Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 6b … [NIV – see emboldened verse]] 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; …
My Journal for Today: Yesterday we were aided by John MacArthur (from his devotional in Strength for Today) to see that one clear sign of the true, maturing Christian is temperance (or “self control”). Today from the latter portion of that same verse [from 2nd Peter 1: 6b] Peter takes Christlikeness beyond “egkrateia,” adding “hupomene,” or perseverance. Ultimately, as one reads in the last phrase of 2nd Peter 1: 6, Peter is saying that adding perseverance to self control leads to “godliness,” [the Greek term for the latter being “eusebeia”].
Perseverance with any of the fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5: 22-23) is necessary for one to build a Christlike character. And the word picture I like to use for “perseverance” is that of a rock climber grabbing on and clinging to a rock because his very life depends on it. And that’s true of our life as a Christian. In faith, believing in the saving/enabling grace of Christ, we need to grab onto Christ, THE ROCK, clinging to Him by belief in His word, and holding on for dear life – our life of worship with Him as Lord. And to add another word picture of “hupomene” … is like a bulldog, who is gifted with supernaturally strong jaws to hold on to whatever it bites, … never letting go. In the Christian life, perseverance is the living out of 2nd Cor. 12: 9 and 1st Cor. 10: 13; and it is dogged trust revealed in Prov. 3: 5 – 6 and Rom. 8: 28. [I’m assuming by now that you have all those verses duly memorized!].
Our model, as always, in any of these character traits, is Jesus, Who exhibited the quality of “hupomene” perfectly and completely as we read in Hebrews 12: 1 – 2 [see below], … this quality of never letting go of God’s will, the attitude quality to which all Christians should aspire.
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SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 12: 1 – 2 ... 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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Living out self-control, with perseverance, produces a lifestyle of godliness [or “Christlikeness”], according to Peter in today’s passage … a lifestyle of true worship or living sacrifice, to which the Apostle Paul addressed in Romans 12: 1 – 2 (another passage you should have memorized). And when a Christian experiences such “living sacrifice” (i.e., perseverance in self-control), other Christians can take note of a life filled with ample evidence of the reality of salvation, … one who is living out the command of Christ for discipleship (see Luke 9: 23).
And to move to completion of our topic this month, such a Christian will be one who is well assured of his/her salvation. I pray that all who read here with me are Christians growing in that confidence. I’m sure not there yet; but I’m getting there.
My Prayer Today: Help me hold on to You, Lord, as my life depends on You. Amen
Showing posts with label temperance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label temperance. Show all posts
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
July 24, 2011 … Add Self Control
Passage of the Day: 2nd Peter 1: 6a [NIV – see bold text] … 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; …
My Journal for Today: One other character signpost of real salvation in this list of Christlike qualities provided by Peter is SELF CONTROL. Peter uses the Greek concept “egkrateia” in today’s passage. Sometimes translated “temperance,” as in the KJV/NKJV; this is the same word used by the Apostle Paul when he listed the Fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5: 22, 23.
You will note on Paul’s list of Christlike attributes, “egkrateia” (self control) appears last on the list; and I firmly believe there was purpose in that ordering. Paul recognized, as I believe is true, that self control (i.e., temperance) can never develop adequately in the life of the Christian unless all of the other spiritual fruit have matured sufficiently. In other words, Paul [with help from the Holy Spirit, of course] knew that self control is the most difficult of God’s spiritual fruit to develop in the life of all Christians. And so, it is my firm belief that the Christian who has a well developed attitude of temperance will be a Christian who has great confidence in his/her salvation.
The Greeks often used the term “egkrateia” to describe a finely trained athlete who was able to bring his sexual passions into a state of temperance while in training for a major event. In his devotional from Strength for Today for this date, John MacArthur offers several suggestions to which he would attribute to the self-controlled Christian. According to MacArthur, it would be a mature and confident Christian who would do the hard tasks in life first, avoiding procrastination. It would be this one who stays on task and on time; and it would be the well-tuned Christian who organizes his/her life to prioritize Christian values. It would be this one who practices delayed gratification, patiently doing what is necessary to reach short and long term goals; as well as one who accepts counsel or correction from more mature Christians. And finally, it would the more mature Christian who welcomes responsibility, not shirking or denying those things which must be done to be more like Christ.
Well, how’re we doing with “egkrateia” in our life? Personally, though I’m better than I used to be and I am confident in my salvation, the fruit of “egkrateia” could use quite a bit more development in my life. But any individual who has achieved any degree of the attributes outlined by MacArthur above and could be called a “self-controlled Christian” would be, as I stated above, a Christian who is likely very confident in his (or her) own salvation. Conversely, I believe that the Christian, who still has major self-control issues in his/her life, may at times have some doubts about the status of his/her salvation. Perhaps you can confirm or deny my contention here based on the status of self-control in your life. >>> What about it, fellow Christian?
My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, to be totally surrendered in temperance to You. Amen
My Journal for Today: One other character signpost of real salvation in this list of Christlike qualities provided by Peter is SELF CONTROL. Peter uses the Greek concept “egkrateia” in today’s passage. Sometimes translated “temperance,” as in the KJV/NKJV; this is the same word used by the Apostle Paul when he listed the Fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5: 22, 23.
You will note on Paul’s list of Christlike attributes, “egkrateia” (self control) appears last on the list; and I firmly believe there was purpose in that ordering. Paul recognized, as I believe is true, that self control (i.e., temperance) can never develop adequately in the life of the Christian unless all of the other spiritual fruit have matured sufficiently. In other words, Paul [with help from the Holy Spirit, of course] knew that self control is the most difficult of God’s spiritual fruit to develop in the life of all Christians. And so, it is my firm belief that the Christian who has a well developed attitude of temperance will be a Christian who has great confidence in his/her salvation.
The Greeks often used the term “egkrateia” to describe a finely trained athlete who was able to bring his sexual passions into a state of temperance while in training for a major event. In his devotional from Strength for Today for this date, John MacArthur offers several suggestions to which he would attribute to the self-controlled Christian. According to MacArthur, it would be a mature and confident Christian who would do the hard tasks in life first, avoiding procrastination. It would be this one who stays on task and on time; and it would be the well-tuned Christian who organizes his/her life to prioritize Christian values. It would be this one who practices delayed gratification, patiently doing what is necessary to reach short and long term goals; as well as one who accepts counsel or correction from more mature Christians. And finally, it would the more mature Christian who welcomes responsibility, not shirking or denying those things which must be done to be more like Christ.
Well, how’re we doing with “egkrateia” in our life? Personally, though I’m better than I used to be and I am confident in my salvation, the fruit of “egkrateia” could use quite a bit more development in my life. But any individual who has achieved any degree of the attributes outlined by MacArthur above and could be called a “self-controlled Christian” would be, as I stated above, a Christian who is likely very confident in his (or her) own salvation. Conversely, I believe that the Christian, who still has major self-control issues in his/her life, may at times have some doubts about the status of his/her salvation. Perhaps you can confirm or deny my contention here based on the status of self-control in your life. >>> What about it, fellow Christian?
My Prayer Today: Help me, Lord, to be totally surrendered in temperance to You. Amen
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