Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord called to Moses from the Tabernacle and said to him, ‘Give the following instructions to the people of Israel …” Leviticus 1:1-2 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “You should be different.”

 

The book of Leviticus is probably the least popular book in the Bible. Most Christians have never read it. It’s a difficult book because it’s filled from start to finish with detailed instructions to the Israelites about sacrifices and worship procedures and ritual purifications, and then long lists of do’s and don’ts. It’s really not fun reading.

 

And yet, in one respect, Leviticus could be considered one of the most important books of the Bible because the primary purpose of it is to illustrate, in stark relief, how different God is from the false gods of the world, and how different God’s people should be from the rest of the people of the world.

 

God is holy, and His people are to be holy too. All of the intricate detail contained in Leviticus about how God’s people are to conduct themselves is designed to make them stand out from all the other peoples of the world and to call attention to the One True God. Being a holy people demands a holy lifestyle.

 

Yesterday I wrote about self-control with respect to human sexuality. I encourage you to take a moment and look at Leviticus chapter 18. There you will find God giving His people instructions about sex. It’s amazing to me what an effort was made to list and then prohibit virtually every kind of potential sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman. The list covers everything from adultery to incest to bestiality. Seriously? They had to be told it’s not ok to have sex with animals? Well, yes they did. Because out there in the world there is no end to the perversion people engage in and God does not want His people behaving like that.

 

The point is that God’s people are to be distinctly and observably different from the rest of the people in the world. That takes intentional effort. It takes self-control and it takes discipline. You have to want to honor God with your conduct and then you have to actually do it.

 

You’re reading this on a Saturday. Tomorrow is Sunday. It’s the day when God’s people are supposed to gather for worship. The people of the world are going to sleep late, read the Sunday paper, and then go fishing, hiking, or to the park, or to the pool, or to a thousand other places instead of to church.

 

How about you? Are you just like them, essentially becoming one with them, or are you different? Are you part of the set-aside people of God who make the effort to be distinctly and observably different from the people of the world?

 

God said to the Israelites (and to us), “So do not act like the people of Egypt, where you used to live; or like the people of Canaan, where I am taking you. You must not imitate their way of life.” Leviticus 18:3

 

I hope to see you tomorrow at Oak Hill Baptist. Sunday school begins at 9:00 and the worship service is at 10:00.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Run from sexual immorality! Every sin a person can commit is outside the body. On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Sexual purity requires self-control”

 

Sexual immorality is a sin and it has been a problem for the human race from the beginning. In the Garden of Eden God established the Biblical standard for sexual ethics, which is one man and one woman in a covenant relationship for life (Genesis 2:21-24). In Matthew 19:4-9 Jesus reaffirmed this standard as being the only sexual relationship acceptable to God.

 

That was God’s standard from the beginning and it has never changed. Every other expression of human sexuality came about after the introduction of sin into the world (Genesis Chapter 3), and every one of those sexual practices is labeled in the Bible as being sinful in the eyes of God.

 

The human sex drive is powerful but it is also beautiful. It was created by God and it is a gift from God, but it is to be experienced only within the boundaries allowed by God. And there’s the problem. The sex drive is so strong, for both men and women, that the entire course of human history is a long sad litany of sexual sin. How could we ever chronicle all the horrible actions that have been taken and all the pain and anguish that has been caused, by sexual sin? The world itself couldn’t contain all the books that would have to be written.

 

So in 1 Corinthians 6:18 the Apostle Paul counsels us to “run” from sexual sin. Please note that he doesn’t counsel us to “stand strong” against sexual sin. No, in this case we are to simply turn around and run, fast. Just get out of there! Sexual sin is the one sin we’re told to just run away from. Other sins we are to oppose but sexual sin we are to run away from. Why? Because it is so strong!

 

For the man or woman of God this requires thoughtful precautions to be taken and rigorously adhered to. We live in a sex-saturated society. Sexual temptation is everywhere. Sexual activity is celebrated and promoted rather than controlled. So we have to be extra careful.

