Self-Control
As we come to the end of this series on the fruits of the Spirit, hopefully you’ve been able to think more intentionally about what God wants to produce in your life and how to do it. You’ve probably noticed certain themes throughout. We’ve said multiple times that God is the embodiment of all these fruits. We can not muster up our own production of God’s attributes apart from God himself. Another component that’s been repeated is that all the fruits of the Spirit are totally contrary to the fruits of the flesh - a point that Paul makes clear in Galatians leading up to the fruits of the Spirit list in Galatians 5:22-23. Whatever God produces is the opposite of what our default, sin-tainted flesh will produce - so we have to continually and faithfully fight to walk in the Holy Spirit. We live in a culture of flesh that is overly sexualized, resents authority and structure, and seeks to fulfill any temporary desire over the long-term good. All of these can be tempting and normalized in a Christian’s mind as well, if we are not careful. As we come to the finale of this series, we’ll look at a fruit that we all desperately need more of, especially in our instant gratification world.
Fruit #9 - Self-Control
You don’t have to look hard to see that our flesh is set on default for chaos. We wrestle with craving things that will hurt us. The flesh wants to do whatever it wants. Sin is rampant within us and around us and wants to spread, causing destruction all around us. Sin and the flesh need restraining, and through the Holy Spirit’s fruit of self-control, we can have power over the dominating effects of sin. With the fruit of self-control in your mind, evaluate your personal walk with Jesus with these questions.
How did your ability to say ‘no’ to sin change when you became a believer? Has it changed at all?
Specifically, how has the Holy Spirit worked in restraining you from sin?
These are very important things to think about. We don’t want to stay spiritual babies in our walks with Jesus. We want to grow up, being mature, ‘lacking nothing’, and fully reliant on the Lord. Trees that have fully matured produce more and more fruit over the years. Likewise, believers that have matured in the Lord produce a lot of good fruit. Spiritual fruit is a sign of spiritual maturity.
This might sting: If you’re wondering why the fruit of God is not falling off of you left and right - you’ve got to grow up in the Lord. Maybe some sin needs to die in your life. Maybe a more humble attitude is needed. Maybe you’re calling the shots more than God.
-Your level of self-control is an accurate indicator of your spiritual maturity. Which is why it was a prerequisite for leaders in the church to have in the pastoral letters Titus and 1 Timothy.
-Let this motivate you to grow, not discourage you. You’re not alone, but we can help one another grow if we are humble about our spiritual maturity level.
What exactly is self-control?
The Greek word used in Galatians 5:23 is egkrateia. This particular word and forms of it are used a handful of times in the NT, and are accurately translated as self-control in modern translations. The KJV translates it as ‘temperance.’
-There are synonyms in Greek (forms of nepho, or sober in English) often used in conjunction with like ‘sober-minded’ (1 Peter 4:7)
-The specific word doesn’t matter nearly as much as the concept of being able to control yourself and your desires. This is spoken of throughout Scripture, and we get a great understanding of what self-control truly is and looks like in the life of a believer. Below are a few examples of how the Bible describes self-control.
Self-control = Freedom
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. - 1 Corinthians 6:12
One major problem that we’ve developed in our overly prescriptive model of faith in America is that we live in deficiency-land. We excuse our sin, identify with it, and focus on it too often rather than amplifying the redeeming work of Christ. We are ‘no longer slaves’ to sin, and no longer identify with it, that is the message of the gospel, and now we live in the freedom of Christ’s work and identity.
-We can actually change. We aren’t chained forever to particular sins because we grew up in them, or have habituated them for our whole lives. We won’t “be mastered by anything” other than Christ!
-Contrary to popular thought, genuine freedom actually comes from self-control, “who the Son sets free is free indeed.” (John 8:36)
In what ways does self-control bring you more freedom, joy, and peace?
Self-Control = Jesus Leads
“True self-control is not about bringing ourselves under our own control, but under the power of Christ.” - David Mathis, Desiring God
When we are controlling ourselves, aka the flesh is controlling us, there is no peace, no spiritual fruit, or fulfillment. As Colossians 3:15 says, we must actively let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. The same principle applies here, there is an authority issue when we lack self-control. If we struggle with self-control, we have a problem with letting Jesus run our lives.
-Sounds weird, but self-control doesn’t come from yourself. It comes only from the power of God, hence it being a.. fruit of the Spirit ;) You can’t muster up self-control by your own power, you need the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Which you have within you. (Romans 8:11)
Self-Control = Victory
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. (form of egkrateia) They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Are you just shadowboxing? Wasting time, hoping that your sin habits will just go away? Run this race with purpose! Run to Win.
-Self-control is a crucial factor to winning the life that God has called us to.
-Like all of the fruits of the Spirit, they won’t be produced without obedience. God desires and requires our participation in His work in the world.
How do we produce more self-control in our lives?
The scriptural key to self-control is actually pretty simple: Recognize your sins and learn how to say ‘no’ to them through the power of God. Here are a few scriptural principles for putting self-control into practice and being able to say “no” to sin.
Actively Train
-If you want to win, you’ve got to train. Paul wrote of “training his body” (1 Corinthians 9:27) to “win the race”. You can win too. But start training for it.
-Jesus spoke of cutting off the things that get in the way of your relationship with God (Matthew 18:8-9). This is a spiritual form of training.
Rewire your Brain
-Paul urges the Church to “taking captive every thought and teach them to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Holy Spirit has the power to change your thoughts, so let Him!
-In Romans 12:1-2, the ‘renewing of your minds’ is the call of Christians, rather than ‘conforming to the world.’ We’ve got a choice to make!
Embrace the Pain
Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory - Romans 8:17
-Suffering for Christ doesn’t only mean that you’re running for your life as a missionary in a remote third-world country. It can also mean obeying the Holy Spirit by denying the sin that you really want to participate in.
-Embracing this type of suffering increases your endurance and leads you sharing in His ‘glory’.
Eliminate the Stain
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. - Galatians 5:24
-We continually have to put sin in its place - on the cross, dead, gone, forgotten.
-By killing sin, we are literally dying to ourselves, so that Christ can live in us and through us.
Of these four principles above, which one do you want to focus on this week as you strive to produce the fruit of self-control?
