The Fruit Of The Spirit - Temperance Series

The first man and the second man both walk away and by appearances they have the same result. But did they. The first man is merely using his will, but the second man used not only his will but the “love for God”

Philip Keller in his book entitled “A Gardener Looks At The Fruit of the Spirit” says that self control in the biblical sense “means my ‘self’ my whole person, my whole being, body soul and spirit come under the control of Christ. It means that I am an individual governed by God. My entire life, every aspect of it – whether spiritual, moral or physical – has become subject to the sovereignty of God’s Spirit. ‘I am a man under authority.’ The running of my affairs, my attitudes, my actions is a right that has been relinquished and turned over to God’s Gracious Spirit”

2. Maturity Dictates Temperance

“One of the basic characteristics of infancy is a lack of self-control. Not only do babies need diapers, they must be carried because they lack the necessary control and muscle coordination to sit up much less walk or run. If babies are healthy and normal, in time they will develop more and more self-control—a sure sign of growth and maturity.”

So too in our spiritual life. If we are to mature in Christ, then it necessitates that we become more “Self-controlled.” By self- control I mean the controlling of “self” by submission to the Spirit of God. How then can you or I develop this “Temperance” in our lives.

If you want to develop the fruit of self-control, you have to do a couple of things:

1. Stop believing the lie! The lie that giving up that which will bring temperance in your life will be too painful.

Illustration

(1) "M. Scott Peck writes in his book "The Road Less Traveled: "I spent much of my ninth summer on a bicycle. About a mile from our house the road went down a steep hill and turned sharply at the bottom. Coasting down the hill one morning, I felt my gathering speed to be ecstatic. To give up this ecstasy by applying brakes seemed an absurd self-punishment. So I resolved to simultaneously retain my speed and negotiate the corner. My ecstasy ended seconds later when I was propelled a dozen feet off the road into the woods. I was badly scratched and bleeding, and the front wheel of my new bike was twisted beyond use from its impact against a tree. I had been unwilling to suffer the pain of giving up my ecstatic speed in the interest of maintaining my balance around the corner. I learned, however, that the loss of balance is ultimately more painful than the giving up required to maintain balance.”

2. You must honestly answer these questions:

A. What am I a slave to?

• Food? Lust? Power? Money? The Past? Drugs? Alcohol? Bitterness? Jealousy? Anger? You fill in the blank?

• Unless we are prepared to be honest with ourself and acknowledge areas in our lives where we do not have this kind of “Spirit Control” then we will remain enslaved

B. What do I have to say “no” to right now?

• In order to be free there are somethings we need to say no to

• Some things need to be removed from our lives