 

Early in his ministry Billy Graham adopted the personal policy that he would never allow himself to be alone with a woman who was not his wife – not in a building, or in a vehicle, or even in an elevator. If he was alone in an elevator and a woman got in, he would step out. Does that sound extreme to you? Maybe it is but Paul tells us to “run” from any situation that could be in the least bit potentially compromising.

 

Pornography is a huge problem in our society. It’s addictive and insidious and in some ways is a worse problem than adultery or homosexuality because it allows an individual to secretly engage in endless episodes of sexual sin without even having to involve another person.

 

As has been noted, our sexuality is a gift from God, He created sex. But He also established the boundaries within which the gift can be experienced and enjoyed. Any conduct outside of those boundaries is sinful and is to be avoided.

 

In 2014 I wrote a six week series of daily devotionals on the subject of human sexuality. It covered everything from marriage, to dating, to LGBT issues, pornography, celibacy, living as a single Christian, and much more. If you have questions about any of those issues I would be happy to send you copies of the relevant devotionals. Just email me at pastorjimmohbc@gmail.com.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.” Luke 15:14-15 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “We must control ourselves in how we spend our money.”

 

We live in a society that is addicted to conspicuous consumption. Not just consumption, but conspicuous consumption. We don’t just consume what we need, but as a nation we consume on a grand scale far beyond what we need.

 

In the USA we have the highest standard of living that exists anywhere in the world. In terms of adequate housing, abundant food, safe water, quality healthcare, and creature comforts galore, nobody has it as good as we do. But most Americans aren’t satisfied. The average American spends their entire paycheck striving to maintain the highest standard of living possible. Then we seek additional income by both spouses working, or by taking a part-time job, or by starting a home-based business. Then when that still isn’t enough we go deeply into debt – and we’re still not content. We want more and more and more. The love of money and the love of possessions has become an all-consuming obsession in our society.

 

There are few subjects the Bible teaches more about than money and possessions, and we’re taught there that the love of money is the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10). In other words, an obsession with money and possessions will lead us into all sorts of unbiblical behaviors and patterns of living.

 

In the scene cited above from Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son, we read of a young man who squandered his wealth in wild living. I think that describes us as a society too. We squander so much of our wealth on frivolous living. The Bible calls us to live simple and modest lives, using our wealth to help others and to honor God, and to be content with what we have. In the book of Proverbs alone there are more than 100 references to the proper handling of money and possessions.

 

When it comes to the issue of self-control, most of us need to give much more thought to how we handle our money. The pursuit of increased income and greater numbers of possessions controls us much more than we realize. And, our lives are actually worse off for it, not better.

 

One of the best resources available in the Christian community today to help Christians get our financial lives in proper (Biblical) order is Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover”. I recommend it to you. Within a relatively short period of time you can come to the point that you have firm control over your money, rather than your money controlling you.

 

When we do it God’s way we discover that all of life improves as your financial habits become increasingly driven by Biblical principles rather than by the pressures of an obsessively consumer-oriented society.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “… and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.” Proverbs 23:2 (NIV)

 

Our thought for today: “When it comes to food we have to control ourselves.”

 

Those of you who know me well know that I am by nature a glutton. It probably doesn’t appear that way at first to most people because I’m slender and fairly physically fit. But that’s only because many years ago I recognized this trait in myself and realized I had to learn to control it. In my weaker moments, I will eat eight pieces of pizza in a single sitting; I will open a half gallon of cookie dough ice cream, grab a spoon, and start eating right from the carton. By the time I’m done there might not be any left. “Hi, my name is Jim and I’m a glutton.”

 

Is gluttony a sin? Yes it is. Consistently throughout the Bible over-indulgence in food is portrayed as being bad for us and it’s an offense against God. But it’s a sin Christians prefer to ignore. We don’t hesitate to preach and teach against alcohol and homosexuality, but when was the last time you heard a sermon or Bible study on the sin of gluttony? And yet, it’s probably the most common sin in our churches today. Our pulpits and pews are filled with people who struggle with an addiction to food.

