#9 STUDY OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT:
TEMPERANCE / SELF-CONTROL
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
We have broken the nine into three groups.
1. Inward: love, joy, peace
2. Outward: longsuffering-patience,
gentleness-kindness, goodness.
3. Godward: faith-faithfulness, meekness,
temperance-self control.
Today’s study of TEMPERANCE -- SELF CONTROL IS OUR 9TH STUDY, THE LAST FRUIT AND THE LAST ONE IN THE GODWARD GROUP.
TEXT:
1 Cor. 9:24. 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.
25. And everyone who competes for the prize is self-controled in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not HIS OWN tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is in vain.
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any
man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man,
and able also to bridle the whole body.
James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an
unruly evil, and full of deadly poison.
1 Cor. 6:18 FLEE FORNICATION?
19. IS YOUR BODY THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ... ?
2 Tim. 2:2 Flee youthful lusts: follow
righteousness, faith, love, peace,
with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Matthew 12:34 -- for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.
Prov. 23:2 And put a knife to your throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
What do you do when the WHAMMY HITS?
Have you seen the game show where the whammy hits
and causes the individual
to lose everything? Well, that is a game? What do
you do in your daily walk when
the WHAMMY hits?
How you react to the WHAMMY will depend on self
control.
We all have domains or areas of our lives in which it is very hard to control ourselves. We must learn to allow the Spirit of God to control our words and actions.
Self-control, is our final Fruit of the Spirit.
Let us define and enlarge what self control or temperance means?
SELF CONTROL:
--Restraint exercised over one’s own impulses,
emotions, or desires.
--capacity for keeping one’s words, emotions, and
actions under close
control.
TEMPERANCE:
--moderation in action, thought, feeling.
--habitual moderation in appetites and passions.
-- abstinence from intoxicating drink.
--intoxication means out of control, this can come
from anger as well as alcohol.
WILL POWER:
-- ENERGETIC DETERMINATION.
-- capacity for keeping one’s action under close
control.
DISCIPLINE:
-- Punishment that instructs.
--training that corrects, molds, or perfects the
mental and moral character.
-- control gained by enforcing obedience and order.
--pattern of behavior.
--chasten, chastisement
THE ARE TWO KINDS OF DISCIPLINE:
1. By others
2. By self
The goal of all discipline is to mature self
discipline to the point that each individual will
correct and solve his own mental and behavioral
problems so that the discipline by others will not
be needed.
LOVE IS THE DESIRE AND CARE OF DISCIPLINE!
Everything includes itself in power, .. power to
will, ..
will into appetite .. and appetite will grow into
a universal WOLF ..
without SELF DISCIPLINE.
LIFE CAN LIVE IN TOTAL SLIP SHOD EFFORT!
Slip shod means a lack of care, shabby,
carelessness, lazy, untidy.
It is so easy to drift with the current, and just
offer God and others leftovers or seconds.
Self control must develop into the growth of giving
the first fruits not the leftovers.
Many homes, schools, and churches suffer as we learn
that we can get away with giving less than our best.
LIVING ON CREDIT IS A TEMPERANCE KILLER!
Remember Popeye’s friend, Wimpy?
I will gladly repay you Tuesday for a hamburger
today?
We have to learn to live within our means.
We often have plans of growing the fruit of the
Spirit in our heart and
daily life, but we plan, I will do that tomorrow?
We need to work on discipline today!
GOD’S PLAN IS THAT REAL SELF CONTROL IS NOT SELF CONTROL,
BUT IT IS ALLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HAVE COMPLETE CONTROL.
Temperance is one of the hardest to attain of the fruit of the Spirit.
Just when you think you have achieve self control it eludes us again.
What you gain by self control, you will keep by self control.
This fruit of the spirit is worth it’s price and must grow in our daily walk.
It is not just what does self control cost?
What it is worth?
We must count the cost if we don’t grow temperance.
So, what is self-control? How is it expressed? And how can we grow and develop greater temperance and self-control?
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BECOME A CAST AWAY WITHOUT SELF CONTROL?
1 Cor. 9:24. 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.
25. And everyone who competes for the prize is self-controled in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
26. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.
27. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
PAUL HAD LEARNED MANY GREAT LESSONS IN LIFE.
