The Fruit of Self-Control
Sunday July 31, 2022
Notes
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
What is self-control (or temperance) Temperance – Greek word Enkratea Compound word
En – Greek word for (in).
Keratos – Greek word for (Power)
Inward Power
These words when combined means Power over one’s own self, hence it’s often translated as self- control.
One who is able to control himself, the control or restraint over wants, appetites, and other desires; restraint, moderation, discipline, balance, temperance, or self-control.
A Person with temperance has power over his appetites, his physical urges, his physical desires. Able to say no to overeating. He’s able to say no to overindulging in the flesh. He is able to say no to any physical excesses in his life and his life is marked by moderation and control.
What does Self-Control bring about
– Discipline
– Balance
– Temperance
– Restraint
– Moderation
To summarize, it’s one who is IN CONTROL of one’s self
The Flesh on the other hand, if you let it have its way:
– It will over worry
– It will over work
– It will over eat
– It will over indulge
– It will run itself to death
– It will over worry
– It will over work
– It will over eat
– It will over indulge
– It will run itself to death
When a person is controlled by the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit produces in him a discipline over the physical realm that helps him sustain his physical condition, to stay in good health, to remain free from sin.
To help you live a life that is moderate and balanced.
To help you live a life that is moderate and balanced.
Key Scriptures
2 Peter 1:5–9 NKJV
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
James 3:2–5 NKJV
For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
1 Corinthians 9:24–27 NKJV
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore, I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus, I fight; not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
We are running with Heaven in mind, running to win an imperishable crown. To win the prize we must be temperate.
We will not win the imperishable crown if we do not allow temperance to develop and grow in us to control our lives!