SELF-CONTROL
The Fruit of The Spirit (Part 11)
Galatians 5:22-23
• Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV)
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
INTRODUCTION:
We’re going to start with a presidential quiz. Let’s see if you know which President I’m talking about.
During his term as President of the U.S. this president grew 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 his wife’s wise observation, the President lost 23 pounds. Lyndon Johnson
Who said the following? "With all the power that a President has, the most important thing to bear in mind is this: You must not give power to a man unless, above everything else, he has character. Character is the most important qualification the President of the United States can have." Richard Nixon, in 1964, ten years before he resigned the Presidency to avoid being impeached amidst the shame of the Watergate cover-up
Who said this? "Undeniably, character does count for our nation, and this week we celebrate the importance of character in our individual lives. Core ethical values of trustworthiness, fairness, responsibility, caring, respect, and citizenship form the foundation of our democracy, our economy, and our society." Bill Clinton in a speech during National Character week, October 1997; two months before Monica Lewinsky scandal broke out.
The fruit of the Spirit is self-control. I suppose we shouldn’t be too hard on these presidents for their lack of self-control at one time or another. Self-control is the one fruit of the Spirit we all struggle with because we either resist saying, “No” to ourselves or saying “Yes” to what we know should be done.
What is self-control?
Self-control , or as translated in the KJV temperance comes from the Greek word (en-kratēa) which literally means strong, possessing mastery or master of self. Self-control is best illustrated by the athlete diligently practicing his/her sport and working their body into shape to be their very best; the athlete wants to have strength of body and emotion to enable them to perform at their very best, to have a strength and ability that sets them apart from everyone else. Paul uses this illustration of self-control in 1 Corinthians 9 which we will look at in detail in a few moments.
I’ve said many times, “It is the fruit of the SPIRIT, not the fruit of the saints.” These are the characteristics developed by God’s Spirit living in us; they are not acquired through self-help. Self-control or temperance is not an inner strength or mastery of self; self-control is the strength of the Spirit working in and through our lives.
Practically speaking self-control is the ability to say, “No” to ourselves, and “Yes” to what should be done. Think about it – when do we lack control? It is when we don’t want to say “No” to pleasure, or when we fail to say “Yes” by procrastinating and putting off doing the right thing. In other words we lack control when pleasure and comfort is our primary motivation. However, with self-control we have the strength of the Spirit to say, “No” to our selfish desires and “Yes” to doing what is right. Self-control is love restraining.
Failure to control ourselves, a lack of temperance or restraint leads to all kinds of problems and difficulties! Can I get a witness? Who hasn’t lived to regret indulging our desires or doing the wrong thing at the wrong time?
Abraham and Sara certainly had a problem with self-control. God promised they would have a son, but the sand of time was falling too fast in their eyes, so they took matters into their own hands. Sarah’s desire to have a child caused her to devise a plan, “If God won’t let Abraham have a son through me, then let’s have a child through my servant Hagar.” When Sarah presented the idea to Abraham he didn’t have the self-control to say, “No we should do the right thing and wait on God for the child the Lord has promised.” Instead Abraham said, “Hubba-hubba! Sarah I think that’s a great idea.” As a result a sibling rivalry developed between Ishmael and God’s child of promise Isaac that has spilled over into a continuing struggle among their descendants in Israel and the Middle-East today.
Not many of us will find ourselves facing that magnitude of difficulty and hardship as a result of our lack of self-control, but we do manage to create lots of problems for ourselves and others. If only we could learn self-control, to have an inner strength, a master of self, a strength of the Sprit to say “No” to ourselves and “Yes” to what should be done, then we wouldn’t have as many self-inflicted problems in our lives. So, how does self-control develop within our lives?
Three Keys to Having Self-Control.
1. Be connected to Christ.
Don’t overlook the obvious! Again self-control is the fruit of the SPIRIT and not the fruit of the saints. You can’t do it on your own.
• John 15:5 (NIV)
I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
If you are here today and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, then all the self-help books and programs in the world will not help you to master yourself. Self-control does not come through discipline or religion; self-control develops from through a relationship with Christ.
2. The fruit of the Spirit tends to develop sequentially – one after the other.
Grapes on a vine do not all mature at the same time. The grapes growing at the top of the vine will mature first and then the branches must be lifted up to allow the sunlight to reach the fruit below. Only then will the fruit on the lower branches ripen and mature.
Similarly, the fruit of the Spirit does not all mature at the same time but as one fruit matures others will then begin to develop.
o Love is the blossom. Without love it is not possible for the fruit of the Spirit to develop in your life. Love is the prerequisite.
o Joy is love rejoicing. Real joy is made possible with love.
o Patience is love enduring. As love develops joy we then can learn patience
o Peace is love trusting or resting. As love produces patience we can then learn peace; peace is not possible without patience!
o Kindness is love serving. Love brings joy, patience and peace; then kindness can develop in our lives.
o Goodness is love extending. When love produces kindness to serve others, goodness will also develop.
o Faithfulness is love proving. As love brings faithfulness to maturity, to follow through regardless of the cost, we then can have gentleness develop in our lives.
o Gentleness is love touching. A faithful love produces gentleness.
o Self-control is love restraining. Love brings a mastery over self as the rest of the fruit of the Spirit is maturing in our lives. You will not have self-control by itself.
