Self-Control and Self-Denial
After the 1960s it appeared that self-control was as outmoded as the horse and buggy. Then it came back into style -- in physical fitness and dieting, anyway. The sidewalks and parks across the country are cluttered with self-denying individuals beating their bodies into submission. And for what reason?
Is this the kind of self-control God desires from us? Maybe. The Bible has a few things to say about gluttony and excessive drinking. But the self-control the Bible applauds is a different thing: saying yes to God, saying no to any selfish urges that lead us away from God or hinder us from loving other people.
A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls.
Proverbs 25:28
An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his incredible folly.
Proverbs 5:22-23
Jesus said to the disciples, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul? For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds."
Matthew 16:24-27
"I assure you, everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, will be repaid many times over in this life, as well as receiving eternal life in the world to come."
Luke 18:29-30
Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:6
God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7
When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
Galatians 5:22-25
Self-control involves more than abstaining from certain sinful behaviors. It also means resisting our natural impulse to retaliate, as Jesus made clear:
"Don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too. If you are ordered to court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don't turn away from those who want to borrow."
Matthew 5:39
The Book of God's Promises -- Copyright, 1999 by J. Stephen Lang. All rights reserved, used with permission.
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