage to the ordinary. Lets look at Gods expectations of our lives, as well as how He helps us. Self-control, the last of the 9 graces mentioned as fruits of the Holy Spirit in Gal 5:22-23, is also listed by Peter. 2 Peter 1:6 says " and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;". 2 This shows that self control is to work in concert with the other gifts of the Holy Spirit. Together they form the character of the believer. Because self control is listed here we have another piece of information about both ourselves and our heavenly Father. All of the 9 elements of the fruit of the Holy Spirit are gifts. They are not easily realized from our human striving as we all know. How many times do we become discouraged because of the failure of our own efforts? God, by giving us a spiritual counselor in the Holy Spirit, has given us a marvelous thing. But the Holy Spirit is more than just a counselor, after all your pastor or these words can counsel. The Holy Spirit has something neither these words or other people have. The Holy Spirit has power in our lives. But how then do we reconcile the fact that we have assurance of salvation and therefore have received the Holy Spirit when still we fail to live a full Christian life? Can it be that we have a responsibility too. We believe that God anticipates a high and holy manner of life from those who He has saved. He has provided every resource for us to live as our spirit leads us in unity with His wishes. Look at 2 Cor 3:3-6, we see here that we are an expression, or a letter from Christ to be read not only by our Christian brothers and sisters but by the world. Our responsibilities are several. First it stands to reason that in order to live according to the Spirit we must know what He is saying. To know this requires prayer and reading God's word. These are the two surest ways to hear what God is saying to you. Secondly we must allow the Spirit to have some freedom of action within us. If we fill our lives so full of activities that there is no energy or time left we can thwart the Spirit. We cannot hear the birds sing if we are wearing a walkman, or in other words if we fill our lives with the things of the world there will be little room for the things of God. The Bible says "you cannot serve two masters. Matt 6:24 Third we must place ourselves in situations where we are reasonable able to obey God. There are places we can go and situations we can put ourselves in that set us up for failure. God has promised that we will not be tested beyond our strength but often we choose to put our selves at risk. Remember the sayings "fools rush to where angels fear to tread" and "caution is the better part of valor". It is important that we develop a good sense of judgment if we are to have self-control. Discussion Questions Read Proverbs 25:28 What does this have to say about self-control? Read Acts 24:25 Are we sometimes a Felix? Do you think that some times you want God's input and other times you don't? What can you do to help you be more responsible toward God? What does 1 Timothy 3:2 have to say about those who wish to teach? Does this hold true for us when we tell people we are a Christian? Reading the following two verses sheds more light on the importance of self control to the Christian witness. 1 Timothy 3:11 Titus 2:2,4 What are some of the responsibilities we have? NOTES 1 Liberated for Life c1976 John F. MacArthur G/L Regal Books 2 Scripture quoted by permission. All Bible quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by The International Bible Society. All rights reserved. Use by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
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This Bible study was prepared for a neighborhood group Bible study with Elmbrook Church in Brookfield Wisconsin. The study is led by a lay person in a discussion type format. The small group format usually contains from 6 to 15 persons. The studies are designed to help people think about their walk with the Lord in a more personal way than they might if just attending church on Sundays. They are not designed to replace a worship service however. The groups can also be a non-threatening place for visitors and people with varying ages and backgrounds to learn together. If you have comments you may contact me on Exec-PC using private E-mail, (send to Herb Guenther) or use address below. The Telephone number is 414\789-4210. Each week we will post that weeks study on the board. The study meets at 7:30 PM on Thursdays in Shorewood WI. The studies are written by Herb and Debbie Guenther. We use the NIV and other translations as well as other resource books which are listed at the end of each study. We would appreciate your comments and suggestions. If you would like to communicate with us use the address below. No money is asked for or expected from anyone. Feel free to distribute these studies in any form as long as no changes are made without our permission and this letter is included. Thank you for your interest and may God bless you. Herb and Debbie Guenther 4454 N Woodruff Shorewood WI 53211 If you wish a reply please include a self addressed stamped envelope. ../