Who Am I Becoming? The Issue Of Self-Control Series

INTRODUCTION

• SLIDE #1

• The process of watching your child, grandchild, or even your spouse is something that is exciting. We tend to take a lot of pictures of our children so that we can remember how cute they USED to be.

• Growth is exciting, unless it is our waistline.

• We have been exploring the question, WHO A I BECOMING, and more accurately, who am I becoming in Christ.

• When one gives their life to Christ, their life, over time, will be transformed into the image of Jesus!

• Our spiritual growth should be exciting to us and those who are around us. It is a great thing to watch someone mature and grow right before your eyes.

• Today we will examine a key component to growth, the component of self-control.

• Along with being a vital aspect of being successful in our endeavors in life, self-control is an absolutely necessary part of one’s growth in Christ.

• Think about those who are successful in athletes, academics, or business. They must possess more than God-given talent; they must develop a level of self-control that helps them to make the most of their talents.

• Let’s take a look at the issue of self-control together this morning.

• I want to begin with looking at Titus 2:11 and part of verse 12.

• SLIDE #2

• Titus 2:11–12 (HCSB) — 11 For the grace of God has appeared with salvation for all people, 12 instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. God’s grace calls one to learn self-control. 11-12a

• Before we dig in here, we need to understand the context from which Paul writes verse 11-13.

• In chapter 2, Paul offers up practical instruction for living out one’s faith to older men, younger men, older women, and younger women.

• Verse 11 begins with the little word FOR. Paul lays out the theological foundation for the ethical demands he has given earlier in chapter 2.

• One important point we need to understand as we strive to live for Jesus is the fact that the grace of God has appeared WITH salvation.

• The grace of God appearing refers to Jesus.

• WE need to understand the word GRACE refers to God’s favor and tender compassion for the people He created that leads Him to provide for humans a way of escape from the guilt and penalty of sin.

• Put simply, Grace is all that God thinks and does to save men.

• We always need to be cognizant of the fact we are saved be grace so that we do not become judgmental toward others who are not yet saved.

• Now I want us to focus on the first word in verse 12. INSTRUCTING.

• We are told that the GRACE OF GOD INSTRUCTS us to do some things.

• God’s grace, bringing salvation to people, instructs us to not tolerate sin in our lives and it instructs us to embrace some other things.

• Salvation is not only a change in position (lost to saved), but it is also a change in attitude, appetite, ambition, and actions.

• Without God’s grace to show us the way to live, people would still be walking in darkness!

• Verse 12 tells us that God’s grace should lead us to live in a sensible way. Many translations say that we are to live a SELF-CONTROLLED life. That is what living in a sensible way means.

• The verb tense of the word INSTRUCTING denotes continuous action.

• To live with self-control denotes that one has learned to master their own desires who is in control of one’s self.

• The word emphasizes one’s relationship with one’s self.

• So this leads us to the next issue concerning self-control, it strikes at the heart of the definition.

• Let’s look at verse 12 again.

• SLIDE #4

• Titus 2:12 (HCSB) instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age,

• SLIDE #5

II. Self-control requires one to learn what to say yes or no to in life. 12

• The instruction of grace offers both positive and negative choices. One who has a grasp of the concept of self-control understands that self-control is not just about saying no to things but it is also saying yes to the correct opportunities each day.

• Paul starts us off with the things we need to reject.

• He states that grace instructs us to DENY certain things.

• Here is something we need to apprehend in life.

• Denying is a prerequisite for developing the positive traits we desire.