No Christian wants to live a fruitless life. We long to hear the words of our heavenly Father saying, “well done good and faithful servant.” Last time we saw from vrs 3 that we have every divine resource at our disposal to live a godly life.” In vrs 5-8 the secret to living effective, productive Christian lives consists in generously adding eight qualities in increasing measure. We have examined faith, goodness (moral excellence) and knowledge. To knowledge we must add self-control. The false teachers that Peter is warning his hearers against in 2 Peter made no attempt at self-governance. In 2:10 Peter says that they follow the corrupt desire of the flesh. In 2:13 he says that the false teacher’s idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. In 2:14 he says with eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning. In 2:19 he says that they are slaves of depravity.
“ADD TO YOUR KNOWLEDGE . . . SELF-CONTROL”
The Greek word for self-control is enkrateia. It is derived from two words en (in) and kratos (power to rule). Enkrateia is often defined as self-control, but a much better definition is self-governance. The root kratia means government, and is the basis of such words as democracy (demokratia, rule by the people, plutocracy, rule of the rich, etc.). Self-control is part of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5:22. Since self-control affects so many aspects of our lives it is helpful to focus on three major areas.
- BODY
In 1 Corinthians 6:12 Paul says, “everything is permissible for me”- but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible for me”- but I will not be mastered by anything. Self-control of the body should be aimed in three directions. Firstly, we must confront the temptation of gluttony (in both food and drink). We must remind ourselves that according to 1 Corinthians 10:31 our eating and drinking ought to be done to God’s glory. Secondly, we must consider laziness. In Mark 1:35 we are told that early in the morning while it was still dark Jesus spent time in prayer. What makes this all the more commendable is that the previous evening (vrs 32-34) had been filled with purposeful ministry. The third area in which we must exercise bodily self-control is in the sexual area (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5). If acts of immorality are a serious problem that Christians must address thoughts of immorality are a much more subtle problem. - THOUGHTS
Our minds are mental greenhouses where unlawful thoughts, once planted are nurtured and watered before being transplanted into the real world of unlawful actions. People seldom just happen to fall into gluttony or immorality. These actions are savoured in the mind long before they are enjoyed in reality. Our thoughts then are our first line of defence in the battle for self-control. The gates to our thought lives are primarily our eyes and ears. What we see and hear largely determine what we think. This is why Paul supplies us with our marching orders in Philippians 4:8, finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. - EMOTIONS
An uncontrolled temper is a contradiction in the life of a person who is seeking to practice godliness. In Proverbs 16:32, better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. Note what a price the Holy Spirit places on a curbed temper. It is more to be desired than a decisive victory in war. Taking a city is child’s play compared with self-mastery. A city can be taken in a single day, but self-control remains the struggle of a lifetime.
We would be well advised to heed the words of Solomon in Proverbs 25:28, like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. Self-control is the believer’s wall of defence against the sinful desires that war against their soul.