Self-Control

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“The Fruit of Temperance or Self Control Part 3”

Posted by mcoxbmi on July 6, 2026
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Download This Message –>> 241122 Walking in the Ways of the Lord Pt 58 – Temperance Pt 3.MP3

In order to walk a successful Christian Life, walking in the Ways of the Lord, we must have discipline in our lives. Allowing and exercising the Fruit of Temperance or Self-Control to work in our lives will bring Godly discipline to our lives.

Discipline is an important, but often neglected, part of the Christian life. Many broken friendships, and many harsh words come, as a result of not learning how to be temperate.

Too many Christians take the attitude that they cannot control their temper, their thoughts, their emotions, or their actions. This is simply not true.

They are allowing their emotions to control their lives. They are focusing on the wrong thing. They are being Carnally, Fleshly, Worldly Minded instead of being Spiritually Minded.

2nd Corinthians 10: 3 – 5 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.

(4) For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, (5) casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (NKJV)

Galatians 6: 7 – 9  Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (8) For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. (9) And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. (NKJV)

Romans 8: 5 – 8 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. (8) So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (NKJV)

Romans 8: 13  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. (NKJV)

Temperance or Self-Control as a Fruit of the Spirit is the active effort we put forth to resist the temptation to go back to the ways of the world around us once we’ve been shown God’s spiritual way of life. It is demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit instead of committing the works of the flesh.

“The Fruit of Temperance or Self-Control Part 1”

Posted by mcoxbmi on June 15, 2026
Posted in: Audio Messages. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Download This Message –>> 241108 Walking in the Ways of the Lord Pt 56 – The Fruit of the Spirit – Temperance Pt 1.MP3

Temperance or Self-Control is a Gift from God. One of the Fruits of the Presence of the Holy Spirit within the Believer.

Galatians 5: 22 – 23 But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, (23) Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. (Amp. C)

The Fruit of the Spirit is born into us. It is part of our reborn nature. All of the Fruit of the Spirit are part of our makeup on the inside. Part of our Spiritual DNA.

The scripture teaches us to learn to live from the inside out. To let this New Man, the Reborn Spirit Man, on the inside dominate our life, our body, our words, our thought life and our actions.

The Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5: 22 – 23 are directly involved in our ability to live from the inside out. The Fruit of Temperance or Self-Control must be exercised and allowed to operate for us to be able to live our lives from the inside out.Temperance or Self-Control involves the ability to exercise restraint and moderation in various aspects of life, including our thoughts, words, and actions. It means being under control, cool, calm, balanced bringing of all of you, under the sovereign control of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 16: 24 – 26 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (25) For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. (26) For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (NKJV)

All of the Fruit of the Spirit function together. Each of the Fruits of the Spirit require the other Fruits in order to function probably. They are connected. When one of them is weak or inoperative it weakens or prevents the other Fruit from functioning.

The Fruit of Temperance or Self-Control is tied directly to the function of the other Fruits.

“TEMPERANCE or Self-Control”

Posted by mcoxbmi on April 24, 2026
Posted in: Text Messages & Devotionals. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Second Peter 1:6 tells us that to our knowledge we should add temperance. Temperance means self-control. Is that really necessary when we already have some virtue bricks in place? If we are going to have any self-control, we need to have a lot of virtue, excellence, Christian energy and resolution first. Then we can build our knowledge base in order to know what self-control is. It takes both virtue and knowledge to teach us about self-control, and even give us a reason to practice it.

I’ve seen people who seemed excellent to me and seemed to have lots of knowledge. But there was something about them that was sort of unpredictable. Or they had some really bad habits. In Galatians 5:23, temperance or self-control is the last thing in St. Paul’s list of fruit of the Spirit. Since he considers it a fruit of the Spirit, we believe that the kernel of it is already present in us as soon as we receive the Holy Spirit at salvation. That is when the Holy Spirit plants His little tiny fruits in us. It is up to us then to make then grow through practice.

That is the point that St. Peter is making when he says to “add” each attribute to the ones he listed before. We have to start someplace. Learning to live the Christian life isn’t all faith. It isn’t all knowledge. It includes “tempering” our lives through experience. It is using our Christian energy (virtue) and the wisdom and understanding we are finding in the WORD about Jesus and His life (knowledge) to begin to control our thoughts, our impulses, our conversation.

It’s not something that is impossible. As we build these bricks into our wall, the Holy Spirit is there to catch us when we waver. If we have spent our lives in anger and bad temperament, it will show pretty quickly what we need to work on. Once we have the grace and influence of the Holy Spirit and God’s WORD working in our lives, as well as increasing in virtue and knowledge, we will begin to catch ourselves when the heat is on. We can get to the place where we see the importance of controlling our mouths, our temptation to lash out physically, our temptation to run away and hide.

We will also see the benefits of treating others kindly when they are being mean or ignorant. We will restrain ourselves from turning that stubborn project into a pile of smoking ruins. We will “stop, drop and roll” when the “fiery trials” of life try to consume us. (1 Peter 4:12 KJV)

It doesn’t happen all at once. It is a journey. We can look back and see how far we have come. Even if it seems like we will never make it, we are better now than we were. Believe me, the people in our lives will notice! They won’t have to walk on eggshells around us anymore.

It is a journey, a journey into peace. As we sow peaceful seeds, we will reap and enjoy a peaceful harvest. There is no substitute. The solution to anger management? Temperance. The cure for ulcers and high blood pressure? Temperance. The cure for lust and the sins that so easily beset us? You guessed it. Temperance.

We might have to do like Jesus did in John chapter 8, bend down and write on the ground while we plan our next move. While we pray and wait, like He did, waiting for His Father’s instructions. But the difference in our lives will show. And we have the help of the Holy Spirit to make us strong. Oh, thank You, Lord, that we can be strong in You and in the power of Your might. Thank You for the faith, virtue and knowledge along the way. Amen.