Paul saw a need to teach others about self control.
Any race has a starting and a finishing line. There
is a goal ahead of us!
We must not forget heaven.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT?
Not if practice does not involves discipline and
self control.
Many practice bad habits and reinforce them.
WE ARE A LUSTFUL -- SENSUAL SOCIETY...
I want it my way ... ?
IF THIS IS WRONG, I DON’T WANT TO BE RIGHT...
No one knows what goes on behind closed doors?
Are you sure?
Can God see through doors?
1 Cor. 6:18 FLEE FORNICATION?
19. IS YOUR BODY THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ... ?
2 Tim. 2:2 Flee youthful lusts: follow
righteousness, faith, love, peace,
with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
We watch TV and allow the ports of our eyes and ears
control the inner man?
The radio is a port of entry into our senses and
country and rock music birth a lack of control.
Basic garbage in? Basic garbage out?
We want to please our personal inclinations.
We have unbridled, intense sexual desires?
We forget about the STD’s,
the sexually transmitted diseases.
We let our appetites control us and not us
controlling our appetites.
In most circles oral sex is not sex?
We need control back! Self control!
Do we have A VISION OF SHORT TERM and LONG TERM GOALS?
Do we have a system of evaluation and adapting our
goals?
If you stand for nothing, you will fall for
everything.
Habakkuk 2:2 And the Lord answered me, and said:
WRITE THE VISION, AND MAKE IT PLAIN, THAT HE MAY RUN
THAT READS IT!
We will never develop self control until we identify
the fruit and desire to grow it.
Sustained fruit production is not an accident.
ARISTOTLE TAUGHT THE GOLDEN MEAN!
Aristotle saw life as a set of balances and that
the extremes of anything could be dangerous.
His teaching said that over or under of any habit
was dangerous and could distort life.
under or over-eating,
under or over-exercising,
under or over-working,
We need a balance as under or over-doing any good
thing can be bad.
Prov. 23:2 And put a knife to your throat, if thou be a man given to appetite.
JESUS CONTINUED THE TEACHING ON MODERATION.
Philippians 4:5 LET YOUR MODERATION BE KNOWN TO ALL
MEN.
MAY WE GROW IN A BALANCED SENSE.
ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS TOOLS IN THE FAMILY AND CHURCH IS THE TONGUE! We must establish how powerful the tongue is!
Matthew 12:34 -- for out of the abundance of the
heart the mouth speaks.
The mouth will tell if you are in control.
James 1:26 If any man among you seem to be
religious, and bridles not
HIS OWN tongue, but deceives his own heart,
this man’s religion is in vain.
James 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any
man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man,
and able also to bridle the whole body.
James 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an
unruly evil, and full of deadly poison.
The tongue can take several bad journeys that all end in trouble.
These areas can identify a lack of control.
Vulgar Slang words, obscene gestures, non-standard
four letter words, harsh and course language, are
not necessary. You can say anything
you need without using vulgar language.
Dirty jokes and shady stories are not good.
I cannot think Jesus would have handled dirty jokes.
Today lying is accepted as OK and it is acceptable.
But we must control the tongue to tell the truth.
Half-truths, dishonest, inaccurate
-- embellishments of the truth,
--white lies,
--untrue statements with the intent to deceive
--to lead in false or misleading impressions
Tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth.
The Grapevine must come under control.
RUMOR, murmur, gossip, slander, hearsay
They said -- can be very dangerous.
Something’s should never be repeated or told to
others.
If you cannot say something good, keep your mouth
shut.
We are to edify others not put them down.
Rom. 14:19
1 Thes. 5:11-13
To belittle another is to be little.
KEEP YOUR TEMPER, NO ONE ELSE WANTS IT
Eph. 4:26 Be ye angry and sin not;
Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Prov. 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but
grievous words stir up anger.
Prov. 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than
the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he
that takes a city.
WE MUST FOCUS ON THE FRUIT OF SPIRIT AND START A PLAN THAT WOULD PROMOTE GROWTH AND THAT THE GROWTH REMAINS.
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should bring forth fruit, and that the fruit remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of my Father in my name, He may give it you.
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
This is part #9 of 9.
Pass this on, or tell another of my works?