Again, the fruit of the Spirit is FRUIT not fruits. You can’t go to a fruit market to pick and choose which fruit you want to have in your life. The Spirit will work to bring all the fruit to maturity. However, self-control often requires the development of the other fruit first.
3. You have to work at it!
If you are going to have self-control, it will require discipline and effort on your part. Self-control is not automatic; you have to work at it!
Now does that sound contradictory to you? Self-control is the fruit of the Spirit and not the saints right? So if self-control is the fruit of the Spirit, then how is it possible for the fruit to develop through our hard work?
• 2 Peter 1:3, 5, 6 (NIV)
[3] 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 . . . [5] For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; [6] and to knowledge, self-control. . .
The Spirit of God within us has given us EVERYTHING WE NEED. With God’s power at work in us we lack nothing. However, Peter didn’t stop there; he says because we have everything we need we are to work at it with all our strength; don’t give up; keep working at your faith to grow and mature more and more. GOD GIVES US WHAT WE NEED, BUT WE MUST APPLY IT!
What Can We Do To Develop Self-Control?
Remember I said self-control is best illustrated by an athlete diligently practicing his/her sport and working their body into shape to be their very best. Paul uses this illustration in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
• 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NLT)
[24] 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. [25] 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. [26] So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches. [27] I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Let’s take a close look at what Paul is telling us, because tucked away in these four verses are four practical steps we can take to develop self-control in our lives. If you are going to apply all God has given you by His Spirit, then these are the things you need to do to have self-control.
1. Self-control develops by knowing your purpose.
Paul said, “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” (verse 24)
The athlete has a purpose set before him; win the race – be the best. To win the race, runners must stay on the track; they must follow the course set before them. You can’t win the race by running your own path; you must run the race set before you. Will we run through our lives aimlessly or will we run with purpose?
If you want to develop self-control, then you need to know your purpose for life. You have to stop running to please yourself; stop running aimlessly and run the race God has established for you. Only as you put your life on track can self-control grow.
• Ephesians 5:15-17 (NLT)
[15] So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. [16] Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. [17] Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.
God has a purpose and a plan for your life; the Lord has established the track for you to run the race of life. Self-control develops when you choose to run God’s race instead of your own.
• Romans 6:13 (NLT)
Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God.
Do you know the course God has set for you to run? Do you know the reason you are alive? Do you know what your God-given purposes are? Let me tell you.
1. You are made to love God; we call that worship.
2. You are made to love people; we call that fellowship.
3. You are made to be like Jesus; we call that discipleship.
4. You are made to serve God; we call that ministry.
5. You are made to tell people about God’s love; we call that evangelism.
Are you on the right track? Are you running to pursue God’s purpose? With a clear eye on your purpose you will learn the discipline of a self-controlled life.
2. Self-control requires discipline; it takes hard work.
Look what Paul says in verse 25; “All athletes practice strict self-control.” The NIV says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.” If we are going to have self-control, we must practice discipline, to establish an order or routine to get where we want to go.
Put simply discipline means to set goals to help us achieve our purpose.
No one gets up in the morning and just decides to go out and run a marathon that day. No if you are going to run a marathon you start training long before the race begins; you discipline and prepare your body to run a mile and then two, three and four. Before long you are able to run the required 26 miles and you begin to work on completing the race quicker. Only then are you ready to go and run the marathon.
What spiritual disciplines and goals have you set to help you fulfill your God-given purpose? Have you figured out how your job fits into God’s purpose for your life? Has your Christian faith grown to be a 24/7 running of the race God has called you to run, or are you only running the race on Sundays? Do you quit running God’s race to run in the rat race through the week?
• Haggai 1:5 (NIV)
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.
God wants you to establish some spiritual disciplines, to set some goals to so that you can fulfill His purposes 24/7. What are some disciplines or goals that will help you to develop the self-control you need to fulfill your purpose? Let’s start with five basic disciplines we should all practice in our lives.
1. PRAYER – Prayer is not a monolog talking to God; prayer is a dialog. Do you have a practice of daily prayer? Start where you are and grow in your ability to spend time talking with God (not just to God.)
2. BIBLE READING – We all need to read the Bible everyday; you will have a hard time listening to God if you don’t take time to read what He has already given to you. Don’t just read for quantity; read for quality. Read until God speaks to you personally, then meditate upon what He has said through out the day.
3. SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION – Hide God’s word in your heart. This will enable the Holy Spirit to bring God’s word to your mind for specific situations; you can’t think and act biblically unless you fill your mind with God’s word.
4. SMALL GROUP BIBLE STUDY – You need to interact with God’s word with other believers; this has at least two benefits. [1] You will learn to apply God’s Word to your daily life in practical ways, and [2] you will develop relationships with other believers that will help you grow in your faith.
5. SPIRITUAL JOURNALING – Begin to write down your walk with God. Write about the difficulties you face and how God helps you to overcome. Write what God shows you in His word; write your prayers and list how God answers your requests. Don’t just write a shopping list of the things you did today; write about the lessons you have learned, about what God is doing in and through your life. These will be things that as you look back upon them will show you how much you have grown and give you strength to face new trials.
Now notice I didn’t include a Sunday morning worship service, singing songs and listening to a sermon, as a spiritual discipline that will help you develop self-control. Attending church services each week is a good place to start, but it isn’t enough. We need to all grow more than just on Sundays only.
Self-control develops through knowing your purpose and spiritual disciplines.
3. Self-control grows with an eternal perspective.
Paul said, “[25] . . . They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. [26] So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I am not like a boxer who misses his punches.”
Just as an athlete keeps the prize in sight, in the same way a runner looks toward crossing the finish line first, Paul maintained his focus on the eternal prize kept for Him in heaven. Paul’s goal was eternal life and to enter heaven hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
When we maintain an eternal perspective, when our focus is not on the temporary or the immediate, we are able to grow in self control.
An athlete has little trouble saying “no” to things that will not help him move closer to his goal. The athlete will do what ever it takes to be the best and win the prize.
It’s like dieting. If the goal of a diet is to just lose 20 pounds, then what happens when you lose the weight—all too often you put it right back on with 10 more beside. However, if the goal is a healthy body then your choices of what to eat and how much change. If a healthy diet cause you to lose 20 pounds that’s great, but the goal is still before you helping you to maintain self-control.
• Philippians 3:13-14 (GW)
Brothers and sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and [14] I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus.
Opportunity knocks all the time. Some opportunities look pretty good, but when we stay focus on our purpose, when we maintain an eternal perspective self-control will be strengthened to help us say no to the “opportunity of a lifetime” that will really only take us off course. Staying focused on the goal makes self-control easier.
Self-control develops through knowing your purpose; it requires spiritual disciplines and hard work. Self-control will maintain an eternal perspective.
4. Self-control knows the consequence of failure.
[27] I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Why should we work so hard to bring our mind, body and emotions into control? Failure, a lack of self-control, has consequences. What good is running the race only to be ruled ineligible for the prize because it was discovered you had cheated? Paul exercised self-control so that after preaching to others he would not be disqualified for the prize.
In Paul’s final letter written to Timothy as Paul awaited his execution in Rome under the emperor Nero he said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing (2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV).
Paul was confident that a prize awaited him; self-control had directed his life. Paul would not forfeit the prize before him.
• Mark 8:36-37 (MsgB)
What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? [37] What could you ever trade your soul for?
Yes friends, there is a heaven to be gained, but let’s not forget there is also a hell to shun! If through a lack of self-control we could somehow receive everything we ever wanted, if we were satisfied by never saying “No” to ourselves, then what have we gained if we forfeit our soul? Temporary pleasure and gratification is lost in eternal judgment.
CONCLUSION:
How will we respond to our need for self-control? Will we be connected to Christ? Will we let the Spirit do His work to produce all the fruit of the Spirit in our lives so self-control can develop? Will we pay the price and do the work required; will we make every effort to grow in our faith
Or will we say, “This isn’t a good time for me; I’m going to live my life to get what I want. I’ll worry about God and self-control latter at a more convenient time.” That’s what Felix did.
• Acts 24:24-25 (NIV)
Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. [25] As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you."
Felix was upset with what Paul was saying; he didn’t like Paul’s talk about righteousness, self-control and coming judgment. Josephus, the Jewish historian tells us what was going on behind the scenes that would cause Felix to be so upset.
Drusilla had been given by her brother King Agrippa to be married to Azizus, the king of Emesa. When Felix happened to see Drusilla it was lust—I mean love at first sight. She was a young beautiful woman and Felix persuaded her to divorce her husband; Felix promised he would make her a happy woman. Well his sweet talk won her over and she became Felix’s wife. So Felix was a man who was accustomed to getting what he wanted and Paul knew it. Paul would not give in to Felix’s desire for power and control by asking for his release from prison with a bribe. Paul spoke the truth to Felix without compromise. Felix was not in need of more of the pleasures of life, but need to discover what it meant to live a life of righteousness and self-control in view of the coming judgment. Felix resisted; it was not convenient for him to give into such things.
Don’t make the mistake Felix did. Come to Jesus. Let the Spirit produce much fruit in your life so you can have self-control. Do whatever it takes.
