By: Phil Hopkins
In the book of Galatians, we read about the fruit of the spirit. If you please all of the flavors of one bearing this fruit. Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law” (ASV). What a list of attributes that a Christian should exhibit. I have used the American Standard version text here since it translates these attributes into more modern language. For example, the word for self-control is translated temperance in the KJV but self-control is used in the NKJV. In modern usage, self-control is an excellent rendering for this Greek word used here. That word translated into self-control comes from the Greek word egkrateia (eng-krat’-i-ah) we find in Thayer’s Greek Dictionary that it means: self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites). In other words, one who exercises self-control is one who can overcome the various fleshly lusts that arise. In fact if we back up a few verses to the works of the flesh list ( Galatians 5:19 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, 21 envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”), we can see that if one exercises self-control, they would avoid almost all of the works of the flesh. Peter also urges us to have and use self-control: 1 Peter 1:5 “Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue; and in your virtue knowledge; 6 and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness; 7 and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love” (ASV). Many of us either do not or do not know how to control our various emotions. Our emotional state is similar to one sitting in the last seat of a school bus without a driver careening down a mountain, going every which way, while one sits holding on for dear life. We are tossed about by life’s changes and those around us, end up either being hurt by our emotional swings or at the very least confused by our varying behaviors. James describes this in James 1:6 “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” Perhaps we have seen a leaf floating in the water and if we watch it closely we will see that the leaf is driven all over the place by the various water and wind currents. We may feel afraid not knowing what emotional storm will hit us next or as our various desires arise, what we will be craving next. Contrast that with Paul’s teaching to the Roman governor, Felix, in Acts 24:25 “And as he reasoned of righteousness, and self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified”. Paul had taught Felix of the necessity of self-control and righteous living due to the impending judgment. Felix realized the consequences of his behaviors, he wasn’t going to change and he was terrified of what will happen to him. Amazing when one can see the error of his way and what the outcomes will be, but still will not change. Perhaps Paul best illustrates self-control in I Corinthians 9:25 “And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.” For things of this world self-control is useful but to gain entry to heaven and beyond it is essential. The question for each of us is how do we gain that self-control? How do we overcome those emotions, those longings, those desires of which we know that we should avoid, but which we fall prey? Never fear, God through Paul gives us that answer. In Philippians 4:7 “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” So what do we learn here? First, we MUST control our thoughts. We MUST keep them on the good, righteous, pure things of God. This is easier said than done, but it shows us what we must do. We must develop the discipline to change our thinking when it goes in the wrong direction. When we start having bad thoughts about ourselves or others, we must replace those thoughts with good, righteous, pure thoughts. If we find ourselves again having bad thoughts we must pull ourselves back, again and again, if necessary. Think of one who is trying to eat better, but they know about a carton of ice cream in the freezer. If they begin to dwell on that ice cream, thinking about the taste, the texture and the feel of the ice cream. If they continuously dwell on it, it won’t be long before they go and help themselves to the ice cream, even perhaps even eating it all. After which guilt sets in, they now feel bad, in particular about themselves. Early on in the process if they didn’t change their thoughts and think about other things, they will get sucked into the cycle of failure and succumbing to their desires. Think about the person who won’t participate in some activity because another person has chosen a decorative ribbon that is in their opinion the most awful color. They begin to focus on that color, instead of remembering that we are Christians and the colors that I like may not be pleasing to others. It is the successful outcome of the activity that is the goal and having a love for each other, not the color of a ribbon. Or the other individual that refuses to help mow the grass because that individual dislikes that make and model of the mower. It mows just fine but they don’t like it and refuse to help. Neither one of these examples shows the “fruit of the spirit” but we see them in those who profess to be Christians, too often. We as Christians are to grow and rise above these inconsequential items. As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;” We must learn how to “possess our own vessel in sanctification and honor”, we must rise above our personal desires and show the “fruit of the spirit” in our lives each day. We must put Christ as our example and live like him. As is written in I John 4:11 “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” We must exercise self-control.