 

I would go so far as to say that gluttony does more damage to society than alcohol or drugs. I know that’s a strong statement but gluttony is so wide-spread that it actually effects far greater numbers of people than does alcohol or drugs. And the damage it does is extreme. Type-two diabetes is an epidemic in our nation. Heart disease and strokes are literally killing us – and at a young age. It’s an increasingly common story in our society (and in our churches) to hear of people in their forties and fifties whose health is so bad that they’re on disability and can no longer work, and others who die young as a result of lifestyle health issues that could have been prevented.

 

A medical doctor was telling me just the other day how rare it has become to find an adult in our society who is not taking at least one prescribed medicine on a daily basis – and usually it’s more than just one. He said, “These days everybody is on something.”

 

Probably the area of self-control that is most needed by most people is with respect to food. We have to learn to limit ourselves to eating moderate amounts of reasonably nutritious food, and then getting some exercise every day.

 

Is it really possible to control ourselves in this area? Of course it is! God wouldn’t label gluttony a sin and tell us to control ourselves if it wasn’t possible. First and foremost, we know that self-control in all areas of life is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Therefore it’s something the Holy Spirit will develop in us as we apply ourselves to it.

 

Second, we need to become very familiar with the Bible verses which pertain to the issue we are struggling with. Proverbs 23:2, Proverbs 23:20-21, and Proverbs 28:7 are a few that pertain to gluttony. Also, we need to remember that God has given us the power to say “No!” 1 Corinthians 10:13 is another of those verses we need to memorize so we can call upon it in times of temptation:

 

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.”

 

And then there is the power of association. Join a gym. And then actually go. Spend time with others who are fighting this battle and winning. Utilize a program to help you. P90X, Power90, or any of the other fitness, nutrition, and exercise programs available today can be very helpful in achieving a healthy weight and staying physically fit.

 

You can do this. God wouldn’t require it of us if it wasn’t possible. But you do have to want it and you do have to work for it. Gluttony is a sin but like any other sin, we can have victory over it, and the spiritual discipline of self-control is the key.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire compares with her.” Proverbs 3:13-15 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Godly wisdom leads to self-control.”

 

Since you’re reading these devotional messages on self-control I’m assuming that you would like to have more self-control in your life. We all would. And when you think about the areas of your life where you would like to have more self-control, you probably think about practical day-to-day things like weight control, sexual purity, financial stewardship, etc.

 

We’ll begin to address those subjects and others beginning tomorrow.  But before we do, there’s one more “big picture” issue we need to discuss, and that is “Godly wisdom”. Developing the spiritual fruit of self-control requires Godly wisdom as taught in the Bible.

 

In the Bible God describes for us all the areas of life we have to gain self-control over. Learning those lessons, and then practicing the discipline of self-control, is the end result of wisdom. In Proverbs 3:13-15 Solomon tells us that as we acquire that wisdom we’ll find that it is much more profitable to us than truck loads of worldly wealth.

 

But you have to want it. And you have to be willing to go after it. One of the best explanations of this seeking after wisdom that I have ever read is found in Andy Andrews’ wonderful little book, “The Traveler’s Gift”. In the story our time traveler, David Ponder, on his second stop in history, finds himself in the presence of King Solomon. Solomon’s task was to give David the second great life-principle he needed in order to live the life God wanted for him. It was, “Seek wisdom”. In the story Solomon counsels David to, “Seek wisdom. Seek it. Wisdom waits to be gathered … She is a gift for the diligent.”

 

As the counseling session with Solomon unfolds, David comes to some decisions regarding the necessary pursuit of Godly wisdom in his life, decisions which are vital for you and me too. First, we must diligently search the Bible for the wisdom we need. The Bible speaks to the issues of life. Whatever it is you’re struggling with, there is Scripture to guide you.

