Self-Control
Though every individual has his or her own strengths and weaknesses, one’s lifestyle and culture plays an important role in determining what types of temptations are most common, or even available. That said, life in America offers one the opportunity to sin in just about any way conceivable. In a land so well-supplied with most everything, the people are able to turn their thoughts to things far above daily necessities, and therefore the temptation to indulge in evil is great, and there is also a great temptation to over-indulge in things that are not intrinsically evil. The fact is God has equipped the flesh with the ability to experience both pleasure and pain. The natural inclination is toward pleasure, and away from pain. Most people want as much pleasure as possible, and it is easy to allow one’s mind to slip into a desire for pleasurable things that surpasses what is healthy (physically or spiritually) and that is what the Bible calls lust. Lust is inordinate desire. It is desire that becomes obsessed and enslaved. Such desire hungers for many things, and takes on many forms including fornication and gluttony. The bad news is that lust, when allowed to have its way, leads to sin (James 1:14-15). The good news is the gospel of Christ, and that through it one is set free from the things of the flesh, and is born again as spiritual. In Galatians 5:22, Paul lists seven virtues that he calls the fruit of the Spirit. Among these is self-control. Self-control is simply sufficient strength of mind to overrule the impulses and appetites of the flesh in order to control one’s body rather than be controlled by it. This virtue is absolutely essential to healthy spirituality in any place, but especially in a land that is richly supplied with all things. There must be limits. Christians must exercise self-control. It is very true that if you truly are led by the Spirit of God, you cannot always do what you want (Galatians 5:17). Sometimes “pain” is better than pleasure for the one who looks at things spiritually. Let us all strive to control ourselves, and especially pray that we might have ample self-control to overcome the temptations that face us.
Feel free to respond with your experiences and strategies for gaining greater self-control!
—JLP
Comments
Self Control. Its not something we hear in the pulpit very much anymore. The reason being is that we fall into this sin in our country. I have lived in various parts of this country over the years. I have traveled to other countries. If there is a sin that can doom a nation, it would be this sin. The internet is a great source of knowledge but at the same time, it is our tree of knowledge. We can loath over information, we can view pornography, we can watch TV with 150 channels, we can eat anything we want, we can even eat in restraunts that have Buddha at the front door. I just think we are in a mess. There really is no self-control. I am as guilty as the next guy. As a man of 49, I can say there is much I need to repent from and this article really stirred something in me. Thanks for opening up the subject.
You’re welcome. Thanks for reading!
—JLP
Great blog Josh. As I read your comments Paul’s letter to the Romans in ch. 7: 15-20 immediately comes to mind. Although confusing when your reading these versus, it is all about self control and making the efforts to live as Jesus did. if we are praying, reading, studying, teaching, etc.. leading a spiritual life as we are instructed, he will provide the knowledge and will power to do what is right and make these temptations a non factor in our lives. Is it possible to lead a life without sin? I believe you can. Will it be easy? Absolutely not! As Christians I would hope that our goal would be to find out how peaceful life could be without sin, as our teacher and savior Jesus Christ did throughout his life. We do have the same Father after all.
Kevin, I don’t know if a person can lead a sinless life. There are sins in which we are aware of and sins that we are not aware of. Some call these sins, sins of commission and omission. If we could lead a sinless life by discipline only, then Jesus would not have been required to die for our sins. The law would have been sufficient. Have you ever thought an evil thought? Have you ever stolen anything? even a pencil? Have you ever been so mad at someone, you had thoughts of anger, rage or malice? Have you ever looked at the opposite sex and thought bad thoughts? Have you ever watched a movie with a sex scene or bad language? If you have, then you have sinned. That is why we need to continually walk in the light of God’s word and be lead by the Holy Spirit (which leads us and guides us). As we walk in the light as Jesus did, some sins, we will overcome but then comes others. That is why it is so important to understand grace, the continual washing we have by reading the word. As we live close in our walk with Jesus, the strongholds of this world will grow dim, but only if we continually read, pray, sing and have fellowship with one another.
Randy great comments. They all are true. I understand that Christ lived a whole life without sin and we can never do that. I do believe we should try and be like him, to live without sin at a point in life should be our goal. Can we acheive this goal, most will not. As Christians as we grow, then we should be rid of most of our fleshly sins. Not recommitting the same sins as time goes on, correct? I say this to say Paul wrote our goal is to walk as Jesus did. THanks.
Thanks for your comments fellas. Please keep reading and your comments are always welcome (as long as they’re done with a Christian spirit) even if you don’t agree with me.
“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). It doesn’t say all are doomed to lifelong enslavement to sin. The gift of the indwelling Spirit is imparted in baptism (Acts 2:39). As Romans 8, Galatians 5, etc., reveal, the Spirit begins a work of sanctification within us (if we cooperate) and so, with the Spirit we are made able to do what we could not do before the new birth. Those who have been born again can be empowered to overcome sin altogether. Thus, to those in the Spirit, Paul wrote, “Stop sinning” (1 Cor 15:34 NAS). Since there is no such thing as a temptation that a saint cannot resist (1 Cor 10:13), then we must see that it is at least possible for a Christian to become fully mature in Christ and thus overcome sin altogether. Such a state of complete maturity would be a work of grace through faith and no ground for boasting. More needs saying, but I need to make this brief. The comforting thig is, for the faithful (not necessarily perfect) there is indeed always “grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). AND, whatever is lacking in our perfect sanctification will be completed by God in the resurrection (1 Cor 15).
—JLP