The Fruit of Self-Control

The idea of self control is fairly simple and obvious. Biblically, it is: the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp.his sensual appetites. Synonyms would be temperance or moderation. Everyone knows what it is, but few practice it, especially in our American culture of “me first” and “whatever makes me happy.” Is self control really that important? Is it really a bad thing to have seconds at dessert, or 20 pairs of shoes? If it is important, does it really require the Holy Spirit?

1 Corinthians 6:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.

In this passage, Paul is talking about our bodies being the temple of God. Before Jesus came, the only way to worship God was to go to the temple in Jerusalem. But with Jesus came the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which comes to all who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, so we literally have God living in us. As such, we should treat our bodies as if they were God’s dwelling place which needs to be holy (pure and set apart from the world).

There was a huge disturbance between the Jews and Christians because the Jews had so many laws and rituals they had to obey, certain things they had to or could not do, certain things they could or could not eat. But Jesus made all things clean. With Him came the teaching that it is not so much what we do, but who we are on the inside that matters.

Mark 7:18-22 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.

By this Jesus made all food clean and did away with all the customary rituals etc. That is not what justifies or purifies us, it is what is inside us that matters, because that is who we truly are and that is where God resides.

So all things are technically lawful for us because we are no longer bound to the Hebraic Laws for salvation, but not all things are profitable or beneficial for us to do. Just because we have the freedom to do something doesn’t mean we should. Just because it may be legal for us to use tobacco does not mean that is profitable or beneficial for us since tobacco products are extremely harmful. Our bodies are God’s temple and we need to take care of them as though they were God’s and not ours.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Paul goes on to say that though all things are lawful for us, we should not be mastered by anything. We were made to have control over creation, taking care of everything God created. We were made to be masters of the earth. Allowing anything to be master over us is idolatry because we should only ever be in submission to God, as our Lord and Savior. If we surrender ourselves to be in submission to something else we are trading that thing for God.

I am not talking here about physical slavery like we had hundreds of years ago, and neither was Paul.  The Bible says in Romans 6 that whatever we obey we are a slave to, whether sin or righteousness. If we obey sin we are enslaving ourselves to the devil. That is why we should not let anything be master over us because ultimately we submit either to God or Satan.

Again, I am not talking about physical slavery or even demon possession. I am talking about habits, desires, addictions, passions. The definition of self control is mastering our desires and passions, being in control of our bodies rather than obeying our bodies’ desires for…more food, more drink, unmarried sex, more of anything than we need. In some cases (like unmarried sex), that means abstaining completely because that act alone is sin. But in others it simply means moderation. Yes the food is good, it may even be healthy, but eating so much that we feel sick is not. Drinking alcohol is biblically permissible but intoxication is not for that reason. Not only is it giving control of your body to something else but it is excessive, and that is wrong. Addiction of any kind falls into this category. The only thing/person we should have in excess is God, because He is supposed to be master over us, but we are never to submit to our body’s desire for more than we should have.

Does self control really require the Holy Spirit? Yes. Anyone who has tried to forego something they greatly desired will know how very difficult that is. We have no power in ourselves to resist sin. That can only come from God. Apart from God we have no strength and no ability to resist temptation because outside of salvation we are slaves to sin. We can give some semblance of restraining ourselves, but everyone loses self control in some area, whether it is food, coffee, alcohol, work, drugs, shopping, anger, etc. That lack of self control will grow into other areas of our lives. We cannot have complete control of our lives unless we submit ourselves to God and allow Him to control our lives. He is the only one with the power and strength to do it.

When you are tempted to excess remember: your body is God’s, will what you are about to do glorify God? Will you allow Him to control you and give you the strength you need for temperance? Will you surrender your life to Him?