TEMPERANCE & SELF CONTROL

TEMPERANCE/SELF-CONTROL



  John [ESV] 15:5 "I am the vine. You are the branches. Those who live in me while I live in them will produce a lot of fruit. But you can't produce anything without me. 

  1Corinthians [ESV] 9:24 Don't you realize that everyone who runs in a race runs to win, but only one runner gets the prize? Run like them, so that you can win.

  Galatians [ESV] 5:19-25 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

  Philippians [ESV] 4:4-7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

  2Peter [GW] 1:3-9 God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and integrity. Through his glory and integrity he has given us his promises that are of the highest value. Through these promises you will share in the divine nature because you have escaped the corruption that sinful desires cause in the world. Because of this, make every effort to add integrity to your faith; and to integrity add knowledge; to knowledge add self-control; to self-control add endurance; to endurance add godliness; to godliness add Christian affection; and to Christian affection add love. If you have these qualities and they are increasing, it demonstrates that your knowledge about our Lord Jesus Christ is living and productive. If these qualities aren't present in your life, you're shortsighted and have forgotten that you were cleansed from your past sins. 



  I have decided that I have what is known as a “compulsive personality”; whatever I am doing I keep on doing and doing and doing. I have to make myself set limits and stop! My dictionary says a compulsion is something that “is hard to resist”. It does not say it cannot be resisted. The Apostle Paul tells us repeatedly to be temperate in all things. Temperance and/or moderation are simply using self-control. I hear people say , “I can’t help myself, I can’t stop smoking, drinking, gambling, overeating or _______. I too have often reached the point where I can’t help myself, but God can, and does help me when I can’t.

Leslie Nivens