HAVING SELF-CONTROL IN THE GROWTH OF FAITH

THEME: HAVING SELF-CONTROL IN THE GROWTH OF FAITH

2 PETER 1: 6-9

IN 2 PETER 1:6-9 TALKS ABOUT SELF-CONTROL WHICH HAS A FRUITFUL GROWTH IN FAITH. HERE IN VERSE 6 IT EXPLAINS ABOUT FALSE TEACHERS THAT WERE SAYING THAT SELF-CONTROL WAS NOT NEEDED BECAUSE DEEDS DO NOT HELP THE BELIEVER ANYWAY (2:19). IT IS TRUE THAT DEEDS CANNOT SAVE US, BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE TO THINK THEY ARE UNIMPORTANT. WE ARE SAVED SO THAT WE CAN GROW TO RESEMBLE CHRIST AND SO THAT WE CAN SEVER OTHERS. THEREFORE, GOD WANTS TO PRODUCE HIS CHARACTER IN US. BUT TO DO THIS, HE DEMANDS OUR DISCIPLINE AND EFFORT. AS WE OBEY CHRIST WHO GUIDES US BY HIS SPIRIT, WE WILL DEVELOP SELF-CONTROL, NOT ONLY WITH RESPECT TO FOOD AND DRINK, BUT ALSO WITH RESPECT TO OUR EMOTIONS.

LIKEWISE, SELF-CONTROL IMPLIES THE RESTRAINING OF ONESELF. BUT FROM WHAT? WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE TO KEEP OURSELVES FROM DOING OR SAYING? SOCIETY'S ANSWER IS INEVITABLY THAT WE MUST MAINTAIN SELF-CONTROL FOR THE COMMON GOOD. IT SAYS WE MUST RESTRAIN OURSELVES FROM DOING WHAT SOCIETY SAYS IS WRONG OR NOT GOOD. THE BIBLE GOES FAR BEYOND THAT REASON. FURTHERMORE, THE BIBLE STATES THAT WE ARE TO RESTRAIN OURSELVES FROM "SIN" AS GOD DEFINES IT AND THAT, IN SO DOING, WE BENEFIT NOT ONLY OURSELVES, BUT OTHERS AS WELL. WE ARE TO KEEP OURSELVES FROM ENGAGING IN WHATEVER ENTICES US TO BREAK GOD'S LAWS AND BREACH OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

-WE ARE TO KEEP CONTROL OF OUR THOUGHTS, TAKING EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE (SEE 2 COR. 10:5).

-WE ARE TO GUARD OUR TONGUES (SEE JAMES 3:1-9). WE ARE TOLD EXPLICITLY NOT TO LIE, BEAR FALSE WITNESS, OR GOSSIP.

-WE ARE TO AVOID SINING IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS- REFUSING TO KILL, COVET, ENGAGE IN QUARRELS AND FIGHTS (SEE JAMES 4:1-2).

MOST OF ALL, WE ARE TO MANIFEST SELF-CONTROL SO THAT WE CAN BE LIKE HIM, SO THAT WE MAY INTIMATELY EXPERIENCE MORE AND MORE OF HIS PRESENCE AND POWER IN OUR LIVES. SELF-CONTROL IS A HIGH FORM OF WORSHIP BEFORE GOD (1 TIM. 5:22 "KEEP YOURSELF PURE").

AS YOU CAN SEE THE ELEMENTS THAT INVOLVED IN SELF-CONTROL ARE:
RULING ONE'S SPIRIT (PROV. 16:32)
SOBERNESS (ROM. 12:3)
CONTROL OF THE BODY (1 COR. 9:27)

THEREFORE, SELF-CONTROL IS HINDERED BY:
FLESHLY LUSTS (1 PETER 2:11)
TONGUE (PS 39:1-2)
DRINK (PROV. 23:29-35)
SEXUAL SINS (1 THESS. 4:3-4)
UNCLEAN SPIRIT (MARK 5:2-16)
SELF-EXPRESSIONISM (PROV. 25:28)

AS A RESULT, GOD WANTS US TO BE VIRTUE IN HIM. THEREFORE, GOD IS SAYING MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ADD TO YOUR FAITH IN HIM. IN PROV. 13:3 SAIDS YOU HAVE MASTERED SELF-CONTROL, IF YOU DO NOT CONTROL WHAT YOU SAY, WORDS CAN CUT AND DESTROY. HERE JAMES RECOGNIZE THIS TRUTH WHEN HE STATED, "THE TONGUE IS A SMALL PART OF THE BODY, BUT IT MAKES GREAT BOASTS" (JAMES 3:5). IF YOU WANT TO BE SELF-CONTROLLED BEGIN WITH YOUR TONGUE. STOP AND THINK BEFORE YOU REACT OR SPEAK. IF YOU CAN CONTROL THIS SMALL BUT POWERFUL MEMBER, YOU CAN CONTROL THE REST OF YOUR BODY.

THERE ARE 4 TYPES OF OF TONGUES:
1). CONTROLLED TONGUE- THOSE W/ THIS SPEECH PATTERN THINK BEFORE SPEAKING , KNOW WHEN SILENCE IS BEST, AND GIVE WISE AND ADVICE.
2). CARING TONGUE- THOSE W/ THIS SPEECH PATTERN SPEAK TRUTHFULLY WHILE SEEKING TO ENCOURAGE.
3). CONNIVING TONGUE- THOSE W/ THIS SPEECH PATTERN ARE FILLED WITH WRONG MOTIVES, GOSSIP, SLANDER, AND A DESIRE TO TWIST THE TRUTH.
4). CARELESS TONGUE- THOSE W/ THIS SPEECH PATTERN ARE FILLED W/ LIES, CURES, QUICK-TEMPERED WORDS- WHICH CAN LEAD TO REBELLION
AND DESTRUCTION.

FINALLY, THE POWER TO GROW DOESN'T COME FROM WITHIN US, BUT FROM GOD. ON THE OTHER HAND, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BE TRULY GODLY, HE ALLOWS US TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DEVINE NATURE IN ORDER TO KEEP US FROM SIN AND HELP US LIVE FOR HIM. WHEN WE ARE BORN-AGAIN, GOD BY HIS SPIRIT EMPOWERS US WITH HIS OWN MORAL GOODNESS (SEE JOHN 3:6; 14:17-23; 2COR. 5:21 AND 1PETER 1:22-23).