{"id":21,"date":"2008-04-21T08:48:00","date_gmt":"2008-04-21T15:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25551729.post-2426316911082281038"},"modified":"2009-07-06T11:13:11","modified_gmt":"2009-07-06T18:13:11","slug":"got-potential-2008-04-21-154800","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/gods-purpose\/got-potential-2008-04-21-154800","title":{"rendered":"Fruit of the Spirit – Self Control"},"content":{"rendered":"

Purpose<\/span><\/p>\n

Vol. 2 Issue 10March 7, 2008<\/span>
\nThe weekly newsletter of True Potential Publishing<\/span><\/p>\n

Self-Control<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Galatians 5:22-23)<\/p>\n

It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s probably fitting that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153self-control<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is the last fruit of the Spirit in our nine week study. It may be the most personal of all the aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s certainly the most inward looking. The struggle for self-control goes on entirely inside an individual, but the results of self-control, or lack of it, show up entirely on the outside of a person.<\/p>\n

Our struggles with fear, anger, addictions, indulgence, laziness, escapism all happen inside of us. Our struggle is with ourselves; it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s private. Yet the evidence of the struggle, defeat or victory, is very public.<\/p>\n

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness can all be demonstrated on others. I can only demonstrate self-control on me.<\/p>\n

But if self-control is me acting on me, why is it listed as a fruit of the Spirit? Isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it, by definition, self-generated; something I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m supposed to do on my own?<\/p>\n

If we look at the worldly (carnal) idea of success, self-control plays heavily. The self-made man or woman is supposed to demonstrate self control; a person that has mastered his desires, exercise regimen, eating habits, positive mindset, and time management.<\/p>\n

Self-control seems to be a pretty worldly facet of success. If we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re Christians, isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t God supposed to be in control of us? Haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we surrendered our wills to His? Shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t we be shooting for God<\/em> control<\/em> rather than self-control? It just doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seem to fit as a fruit of the Spirit.<\/p>\n

There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got to be a reason it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s on the list.<\/p>\n

*****<\/strong><\/p>\n

The apostle Paul had a lot to say about self-control. He said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t understand myself at all, for I really want to do what is right, but I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. I do what I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to \u00e2\u20ac\u201c what I hate.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d(<\/em>Romans 7:15) And \u00e2\u20ac\u0153When I want to do good I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t; and when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> (Romans 7:19)<\/p>\n

This is Paul talking. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the guy that came up with the fruit of the Spirit list in the first place. It sounds like he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s totally out of control. It sounds like he finds the concept of self-control completely unreachable.<\/p>\n

The same Paul wrote to the churches in Corinth, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. I fight to win. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not just shadow-boxing or playing around<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (I Corinthians 9:26)<\/p>\n

So Paul, super-apostle, tells the Christians in Rome, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I really want to do what is right, but I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> He tells the Corinthians, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em> And he tells the Galatians that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153self-control<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is a fruit of the Spirit.<\/p>\n

This guy is all over the place.<\/p>\n

Was Paul a hypocrite? Maybe he was totally out of control when he wrote to the Romans but then developed the habit by the time he wrote to the Corinthians and the Galatians. After all, Romans comes first in the New Testament, then<\/em><\/strong> Corinthians and Galatians.<\/p>\n

Nice try. Paul\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s letters in the New Testament aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in chronological order. Fact is, Paul wrote his letter to the churches in Corinth and Galatia before he wrote to the Romans.<\/p>\n

So how can he preach that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got his act completely together; \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I fight to win<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d And then confess that he can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t control himself? \u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 when I try not to do wrong, I do it anyway.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/em>
\n<\/em>
\nPaul wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a schizoid or a hypocrite. And he didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have behavior issues; at least not any more than you or me. He was trying to get a point across.<\/p>\n

Paul was telling the Christians in Rome about human nature. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s human to want to behave one way but behave another. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s human to try to do right, but end up doing wrong. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s human to be totally out of control.<\/p>\n

No matter how much it looks like a person has his act together, if he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s operating on his own power, from his own will and direction, he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not really in control at all. The surface may look calm, but down inside there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a war going on.<\/p>\n

That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why the world\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s idea of human potential, purpose, success and self control doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work. Man can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t do it on his own. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a piece missing. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in our nature \u00e2\u20ac\u201c something we can get rid of.<\/p>\n

Unless. We get rid of our human nature and take on another nature.<\/p>\n

Now we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re beginning to get Paul\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s point.<\/p>\n

Real self-control goes against human nature. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a bundle of desires. We want what we want and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll scream til we get it. No matter how hard we try to put a lid on our desires, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to pop up somewhere, some way. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s human nature.<\/p>\n

The only way to get real self-control is to loose self-control. Sounds a little confusing, doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it?<\/p>\n

The whole idea of Christianity, of being a follower of Christ, is to take on His nature. To identify with Him. Christ was crucified, hung on a cross until his body was dead, to make payment for man\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sin. In our identifying with Him the Bible says that we have to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153crucify ourselves<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d if we want to be His followers.The Bible doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean it literally. We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to have Romans nail us to a cross until we die. It means it spiritually; we have to nail ourselves to a cross (spiritually) until we die (spiritually).<\/p>\n

We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been studying the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23, for nine weeks now, right? You want to know what the next verse, Galatians 9:24 says?<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d There it is. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the secret to self-control. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the secret to every item on the fruit of the Spirit list.<\/p>\n

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control are not aspects of human nature. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re aspects of Spirit nature. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what Paul says in the next verse, Galatians 5:25. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

It goes against our human reasoning to say that in order to get self-control you have to give up self-control. It goes against our human reasoning to say that in order to live you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to die. But that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just what we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got to do.<\/p>\n

The Savior of man had to die in order for men to live. In accepting that death He took on life for all men. When we identify with Him by taking on our own spiritual death, killing spiritually the sinful man we were born with, we take on His life. When we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re alive in Him, His Spirit lives inside of us. His Spirit living inside of us begins a change in our natures. As His Spirit does it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work, our human natures begin to loose control and His Spirit nature begins to take over. That begins to show certain results in our lives, you could call it fruit \u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 fruit of the Spirit. Yeah that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s it, fruit of the Spirit.<\/p>\n

Until next week, may His Spirit live inside of you.<\/p>\n

Steve Spillman<\/p>\n

True Potential Publishing, 103 Hush Hole Road, Travelers Rest, SC 29690, USA . If you didn’t receive last week’s letter you can go to www.gotpotential.org<\/a> any time and read or print back issues. When you forward Purpose Weekly to friends (and we want you to), ask them not to report it as SPAM. If they like the letter encourage them to go to www.gotpotential.org<\/a> so they can sign up for a complimentary subscription. We’ve been getting some great mail. Keep it coming, or post a comment to this week’s blog at http:\/\/gotpotential.blogspot.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purpose Vol. 2 Issue 10March 7, 2008 The weekly newsletter of True Potential Publishing Self-Control \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Galatians 5:22-23) It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s probably fitting that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153self-control\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is the last fruit of the Spirit in our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[134,12,6,11,16,8,7,15,83],"tags":[545,544,546],"class_list":["post-21","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith","category-fruit-of-the-spirit","category-gods-purpose","category-joy","category-love","category-peace","category-purpose","category-success","category-suffering","tag-galatians-924","tag-self-control","tag-struggle"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gotpotential.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}