"Without Self-Control"

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5 ESV)

There is a consistent warning about pride and boastfulness in the Bible. How do we handle our successes without being prideful. How do we exist in a world of pride? The world tells people to be proud, even those who promote the LBGTQ are celebrated under the idea of pride, Pride Month, etc. This is really ironic because God despises pride and this is certainly an instance where pride over ones sins is condemned by God.

Paul wrote to the Romans, “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” (Romans 12:3) The faith God has given us is what identifies us. Truly, it is through our faith in God that we are what we are. If you lead a Bible study, volunteer in a ministry, even visiting the elderly in the name of Christ, it is God who gives you the gift to make a difference in His name.

Solomon wrote, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2). Always give credit where credit is due and that is from above. People may say “but you did that,” and my response “thank you, but the Lord did that through me.” People will get frustrated with you and that response, however we recognize that we are who we are through the power of the almighty.

We should also remain silent about what we do in the name of the Lord. Christ reminds us, “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.” A great example of this, although I do not know the status of his faith in the Lord, is Keanu Reeves. Here is a man who makes millions of dollars as an actor and yet stays silent about his philanthropic work. If he does not know Christ, I pray he will. So, just as this man stays silent so should we.

We all have weaknesses on which we stay silent. We should however boast of our weakness through the cross of Christ which strengthens us. Paul wrote in Galatians, “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (6:14) It is the cross that sets us free from the sins of the world.

While we continue to struggle in sin, we should also be aware of our repetitive sin. We should ask ourselves are we truly repenting, or are the brokenness, tears, and guilt a sign of a lack of repentance an emotional response instead of a true changing of the heart. Signs like these that quickly disappear and are forgotten do that when that sin beckons us back and we follow it. Spurgeon said, “Repentance is to leave the sins we loved before, and show that we in earnest grieve by doing so no more.” 1

We may think to ourselves, Lord I am sorry for my sin, I will do better next time, and though in our minds we are broken yet we commit the same sin. Repentance is not part of the equation of salvation for we can add no works to salvation it is complete through Christ alone. Therefore, to think “if I repent, and I am good I will receive God’s grace. This is just the opposite of the truth for we are saved by grace, through faith in Christ alone and as a result repent or change our minds about our sin rejecting them because our hearts have been changed.

When one boasts they no longer sin, pray for them because the are lying to themselves. John wrote, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1-8) We should not boast about our resisting sin, but boast of the love of Christ that grows within us the allows us to repent our sins. Spurgeon also wrote, “What, then, is the true place of repentance? It is this: I trust Christ, just as I am, to forgive me. I have God’s assurance that I am forgiven, seeing that I am trusting Christ. What, then, do I feel? I am forgiven; covered is my transgression; my iniquities are all washed away. O my Saviour, how I love thee! And the next thought is, O my sins, how I hate you!” This feeling naturally grows out of a sense of divine love.” 2

Believers, pray for each other that the love of God and our devotion to Him would grow every day we walk in sanctification. Boast of what God has done and is doing in you, not your own abilities. Mortify (kill) your sin. Whatever triggers that stubborn sin, remove it from your life; terminate it with extreme prejudice, all the while truly saying, “O my Saviour, how I love thee! And in the next thought, O my sins, how I hate you!” 3 Many will be deceived into a sense of salvation only to hear, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:23)

If Christ is not your Savior, seek Him today, the sin killing power of Christ can release you from the slavery of sin, and you can receive the free gift of salvation through faith in Christ alone.

Grace and Peace.

1. C. H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Ezekiel 36:3, Volume 47, April 20, 1879.

   
   

2. Ibid

3. Ibid