Church Words: Self-Control

[Twenty-Second in a series of posts on church words] 

Encore Post:

The sanctified life of the Christian is one of self-control, the last of the “fruits of the Spirit” that Paul speaks about in that famous Galatians passage. Self-control is, in particular, the ability to control one’s emotions in conformity with God’s will.

Doing a simple bible word search just in the ESV, you first find the translation used in Proverbs 25:28. There, a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. Nothing good happens in a city like that. The city would be lost to looters. In a similar fashion, a man lacking self-control, who loses his temper or emotions easily, loses respect and dignity in the sight of his counterparts.

St. Paul warns young Timothy that self-control is an extremely important characteristic for those seeking to serve the Church as pastors. Having self-control is important because we need to remember that it is most easily lost with a loose tongue. But self-control is also an important trait for everyone.

Involved in self-control is the discipline in what we say and do. What better way to be disciplined (a follower) by the Word of God, from which we hear the good news of our justification in the sight of God for Jesus’ sake?

Paul reminds us that we were once a people who were slaves to our sinful passions. But in light of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection, we have been granted new life, and it is in this new life that we desire to control our sinful desires and flesh. The Christian life involves self-control. It is intimately connected to returning to the font of holy baptism through confession and absolution. There we put to death our old, sinful Adam and daily rise to the new obedience, actually desiring to do the things which God commands of us.

It is a continual struggle, as even Paul attests. Self-control is a character trait that needs to be developed and exercised. God’s gift of self-control is continually developed by being in His Word and by being formed by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

©2019 Jacob Hercamp. All rights reserved. Permission granted to copy, share and display freely for non-commercial purposes. Direct all other rights and permissions inquiries to cosmithb@msn.com