To Your Knowledge Add Self-Control

Self-Control
From a lesson by Alan Hitchen
2 Peter 1:5-7
"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love"

In Your Knowledge, Self-Control

When first begin to send our children to school, we eagerly await their report card. Through the use of five letters (A, B, C, D, F) we gain a great deal of insight into how well they are doing in school. But there is one problem. We cannot determine from the grades whether the problem is intelligence, diligence, or personality. To help with this issue, they came up with two new letters (N & S) and a few more categories than math, science English, etc. Categories such as citizenship, and effort. At first glance one might wonder at the importance of such a category, but it gives to the parent the necessary tools to see exactly where the problem is.

God does exactly the same thing in this list (and actually throughout the Scriptures)! In the parable of the talents (Mt 25:14ff) and pounds (Lk 19:12ff), and unjust steward. (Lk 16:1ff), He reveals that He is more interested in effort than in results. He also proclaims this through Paul:

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 1 Cor 4:1-2

Peter captures this thought very powerfully in his exhortations to those who have received a faith of the same kind as theirs. Twice he emphasized the need for diligence.

Yea, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply (ASV) 1:5

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 1:10

Not only will we be judged regarding whether we have these things or not, but also by the effort and zeal with which we worked for them. Just like the report card above, God wants us to assess the reasons for our efforts as well as the actual amounts. After 20-30 years of Christian service we may have some of these things, but did we exert diligence in gaining them? Did we work hard and with great zeal and desire? This too will be important.

Hence, as we go through this obvious checklist and assess ourselves with some kind of grade or other means of assessment, do not forget the effort and zeal put forth.

God demands that we take our faith and add virtue to it. He wants us take our conviction that He is and that he is a rewarder of those who seek Him, make the decision to take all He has given us, and make something of it. We want to be a “straight A” Christian a “gold medal” Christian a “hero” Christian or a “blue ribbon” Christian! He wants us to try to be the best “we” can possibly be!

The first thing God wants us to add to this desire to be the best we can be is knowledge. We must learn all we can about God’s expectations for our lives. How to be a mate, parent, worker, neighbor, etc. How to be a servant of Jesus Christ, etc. He wants us to have the same attitude a doctor, engineer, or any other worker has. To learn all that is expected and then to do it.

To virtue and knowledge we are to add Self-Control. Carefully ponder the term selected by the Spirit to describe it:

“EGKRATES,... 2. having power over, possessed of (a thing),... 3. mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining,... controlling one’s self, temperate...” (Thayer, p 167; 1468)

“...denotes power or lordship and... expresses the power or lordship which one has either over oneself or over something... having power in oneself, ...It thus means “to have power or dominion...” i.e., “to be inwardly strong.” (Kittel, TDWNT Vol II p 339-342)

Self-control is the quality that places each person in control of their own life. It is the ability to master, curb, control and restrain. It brings dominion and power within our reach to rule over sin (Gen 4:7), bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (II Cor 10:3-5), and “think on these things” (Phil 4:8) Put to death (Col 3:5), etc.

It slowly brings to us the ability to keep all God’s positive commands as well as all negative ones.

In this respect our heart becomes our kingdom, and all our thoughts, desires emotions and intents are our subjects. God tells us how to rule over them and we bring our realm into subjection. Does Scripture validate this definition?

13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. 1 Cor 10:13

Self-control gives us the time and the ability to find this way of escape. The power and lordship we exert within ourselves when we feel an enticement to sin can stop that enticement dead. (James 1:12-16). All temptations can be borne. It is simply a lack of self-control that leads to their being committed. Each failure reveals an area of our domain that needs further strengthening. Paul compares it to what athletes exert over their own bodies to gain mastery:

25 And everyone who competes in the games exercises self‑control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. 1 Cor 9:25-27

We are to fight, resist and strive against sin! Paul speaks of his own self-control as running with aim, fighting to win, and buffeting his body to make it a slave to his will. His concern is disqualification. God expects our self-control, resistance and striving against sin to reach even to the point of death (bloodshed).

You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. Heb 12:4

"If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 "And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Mt 5:29-30; Mt 18:8-9

Again, we have to look at both accomplishment and effort. Our present level of self-control is a combination of past victories, paths averted and the agonizing crucifixion of lusts and desires tasted in the past. Gal 2:20

Everyone ties themselves to sin by cords created one thread at a time. Each time we succumb to temptation we strengthen a habit by adding a new thread to the cord that ties us to it. Habits are behaviors mastered by doing them over and over. They become a fixed part of our life and are extremely difficult to remove. Habits are broken the same way they are created: One thought and one deed at a time. It leaves us feeling bruised and bloodied, but it is still the only way. The power of the fleshly desires must be broken Rom 7:5 and the deeds of the body must be destroyed. Rom 8:13

Don’t let Satan dupe you into thinking you can’t do this. All of us have the tools to break old habits and become new creatures.

And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal 5:24

Top