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Does Your Christianity Add Up

"Temperance - Self-control"

 Text:     2 Peter 1:5-6

2 Pet 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

2 Pet 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; (KJV)

Introduction:

 This writer has given to us the high ideal of what God desires for man..." that ye might be partakers of the divine nature...". God gives us the steps by which we are to become partakers.  God give us FAITH, and then we supply VIRTUE, then KNOWLEDGE, then SELF-CONTROL.

SELF-CONTROL in one of the perfections of the ideal man: It is the perfect poise of a man's mental and moral qualities.

To be in SELF-CONTROL, does not necessarily imply the possession of any extra-ordinary ability. 

Someone has said, "The greatest of all controls is SELF-CONTROL."

            I.      THE ATAINMENT OF SELF-CONTROL.

A.                 Self-knowledge.

** Self-control is closely related to KNOWLEDGE, it grows out of knowledge which we gain.

** It is the using Christian knowledge for the guidance of life. This is the knowledge of what helps and hinders the growth of the Christian life.

** How many excuses does the drunkard have when faced with temptations? It's a new brand of drink, it’s a new friend, You can't turn down an old friend, and after-all it is a sin to waste or pour out. You get the idea, they use every excuse except the real one---they are a drunk!

Getting OVER the habits of life start with one step -- the admitting of the habit - problem - fear - the WHATEVER.  If a person will admit that they have this situation in their life, then half of the battle is won.

B.                 Next step is INTENTION.

** To have knowledge is not enough; we need to use that knowledge. We must INTEND to exercise self-control.

SELF-CONTROL is not an impulse to be controlled, but it is associated with the state of mind that we substitute for the one that is tempting us astray.

** We can resist the seductions of this or that and the distracting, the luring or beckoning thought; we say, "This one thing I do" by the calling up and again recalling, the idea of the task which has the first claim upon our energy and attention.  Simply, it is the giving of our undivided attention to that which we gave our attention to in the first place.

** We may not always feel in the mood to respond to our duties or to the calling that is upon our lives, BUT, it is our BUSINESS, that is to master our moods. As we would say..."We set our mind to it and get it done, letting NOTHING deter us.

By, the way, this is one of the reasons why Satan comes at us in the different ways he does, IF ONE WILL NOT WORK, THEN HE'LL TRY ANOTHER.

But we stay steady, knowing what is right or what we have to do.

C.                 Next, third step HABIT.

** It is the person who makes a habit of being SELF-WILLED or SELF-CONTROLED, at the moment that it is needed.

** It is said at times that people "lose their heads". What is the reason for this??  I submit to you, "A Fixed attitude of the mind determines the course of conduct."

Thus, in an emergency or catastrophe, when there is no time to reason or calculate, then it is the acting from man's fixed mind.

• Drunkards are made by men drinking as a habit.
• Christian’s are made by men living morally as a habit.

I.                  THE ATTAINMENT OF SELF-CONTROL.

II.               THE VALUE OF SELF-CONTROL.

** It was said of Napoleon, "He was incapable of governing himself, thus he is incapable of governing the Peninsula."

** If a man can not control himself, what then can he control?

*** It is not only needed for nation rulers to have self-control, but it is a quality that is required from all of us in all kinds of places and in all kinds of situations.

A.                 The Lack of SELF-CONTROL is the beginning of sin.

** This started in the Garden of Eden. This lack of self will led to the fearful consequences we are all familiar with.

** If a person desires to sink into degradation and contempt, it is easy, just simply allow your bodily appetites have their own way and eat the forbidden fruit and drink of the stolen waters which are sweet - and the path will be that of destruction.

B.                 The Lack of SELF-CONTROL makes progress impossible.

** An old saying is -- "If you do not stand for something, then you will fall for anything."

** This means that if we do not practice self-control, then we are going to follow after whatever comes our way.

C.                 Having SELF-CONTROL builds character.

** How little help one has in his battle for self-mastery from the outside world.  As the struggles go on within; what does the world know or care.  Therefore, in most cases the success over the trial will come from within.

