"Live in self-control"

Live In Self-Control

The mention of the term self-control undoubtedly brings to mind different images for people depending on their particular circumstances. Many probably think of dealing with dominating habits that can range from the simple to the more complex and debilitating. It may be as simple as a poor diet or a tendency to overeat at Thanksgiving, or to talking too much. It may also be something far more serious like smoking, drunkenness, drug abuse, sexual sins (pornography and adultery), a quick temper, a pattern of exaggerating or lying. Others may think of dealing with an abusive spouse, parent, or employer or of dealing with their own tendencies toward losing control and becoming abusive. Others need self-control because they are lazy or have poor work habits while others are workaholics and need self-control to back off and learn to relax.

Regardless, self-control is very much an important part of maturity. 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 a babies are healthy and normal, in time they will develop more and more self-control—a sure sign of growth and maturity.

Since the absence of self-control can have such devastating results, it is naturally needed in every area of life and for all people. Unfortunately, the desire for self-control may have many motivations. It may stem from man’s self-centered or worldly objectives rather than from inner controls brought about by a deep relationship with God and biblical beliefs, motives, values, methods and means, and objectives. When and where such belief structures are absent, the absence of self-control in other areas will be just around the corner.

In our society so much emphasis is placed on doing what one likes to do, but offers little on self-control especially when it comes to taming the flesh. For self-control to branch out into every compartment of one’s life, one needs the spiritual dynamics of a deep relationship with the living God as seen in such passages as 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Reading of this passage dramatically demonstrates how faith in Christ and biblical instruction is to transform all avenues of a Christian’s life.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-8

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Before I get into the instructions on how we must live, let’s address the importance of how we please God.

Pleasing the Lord begins in the heart or the inner person. Our true spiritual condition is to be measured first and foremost by the inner person, the heart, and not by the external person, the habits. Why? Because habits or overt (seen) behavior are the product of the condition of the heart.

Mark 7:14-23

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16]

17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)

20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Thessalonian 4:1-2

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

We instructed you how to live in order to please God.

One of the main teachings of Paul was how to live in order to please God as believers

It is so important to know how to live to please God and not please our bad habits that causes us to lose self-control. Only through Jesus can we please God

People might think it is ok once they are saved by faith in Jesus. But we need to remember the purpose of God’s salvation. Once we believe in Jesus, we have to live a saved life.

Luke 9:23

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
If you’re not willing to deny yourself, you can’t live to please God. You must love Christ more than your mom, dad, and you must love him more than your own life. You must be willing to die for Christ. It is either you are slaves to sin or you are a slave to Christ. You must deny yourself and take up the cross daily. You must trust in the Lord in the hardest situations. You must discipline yourself and say no to the world. Your life must be all about Christ. Accepting Christ will give you a more controlled life.

Then he says… Do this more and more: We need to grow continually in living a life that can please God.

We need to do the things that can please God more and more so that we can please God all the more. The more we please God, the more we can have joy that comes from God.

In other words, Paul is saying we need to grow up.

We need to move from being “babes in Christ” to mature Christians

We need to get off the milk and start eating solids

We do that by having an intimate relationship with Him (praying, reading, meditating, fasting)

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

What is God’s will?

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.

First thing that we need to please God is to be sanctified.

Being sanctified is God’s will for us and God is working on us and in our life for this purpose.

Many believers remain in justification that we obtain by believing in Jesus. Once we are justified by faith in Jesus, we need to be sanctified as next step.

Sanctification is the continuing work of God in the life of believers, making them actually holy. God wants his people to be holy just like him.

Leviticus 19:2 reads,

The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

1 Peter 1:15-16 reads,

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.
Sanctification involves the entire man-intellectual, affection, will, soul and body. The aim of the sanctification is to achieve Christ’ likeness, which was God’s intention from all eternity.

What specific instructions does he give?

Each of you should learn to have self-control of your own body in a way that is holy and honorable

#1 – Our body is God’s holy temple

1 Corinthians 6:19

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own

#2 – We have to offer our body as instrument of righteousness.

Romans 6:13

Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
#3 – Believers should not be like the pagans. We acted like the pagans but now we know God and are saved. We should control our body and live according to a godly way not following sinful desire but desire of Holy Spirit.
Read Galatians 5:16

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.

The Good News

Jesus loves us. Jesus loves you and me. At the very end of the day, He wants us to choose Him. He has already made the pathway straight. He has already parted the Red Sea. He has already paid the price on Calvary. Now, you have a choice to make, either choose to live a life in self-control with Jesus or live a live with no self-control without Jesus. It is either one or the other. And you get to choose. I have just given you the standards and guidelines that will steer you toward a desirable response.

The Bible says in Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

I’m not saying taming your flesh will be easy, but it will be rewarding. You must transform your heart, humble yourself and remove your pride. You must fully rely on God.

There will be growth in your walk of faith. God will work in you to make you into the image of Christ. Through your battle with self-control, you will know all you have is Christ. You will see there is freedom in self-control.