 

Second, we must fill our minds and hearts with other influences that point us in the direction we need to go, and which will keep us moving in that direction. The things you read, the music you listen to, the shows you watch on television, should help to lift you up, encourage you, and keep you moving in the right direction.

 

Third, we must seek the counsel of others who have developed the self-control we seek. If the big issue in your life is weight control and physical fitness, then spend time with others who are already where you need to be. Let them guide you and help you. If your issue is sexual purity, find a trusted confidant to counsel you and to hold you accountable. If it is financial stewardship, there are great resources and Christian financial counselors available to help you.

 

The point is that the growth we need, and which we seek, comes to us through the acquiring of Biblical wisdom, followed by the diligent application of what we have learned. Tomorrow we’ll begin a discussion of what this actually looks like in real life.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.” Genesis 9:1 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Disobeying God always leads to bad consequences.”

 

As was noted yesterday, God has created us with a free will and the ability to make choices about how we will conduct ourselves. He has also provided us with all the guidance we need in order to make choices that are in accordance with His will. It’s then up to us to exercise self-control and conform to God’s prescribed laws.

 

Yesterday we read of how Adam and Eve exercised their free will and made a choice that was in direct contradiction to what God had told them to do. The end result for them was that they were evicted from paradise. Everything about their life changed from that moment on and everything about life became harder for them. They made a bad choice, they disobeyed God, and they paid big-time for it.

 

In Genesis 9:1, after the Great Flood, God instructed Noah, his family, and his descendants, to be fruitful, multiply, and fill the whole earth. But in Genesis 11:4, not too many generations later, we read of the people deciding to do the exact opposite. “And they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered over the face of the earth.” We then read of how God intervened, destroyed the tower of Babel, and forcefully scattered them throughout the world. Their lives were completely uprooted by God because they hadn’t obeyed Him to begin with.

 

We read of a similar situation in the book of Acts with the Jewish Christians in the early church in Jerusalem. Jesus had specifically told them in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8 that they were to go throughout the world to spread the Good News about Him. But they didn’t do it. Instead they settled-in and camped-out right there in Jerusalem. So we then read in Acts Chapter Eight of how God allowed a great wave of persecution to descend upon them which forced them to run for their lives. The majority of the Christian community was forced to leave Jerusalem to seek refuge in outlying lands. As they went, they spread their faith and thus ended-up doing the very thing Jesus had commanded them to do to begin with.

 

In all of those cases life would have been so much better, and so much easier, if they had simply done what God told them to do to begin with. The same is true for us. In the Bible God has clearly told us what He wants us to do – and what He doesn’t want us to do. Now it’s up to us to make good choices and to control ourselves in a God-honoring way.

 

Throughout the remainder of the month we will consider what exercising self-control (or not exercising it), looks like in a practical day-to-day way in terms of things like sexual morality, gluttony, financial stewardship, good deeds, faithfulness, and much more.

 

The bottom line is pretty straight-forward: Obey God and you will be blessed; don’t obey God and you will suffer. It’s pretty simply, really.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it too.” Genesis 3:6 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Lack of self-control leads to sin.”

 

“It was the woman’s fault! It’s always the woman’s fault!” So men have said down through the ages. And, at first glance, it does appear that the debacle in the Garden of Eden was Eve’s fault. She was the one who got into a conversation with the serpent (the devil in disguise); she was the one who was deceived; she was the one who took the fruit and ate it; and she was the one who gave it to Adam and told him to eat some too.

 

But wait, in Genesis 2:15 we read that it was Adam who was told by God that he was forbidden from eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Eve hadn’t even been created at that time. And there’s no record that God ever repeated those words directly to Eve. It was Adam who had received the instructions from God; it was Adam who was responsible for telling it to Eve; and, as verse 3:6 tells us, as Eve was in the process of being tricked by the devil into eating the forbidden fruit, Adam was standing right there watching and listening and he did nothing to prevent it from happening. He even joined in and took a bite himself.