Remember where the fight is....

Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (KJV)

** As looking within our hearts we shall find an array of spiritual enemies.  Each heart can count their own. Each heart can tell which are the fiercest and most unruly.

A mother was telling her son of the evils of the world and how they would tempt him to do all types of wickedness when he gets out into the world. After being out for a while, the lad returned home and told his mother that it was not so much the evil of the world that he had a problem with, but that is was the DEMONS from within his own heart that he had the most trouble with.

D.                Having SELF-CONTROL means being able to control others.

** By this I mean that as the world around you is losing their heads and are confused as to which way to go, YOU EXERCISE CONTROL AND GIVE DIRECTIO 

** Beloved there must be someone in control or you'll have everyone going in different directions and doing different things.

Progress is brought about by the work of individuals, but in the beginning they were directed by someone 

*** SOMEONE MUST MOVE INDIVIDUALS BEFORE THEY MOVE THE WORLD!

* Who is it that can control others who has not mastered himself / herself?

I.                  The Attainment of Self-Control.

II.               The Value of Self-Control.

III.           The Aim and End of Self-Control.

** It is important to notice that SELF-CONTROL differs from the other "fruits of the spirit" in being not so much a positive virtue in itself as a means leading to virtue.

IT IS NOT IN ITSELF AN END, BUT MAKES OTHERS ENDS POSSIBLE.

** If a man is going to add to his faith, virtue:

1. THEN HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SELF-CONTROL. 
2. If he is going to add to his virtue, knowledge THEN HE IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SELF-CONTROL.
3. If he is going to add to his knowledge, SELF-CONTROL, then he is going to have to have SELF-CONTROL.

A.                 The end of SELF-CONTROL may be an EVIL END.

** The training of a fighter - spends weeks and months and years in the preparation for a fight. He brings himself to absolute physical peak and to the highest standard, for the conflict that may only last a short while in fact there have been fights that were won and lost in the FIRST ROUND.

** The training of men as killing machines for the destruction of men who are the MORE EVIL. 

B.                 The true end of SELF-CONTROL is not repression.

 ** To be SELF-CONTROLED is not just to be able to restrain oneself, or the holding back of oneself.

 I determined many years ago that there was NO temptation from the OUTSIDE that was going to cause me to sin - without first there being a co-operation on the INSIDE!

 This is to say, there may be a voice saying "do" on the outside, but until that voice on the inside says the same, then there is NO cooperation and there is NO disobedience.

C.                 The TRUE END of SELF-CONTROL is growth in LIKENESS OF Jesus.

** Soldiers are drilled, but this is not the end - they are prepared to fight, but this is not the end - I feel that the TRUE END of the training of a man is to MAKE A BETTER MAN OUT OF HIM.

I mentioned this last Sunday that I had never served in the Armed Forces - I would have for this fact - DISCIPLINE!  If there is one thing many a young man got out of being in the service, it was DISCIPLINE!

** Thus, for the Christian the TRUE END of SELF-CONTROL will be the possibility of carrying on God's will.

What one thing is there that will make a person give themselves – body – soul – and spirit for the cause of pleasing HIM...SELF-CONTROL. 

** Having SELF-CONTROL is more than just being a good citizen for our country or being a good leader in the community -- it is that we might please HIM.

We see the PERFECT example - God who became man, complete in HIS SELF-CONTROL. In the middle of the hostile mob HE calmly passed through and when smitten on the face HE quietly reasoned, when HE was denied by one of HIS own - HE just looked upon him; when on the cross HE gave peace to the dying thief and prayed for HIS enemies. 

ü      The TRUE knowledge brings not pride or license, but humility and SELF-CONTROL.

ü      The TRUE knowledge will cause one to take up his cross and follow HIM, who knew no sin.

 Conclusion:

Beloved, be assured that before the moment of testing can reveal the splendor of your triumph the long, slow process of quiet SELF-CONTROL must be yours...allowing HIS will, strength and uplifting energy to work in you that you become  "...partakers of his divine nature..."

Sermon by John Hill Jr.

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