A life of character is a life of love.
When people are perfected in love, they have been perfected in all the fruit of the Spirit. It should be our heart’s desire, as children of a Love-God, to be mature in love and demonstrate His Character to the world.
Psalms 62:11 KJV “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God.”
Galatians 5:23 (various translations) describes self-control as temperance, self-restraint and continence. The power to control one’s self.
While the world looks at self-control from a natural standpoint, Bible defines it as one of the fruits of the Spirit! It is visible evidence of our new nature. God’s power manifest in us is to empower us to have dominion over every temptation.
Galatians 5:16-17 KJV “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Don’t be discouraged, if you couldn’t do it by yourself previously overcome temptation: that’s why we’re putting our focus on this topic!
Romans 8:12-14 NLT “Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”
By the power of the Spirit we bring natural things unto subjection in our life, and are not controlled by the sinful nature.
Romans 8:11 NLT “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.”
God’s power, working in you, cultivated in the area of self restraint!
1 Corinthians 10:6-13 KJV “Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
- By His power in us, we have right purposes, and pursue right goals (Heb. 12:1-2)
- By His power in us, we speak the right things, restrain from complaining and whining (James 3:2-4)
- By His power in us, we can operate in the Body of Christ in harmony (1 Cor. 12:12)
- By His power in us, we can have a right attitude, always giving glory to God (Phil. 4:6)
- By His power in us, our thinking can bring glory to God (Phil. 4:8)
- By His power in us, we can flee sexual immorality, and impurity (2 Tim. 2:22)
1 John 2:16 KJV “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Craving for sensual gratification, greedy longings of the mind and assurance in earthly things (based on AMPC).
Paul kept his body under subjection – he expressed in 1 Cor. 9:27 that without doing so he could be a castaway. For Paul, it was a vital!
1 Corinthians 9:27 NLT “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”
The power to keep yourself in check, and to restrain from sexual impurity. To live as a winner and overcome!
Growing in temperance:
- Change your confession: speak the Word only! Your words carry power. (Mark 11:23)
- Be strengthened by the Word of God (heart-faith, especially the letters of the NT) and listening to anointing preaching and teaching. Word is powerful! (Heb. 4:12)
- Praying in the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 14:4, Jude 20)
It is time to break the cycle of guilt and condemnation that has come due to powerless living, God has provided us with power that is needed to live the life.
God is a God of power! The more you know Him…