 

Why would Adam and Eve have done that? The Garden of Eden was filled to overflowing with all the food they could possibly want. They were free to eat it all, and as much as they wanted. All that is, except the fruit from this one tree.

 

And that’s where human nature entered the picture. We want the thing that we can’t have. It doesn’t matter what we do have, we want the thing we have been told we can’t have. Satan knows that and Satan works to exploit it.

 

That’s where the spiritual discipline of self-control comes in. God has given us free will that allows us to make choices. Therefore we can choose to obey Him or not. When we make the effort to resist temptation, restrain our impulses, and control ourselves to obey Him, we have honored Him with our choice. But it is a choice, and it does require effort, and it is a matter of self-control.

 

There’s no question that you can do it. The Apostle Paul assured us of that in 1 Corinthians 10:13 when he wrote, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure it.”

 

If you make-up your mind to exercise self-control so you can resist temptation, the Holy Spirit will help you to do it. If you don’t exercise self-control, and therefore give-in to temptation, there will be a price to pay. There always is. Read Adam and Eve’s story. We will talk much more about the consequences of a lack of self-control in the days to come.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good … So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.” Genesis 50:19; 21 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Exercise self-control in difficult relationship situations.”

 

Yesterday I wrote about Joseph’s excellent example of restraint and self-control, and I noted that it was a dominant part of his character. As long as we’re considering his good example, I want us to see how he applied self-control to difficult relationships.

 

If you’re familiar with his story then you know that as a child his eleven brothers hated him and treated him badly. So much so that one day they beat him up, held him captive, then sold him into slavery in Egypt. They then lied to their father about what happened to Joseph and told him that he must have been killed by wild animals.

 

Joseph then spent thirteen years as a slave, much of that in prison, before God intervened and Joseph ended up being elevated to the second highest position of leadership in the land, second only to the Pharaoh himself. That happened because of Joseph’s sterling character and the way in which he honored God in all that he said and did.

 

Nine years after that (twenty-two years total), Joseph’s brothers arrived in Egypt, desperate and in need of help. Joseph could have used his exalted position to seek revenge on his brothers. Instead, keeping with his character trait of self-control and restraint, Joseph dealt with them kindly and with mercy and compassion, even extending forgiveness to them. There was no revenge, just grace.

 

How was Joseph able to handle such a difficult situation so well? We get some insight into his thinking in Genesis 45:5-7 when he said to them, “It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors.”

 

Joseph viewed all of life from the perspective of God’s Providence and Sovereignty. He knew that God was in control of people and events and that every experience in life has been allowed by God for a purpose. This point of view allowed Joseph to take a step back and see the bigger picture, rather than just the specific details of what his brothers had done to him.

 

But, it takes a big man to do that. A small-minded person gets stuck on the fact that they’ve been wronged by the other person, and they don’t have the strength of character to let it go and move beyond it. A strong person of character and integrity is able to exercise self-control in such things, putting aside petty feelings of resentment and revenge, and see the bigger picture of what God is up to in all of this.

 

If we exercise self-control in difficult relationship situations then ultimately it will be God’s will that prevails – and that will always result in the best outcome for everyone involved.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “She kept putting pressure on Joseph day after day, but he refused to sleep with her, and he kept out of her way as much as possible.” Genesis 39:10 (NLT)

 

Our thought for today: “Self-control includes restraining ourselves from doing things we know we shouldn’t do.”

 

Joseph is a great Biblical example of a young man who knew how to control himself. He was sold into slavery in Egypt by his jealous brothers and eventually became a household servant in the home of Potiphar, who was a high government official. Joseph was so reliable and dependable, and he did such a good job, that Potiphar put him in charge of his entire household.

