WHAT IS SELF CONTROL AS A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

GALATIANS 5:16-23/ 1 Cor 9:25-27.

Today we shall be looking at Self-control which the ninth fruits of the spirit but not the least.

For Christians, however, self-control is about the ability to resist the temptation to break God’s law (which includes losing our temper) and react to others without demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit in thoughts and actions.

The apostle Paul wrote about bringing “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). Since thoughts lead to actions, this includes controlling ourselves completely, despite the pulls of temptations.

1 John 2:15-17: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

life.What is self-control as a fruit of the Spirit? It is the active effort we put forth to resist the temptation to go back to the ways of the world around us once we’ve been shown God’s spiritual way of life. It is demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit instead of committing the works of the flesh .

Self-control (“temperance” in the KJV) is, of course, the ability to control oneself. It involves moderation, constraint, and the ability to say “no” to our baser desires and fleshly lusts.

In Proverbs, Solomon says, “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (25:28). In the ancient world, strong, fortified walls around a city were necessary for its inhabitants to live in freedom from outside oppressors. Similarly, we need spiritual walls of protection to live in freedom from the oppressive power of sin.

Self-control helps us to resist temptation and avoid conforming to the things of this world. It guides our decisions, and it correlates with how we show the other fruits in our lives.

For example, forbearance, or patience, requires self-control. Proverbs 14:29 says, “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.” Our sinful nature leads us to give into our temper, but we are called to rise above this and show patience.

Self-control can be applied to all of the fruits of the Spirit in the same way it is applied to forbearance.

Displaying self-control is often a matter of responding rather than reacting. When we react to a situation, we let our emotions take control. We are more likely to become defensive and say hurtful things. Responding, however, involves developing a thoughtful response that is guided by reason more than emotions.

As Christians, our responses to situations are to be guided by the fruits of the Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” With the Holy Spirit inside of us, we are able to possess self-control and demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit.