…make every effort to add to your faith… and to knowledge, self-control… 2 Peter 1:5
In 2 Peter 1, the Apostle admonishes us that if we are going to be "grown-up" Christians that are mature and fruitful, then we are going to have to make it a life-long project to add seven qualities to our walk with the Lord. In this verse he couples two of them together which are knowledge and self-control.

Why? Well, first of all we need to understand what he means by "knowledge." Peter is not referring to esoteric religious information or cheap Christian "God-talk" that we have gleaned from years of Bible studies. The knowledge he is writing about is the practical application of God’s will in your world. The old fashioned word for this is prudence. By prudence we do the right things in the daily circumstances of life. This, of course, is where the "rubber meets the road." It is easy to spout Christian clichés but it is much more difficult to do the right thing when the pressure is on. That is why we need self-control.

In the original language of the NT (Greek) the word translated as self-control literally means "self-strength." It is the virtue that makes it possible for us to restrain our passions and desires so that we can do God’s will rather than flying off the handle or impulsively giving into a temptation. Without self-control we cannot consistently do the right things in the right way for God’s glory.

It is important to realize, though, that self-control is not gained by just suppressing, but by controlling what the Bible calls "the lusts of the flesh." The Apostle Paul tells us that the best way to do this is by being "led by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:18). Paul says that those who "live in the Spirit" and "also walk in the Spirit" (Gal. 5:24-25) attain self-control and are on their way to fruitful growth in God's character.

The bottom line is this: the more I give myself over to God and allow His Spirit to work in me, the more I gain self-mastery over my life. The opposite is also true. The more I try to run my own life the way "I" want to, the less control I have over my life.

PRAYER
Lord, I really want to do your will in my life today. Yet, often it is very hard because I sometimes impulsively do things that I know are wrong. Help me gain self-control in the areas where I am weak. Today, please fill my heart and life with your Spirit. Allow me to be led by your Spirit even when the going gets tough. May I be your servant of mercy and love in my world today.

ONE MORE THING...
Please join us this Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 9:00 am 10:30 am as I continue our series, "War of the Worlds". We will be taking an in depth look at 2 Peter 1:3-11 with this week's focus being on the "winning the war of ACTION."

Blessings...





P.S. I'd also love to get your comments and questions. You can leave a comment or question by clicking on the thought bubble below. See you on Sunday!


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