2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.2:14 For he is our peace, the one who turned both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, in his flesh, 2:15 when he nullified the law of commandments in decrees. Self-control:. We pursue prosperity, power, position, belonging, identity, and affirmation in hopes of finally securing a sense of value and worth. It sounds so simple and straightforward, perhaps even commonplace. Significance is what makes a pat on the back so important. The headlines during the present administration, because of Bill Clinton’s capricious behavior or lack of control in the matter of his sex life, provide a sad commentary on the way the absence of self-control negatively affects a society. The Bible describes self-control as an invaluable trait. The following passage from 1 Peter illustrates this for us in two passages: 1 Peter 1:21-25 2:18 Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the perverse. All rights reserved. What does the Bible say to the church, and to the individual Christian, about the role of politics in the church? Ephesians 4:17-19 So I say this, and insist in the Lord, that you no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. The following passages should help us focus on the point: Ephesians 2:1-10 And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2:2 in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience, 2:3 among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…. Here is a paradox of the Christian life: We must give up the control of self if we would gain self-control. 4:7),58 (2) the nouns 2:11), obey or obedience (Rom. Gasoline is necessary to run engine. Greed or covetousness treats the thing coveted (possession, position, praise, pleasure, etc.) Here it is used of a man who, being formerly controlled by demons, was running around naked, violent, and completely out of control, but, by the power of the Savior, he came to be in his right mind, was sitting down, clothed—completely under control. With the “therefore”69 in verse 13, Peter based the exhortations in the following verses on the context of the previous doxology (vss. So I'd like to review with you five things that each Christian must do in order to cultivate this so important virtue of self-control. Thus, the topic of self-control was entirely appropriate in view of the personal history of both Felix and Drusilla and was probably the reason for his anxiety. Motivated by the matchless grace of God in Christ, believers are to “reject godless ways and worldly desires to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Tit. We end up not only serving ourselves, but we become slaves to our appetites. These three, passion, pleasure, and pride, are those forces in the heart of man that energize his behavior patterns. 5:16; 1 John 2:16). The one who judges me is the Lord. 27 Instead I subdue my body and make it my slave, so that after preaching to others I myself will not be disqualified. All rights reserved. 9. This is the focus and point of this study. “Godly self-control says no by faith in the superior power and pleasure of Christ.” Fundamental to the Christian view of self-control is that it is a gift. H. Baltensweiler, makes an interesting comment regarding this word group. (pg. We pray for Jesus’s help, secure accountability, and craft specific strategies (“Develop a clear, publicized plan,” counsels Welch). 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 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