Fruits Of The Holy Spirit - Self Control - Pursuing Intimacy With God
Fruits Of The Holy Spirit – Self Control
In our previous studies of the Fruits Of The Holy Spirit, we learned about God’s supernatural Agape Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, and Gentleness. Now we will study the next of the fruits of the Holy Spirit – Self Control.
Self Control:
- Control of one’s emotions, desires, or actions by one’s own will.
- Self-command ; self-restraint.
- Control of one’s self ; restraint exercised over one’s self ; self-command.
Fruits Of The Holy Spirit
Self Control
Self control is an important fruit of the Holy Spirit. Self control is very much needed by any Christian desiring to live to please God and not self. Because our nature is rooted in sin, disobedience, rebellion, and unholiness, we are in need of God’s grace and help in order to live a victorious life that pleases God.
Continually submitting to Jesus and allowing Him to live His holy life is essential in overcoming the weakness and sinfulness of the flesh. Paul describes this as “being crucified with Christ” in Galatians 2:20.
God’s Warnings For Those Living In Sin & Lacking Self Control
God’s Word is full of warnings for people who are living to please themselves and the flesh. And for those that lack self control. This type of life is headed towards heartache and destruction. And there are plenty of examples in the Bible of people who have unfortunately experienced this.
Christians are not at all exempt from these dangers. In fact a Christian that is serving the Lord in His kingdom work and mission of sharing the Gospel, reaching the lost, and making disciples are subject to more temptations by the enemy. Any Christian man or woman is subject to the possibility of falling into sin and falling away from God. We must understand the weakness of our flesh. And we must be humble and recognize our need to rely on God’s grace and help in order not to fall.
Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control. – Proverbs 25:28
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. – Romans 8:6
Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. – Romans 8:8
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. – Galatians 6:8
Fruits Of The Holy Spirit – Self Control
God Exhorts & Encourages Christians To Not Give In To The Flesh
In the following verses God encourages and exhorts Christians to not fall into temptation and give in to the flesh. It is a war between the flesh and the Spirit. Every person (Christian) that has truly repented of their sins and put their faith in Jesus is still subject to the attacks of the enemy and temptations. And any Christian can fall back into sin and fall away from God.
Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute ? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 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; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. – 1 Corinthians 6:15-20
Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. – Matthew 26:41
The Fruits Of The Holy Spirit – God’s Grace & Help Is Available
The Holy Spirit can provide the grace and power to overcome temptations, the flesh., and the things of the world. The Holy Spirit is the victorious and obedient and self controlled and pleasing to God life that Jesus lived when He was on earth. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, can and will live this life through any Christian that humbly surrenders to Him and depends on His grace and power for living.
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. – Romans 13:14
His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. – 2 Peter 1:3-9
God Is Faithful & Will Provide What You Need To Overcome
God is faithful, and does not leave us alone to fight against the enemy, the flesh, and the things of the world. God provides everything we need in order to live a life that is holy and pleasing to Him. He placed the Holy Spirit in us when we were saved through faith in Jesus Christ. His grace, strength, power, and self control are available to all Christians. We need to humbly recognize our weakness and our need for God’s grace and help.
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:10-17
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh ; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. – Galatians 5:13-16
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. – Galatians 5:22-24
Praise God for His faithfulness and His grace than enables us to live a life pleasing to Him. If you have fallen into sin or given in to the flesh, you can always turn back to God. Thankfully He has given us a way to return to Him if we fall. Confession and repentance.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ” – 1 John 1:9
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