 

Joseph was also evidently handsome and well-built and unfortunately for him, Potiphar’s wife was a bit frisky and not at all honorable. She took an inappropriate liking to Joseph and decided to seduce the young man. But Joseph would have none of it and he refused her advances, at great personal risk to himself. Finally, in retaliation, she concocted false charges against Joseph and succeeded in having him thrown into prison.

 

There’s much more to the story but the primary point is that Joseph was a godly young man who was determined to honor the Lord with the choices he made and in the way he conducted himself.

 

As his story unfolds on the pages of Genesis, over the course of many years, we discover that self-control and God-honoring conduct was a dominate part of his personality. And, in the long run, that became obvious to everyone around him. This was proven true years after the incident with Potiphar’s wife when in Genesis 41:38 we read of Pharaoh, the ruler of all Egypt, declaring to the entire court, “Can we find anyone else like this man so obviously filled with the spirit of God?”

 

Don’t you want people to see that in you and to say that about you, that you are obviously, observably, filled with the spirit of God? That is what happened in Joseph’s life and it was because of his practice of self-control in all areas of his life.

 

There are so many lessons for us to learn from Joseph’s example! For one thing, we can choose to restrain ourselves even in the face of the strongest temptations. Second, godliness, maintained over an extended period of time, shape’s a person’s character. And third, even during the most difficult of trials, even trials that last for years (13 years in Joseph’s case), God is with us, God is at work behind the scenes on our behalf, and God will honor and reward our faithfulness.

 

Those thirteen years of trials in Joseph’s life were not wasted years. In fact those were the years during which God was shaping and preparing Joseph for true greatness. He never would have been prepared for the years that were to come, and the tasks God had waiting for him, if he had not first gone through, and been faithful in, the long years of trial and temptation.

 

Like Joseph each of us can exercise our self-control and be faithful to God regardless of the situations we find ourselves in. It’s a choice and it’s one each of us has to make, many times every day, but you can do it! Control yourself!

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim

 

 

 

Good Morning Everyone,

 

Our theme for this month: “Self-control”

 

Our Bible verse for today: “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.” 2 Peter 1:5-7 (HCSB)

 

Our thought for today: “Self-control requires restraint.”

 

So far in our study of self-control we’ve been thinking primarily about the action side of the issue – making ourselves do the things we know we’re supposed to do. But more often when we think of self-control, we’re thinking about restraining ourselves from doing the things we know we shouldn’t do.

 

We have already learned that self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit which the Spirit develops in us as we mature in our faith (Galatians 5:22-23). Whether we’re talking about self-control as action or restraint, the more spiritually mature we are the better we will be at controlling actions in ways that are appropriate to the situation. This is the sense in which Peter addresses self-control in 2 Peter 1:3-8, as a spiritual discipline and as an important part of the practice of our faith.

 

To fully appreciate Peter’s point we need to look at the entire passage verse-by-verse:

 

Verse 3: “His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” So, what Peter is about to describe is given to us for the purpose of empowering us to live life well and in a godly manner.

 

Verse 4: “By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires.” What you’re about to learn will enable you to escape the corruption of the world, resist evil desires, and be more like Christ.

 

Verses 5-7: For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”

 

This list is sometimes called “the ladder of faith”. It’s as if one virtue is founded on and springs from the previous one. It begins with simple faith in Christ but then as a result of desire and effort on your part, you grow spiritually and your character changes to become more and more like Christ.

 

Verse 8: “For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Yes, please, don’t be useless or unfruitful. If you profess to follow Jesus, then you must strive to be like Him.

 

Peter’s point in all of this is that you have to want to be self-controlled; you have to want to be more like Jesus; and you have to make the effort in order to help bring that about. This is an important part of living the Christian life well, and the amount of self-control we have has a direct impact on the quality of our lives.

 

Tomorrow and the next day we’re going to go back to the book of Genesis to consider one example of great restraint, and then another example of the complete lack of it. We will also consider the consequences of each choice. As we will see, exercising proper self-control brings forth good consequences, and the lack of self-control is always bad.

 

God Bless,

Pastor Jim