September 12, 2020
We began this series with Love. Love is the seed of all our fruit: joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness. Self-Control is the glue that holds it all together. Self-Control comes from a Greek word that literally means to be a “MASTER OF SELF”.
Self-control is best illustrated by an Olympic athlete who gets up early every morning, practices their sport, eats only certain things and foregoes other pleasures in life – all for the chance at a Gold Medal – Examples:
Michael Phelps – 4 Olympics / 28 medals (23 gold) = Most decorated Olympian in history.
• He practiced 5-6 hours a day, 6 days a week, swimming nearly 50 miles every week.
• He lifted weights 3 days a week + push-ups and pull-ups.
• He ate as much as 12,000 calories a day.
• “I think everything is possible as long as you put your mind, work and time into it.” = Self-Control
Simone Biles – 1 Olympics / 5 medals (4 gold) + 25 world champion medals = Most decorated gymnast in history.
• She trains 6 hours a day, 6 days a week.
• She also swims, runs and rides a bike.
• She has a very strict diet.
• “Make the goal about being better than you were yesterday rather than trying to be better than someone else was yesterday. Your greatest challenge is – more often than not – getting yourself to move, getting yourself to act, getting yourself to change, getting yourself to be focused and disciplined…. Our biggest barrier is ourselves.” = Self-Control
An athlete’s motivation to practice Self-Control is to become the best in their sport – so they pursue it with singular focus.
Notice Paul’s words:
• 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 - Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So, I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.
We are to pursue Self-Control with the same fierceness, passion, drive and singular focus as an athlete training for the Olympics because the prize we seek is of far greater value. We are not fighting for a gold metal --- we are fighting for our eternal lives --- we are fighting against something that is deeply rooted within us = SELF.
Self wants something and it wants it now. Self is personal instantaneous gratification. Self is driven by fleshly desire. Self is proud, arrogant, confident, satisfied, indulgent and will not die without a fight. Paul tells us that we must actively and fiercely fight against SELF until it is dead:
• Romans 8:5-14 - Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so…… 12 Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation-- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, 14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
• 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 - For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
• Philippians 2:12 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling….
• 1 Timothy 6:11-12 - But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
The most painful and vicious battles we will every fight will not come from the outside – they will be fought against SELF.
• If you want to lose weight you practice self-control by not going to the bakery = internal battle.
• If you want good grades you practice self-control by studying and not playing a video game = internal battle.
• If you want to avoid a speeding ticket you practice self-control and keep to the speed limit = internal battle.
• If you’re an alcoholic and you don’t want to drink you practice self-control by not going to the bar = internal battle.
• If you want to be full of love joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness you practice self-control = internal battle.
Self-Control will help us grow our personal relationship with Jesus and lay aside those things that will get in the way of that relationship. Without Self-control, a person is driven by his/her own desires and NOT by God, which makes Transformation impossible. In Jesus, however, we have been given the power to say “NO” to ourselves and “YES” to Him.
• Titus 2:11-12 - For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
Self-help is a popular concept --- Have a problem? Read this book and all will be well….. However, self-help books -----
• Self-Control: Mastering Your Passions
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
• The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play
• The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control
----- will not help you master yourself, but SELF-CONTROL is meant to be a hallmark of the Christian life – it is not an optional extra. Unfortunately, we have no ability to manufacture Self-Control through human effort……….
So how do we become self-controlled people? Allowing the Holy Spirit into our lives to guide and transform them.
• Philippians 2:12-13 - Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-- not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-- continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
• 2 Peter 1:3-7 - His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
The Holy Spirit will not automatically operate in the life of a Christian. A transformed life only happens as we surrender to and cooperate with the Holy Spirit.
Choosing the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity for Victorious Christian living. Why? Because the power of a fruitful life does not lie with the believer, but with the Spirit.
Just as an apple tree doesn’t think about producing apples – it produces apples because it’s an apple tree and because it’s connected with the source of life, so it is with a believer. A believer doesn’t TRY to produce righteous fruit. He produces fruit BECAUSE he is a believer and BECAUESE he is connected to his source of life --- the Holy Spirit.
• Ezekiel 11:19-20 - I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
• Ezekiel 36:25-27 - I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
• Romans 12:2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.
SELF-CONTROL is produced by God’s work IN us --- it’s a gift and is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives – transforming us into the image of Jesus.
Every Good Tree Produces ---- LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS and SELF-CONTROL.
