Self Control

Self Control

2 Peter 1:5-8 amplified

Faith is to a Christian what gasoline is to a car. Gasoline is necessary to run engine. That’s not all you need; air supply, vacuum hoses draw air, oil, or won’t go very far. The Christian faith too must have some other additives or you won’t make much progress.

Someone says, “I believe all I need it to believe in God.” True if you on your deathbed! But if plan on living here for a while you will need much more than faith or else you become very frustrated trying to live Christian life.

The text tells Christians to diligently add to there faith several things. Why? So you can be fruitful and functional. Read verse 8.

You and I already know too many dysfunctional Christians! You know people who will not come to Christ because they know too many dysfunctional Christians. Today it is hard to tell the difference between the “Saint’s and the Ain’ts”. They talk same, and act same.

We are all in the process of sanctification once we have been born again. We grow in Christ and reach New levels of living. It begins with faith ends with love.

From faith will grow virtue or holy living. We want to please God; he is our number one motivation for all we do. Out of holy living will come more 1st hand experiences with God called knowledge. Now we know God not by 2nd teaching but 1st hand experiences. From knowledge we will grow in self-control. Because the more we experience God the more of His grace we will experience to instill holy habits in following harder after Him. This is the personality profile of one who is Spirit-filled.

DEFINITION: Temperance is kjv word from 2 Greek “en” = fixed position, in place and “kratos” = power or strength. “The strength to stay in place.”

Different from self-discipline:

Self-discipline is good but motivated to achieve a goal. Anyone can do this. But Self Control is motivated by love for the Lord. Jesus said, “If you love me keep my commandments.” It is a fruit of Holy Spirit living in us. When love wins a victory in our lives it shows up in self-control. The strength to obey, and stay fixed in love with the Lord, even at great sacrifice.

It can be difficult to distinguish between self-discipline and self-control. Often on the surface they look the same.

Illustration: Two men walking through the airport and notice a magazine rack of porno in gift shop. Both men are Christians and they both feel the urge to look at those magazines. One man doesn’t go look at the magazines because he is exercising self-discipline; the other doesn’t go because he is exercising self-control. In both cases they walk past the temptation. The self-disciplined guy says, “This is something I should not do so I won’t do it. The Self-control guy says, “Even though part of me wants to see this I won’t because I know it would grieve God and I love Him so I won’t.

Turn situation around in another scenario. I don’t feel like reading the Bible but out of duty I do it anyway. This does not deal with the root. I need to find out why reading the Word of God is like duty rather than desire. Self Control says my aim is to please God. So I must find out why I don’t feel like reading the Word of God.

This is a vast subject that covers every area of our lives. I thought it wise to mention some of the more obvious problem areas where we tend to struggle with, and allow the Holy Spirit to produce self-control in our faith. Anger, tongue, overspending, and sex are an areas God expects our faith to produce self-control.

I. ANGER MUST BE SELF-CONTROLED.

3 types anger:

1. Sudden anger can be controlled:

Are you quick tempered? Known for a temper? Will Rogers said, “People who fly into a rage seldom make a good landing!”

Proverbs 14:17 “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly.” = God calls this person a fool. Slow down! James 1:19-20.

Anger causes physiological changes in body that are harmful to your health: Heart faster, blood pressure, mouth dry, trembling. I personally notice when I have been angry for a time or lost my temper that many times a day or two later I become sick! It weakens immune system.

2. Sinful anger must be condemned. What is sinful anger?

1. Anger w/o a cause. Mtt. 5:22

2. When you hate someone. We are to love people/ hate sin.

3. You desire revenge. Rom. 12:19 Vengeance is mine

4. You will not forgive someone.

Proverbs 19:11 “The discretion of a man defereth his anger.” Man of discretion analyzes “Why am I angry?” What is it that makes me so angry?