THE HOLY SPIRIT

“THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: SELF-CONTROL”

GALATIANS 5:22-23

 

Four months and 15 messages later, we are finishing up our study on the Holy Spirit.  This was by no means an exhaustive study on the eternal Holy Spirit of God. 

 

We have only scratched the surface.  We have only collected a sample of the ocean in a Mason Jar when it comes to the Holy Spirit.  Trust me when I say, there could have been many more messages.  However, I hope that you have become better acquainted with the Person of the Holy Spirit and his Purpose in your life as a follower of Jesus Christ.

 

READ GALATIANS 5:22-23.  Today we come to the final characteristic of the Fruit of the Spirit:  SELF-CONTROL.

 

When it comes to this matter of self-control, I want to start with a question that I have often asked myself.  And perhaps it’s a question you have asked yourself from time to time:

 

IF THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN ME, WHY DO I STILL STRUGGLE? 

 

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells within you.  Since he does and since He produces self-control in my life, why am I sometimes undisciplined and out-of-control?

 

Why am I sometimes so impatient?  Why do I lose my temper all too often?  Why do I worry so much?  Why do I keep battling the same temptations over and over again?  And why do I keep coming back to the same sin I’ve told God on numerous occasions that I am done with it?  Can you relate?

 

The short answer to those questions is because we still have a sinful nature within us.  And the battle we face does not mean the Holy Spirit is not present nor active in our lives.  Even though the struggle is real, the battle actually means the Holy Spirit is active/present in our lives.  It means the Holy Spirit is convicting you and me of our sin!

 

The struggle is real.  But don’t beat yourself up too badly.  If you still struggle with your sinful nature, you’re in some really good company.  The Apostle Paul struggled with his sinful nature too!  He details the Civil War of his soul in Romans 7.  I will be reading from The Message Bible.  Paul wrote:

 

“WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT MYSELF IS THAT I DECIDE ONE WAY, BUT THEN ACT ANOTHER, DOING THINGS I ABSOLUTELY DESPISE.  I OBVIOUSLY NEED HELP!  I REALIZE THAT I DON’T HAVE WHAT IT TAKES.

 

“I CAN WILL IT, BUT I CAN’T DO IT.  I DECIDE TO DO GOOD, BUT I DON’T REALLY DO IT; I DECIDE NOT TO DO BAD, BUT THEN I DO IT ANYWAY.

 

“SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG DEEP WITHIN ME AND GETS THE BETTER OF ME EVERY TIME.

 

“IT HAPPENS SO REGULARLY THAT IT’S PREDICTABLE.  THE MOMENT I DECIDE TO DO GOOD, SIN IS THERE TO TRIP ME UP.  I TRULY DELIGHT IN GOD’S COMMANDS, BUT IT’S PRETTY OBVIOUS THAT NOT ALL OF ME JOINS IN THAT DELIGHT.  PARTS OF ME COVERTLY REBEL, AND JUST WHEN I LEAST EXPECT IT, THEY TAKE CHARGE.

 

“I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING AND NOTHING HELPS.  I’M AT THE END OF MY ROPE.  IS THERE NO ONE WHO CAN DO ANYTHING FOR ME?”

 

Can you relate to the Apostle Paul?  Is his struggle your struggle too?  I call  it THE ROMANS 7 STRUGGLE.  The struggle is real.  We all struggle with temptations we wish we didn’t have to face.

 

We struggle with having self-control.  Yet, the Holy Spirit produces self-control within us.  That is the tension we live with.

 

This morning we are going to look at 3 things which will allow the Holy Spirit to produce a greater amount of self-control over our lives. BUT FIRST WE PRAY.

 

If you want the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of self-control in your life you need to…….

 

1.BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR WEAK AREAS

 

And I need to be aware of mine.  We all have our weak spots. We all have our Achilles Heel.  Our areas of vulnerability.  Food is great way to illustrate this.

 

I can say no to fruitcake with no problem whatsoever.  I can say no to fruitcake 6 days a week and twice on Sundays!  Fruitcake does not tempt me.  But a good German Chocolate Cake is something different.  Put a slice in front of me and I’ll eat it. You have your food weakness too, don’t you?  Chocolate anyone?  It’s not just for breakfast anymore.

 

We all have our weaknesses in the physical, mental and spiritual realm.  Look at this verse from Hebrews 12:1.  In order to cheer us on in running the Christian race victoriously, the author of Hebrews wrote:

 

“let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.” – Hebrews 12:1

 

Sin in general can easily trip us up, for sure.  But some theologians label THE SIN that so easily entangles us our BESETTING SIN.  A besetting sin is a habitual fault, weakness, or moral failing that a person constantly and repeatedly struggles with.  It is an ingrained temptation that easily traps, ensnares or defeats an individual whenever they are vulnerable.

 

What is your besetting sin?  You may struggle with pride, or greed, or lust, or anger, or gossip, or envy, or lying or something else. Our besetting sin is what we continually struggle with. 

 

A besetting sin is specific to an individual.  You may not be the only one who struggles with the same sin/temptation; but what you struggle with I might not battle.  But my area of weakness may not be an issue for you.

 

But our besetting sin is personal for each of us.  My guess is, just as you know what your weakness is when it comes to food, you are painfully aware of your besetting sin.  You can identify it.  You can name it.  You struggle with it every single day.

 

So, what can we do about it?  How can we gain a measure of self-control over it?  Jesus told us how.

 

Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray about going to the cross.  He was struggling with that decision.  You might even say he was tempted not to go through with it.  He invited his three closest disciples, Peter, James and John to pray with him. 

 

Jesus prayed and he came back to his three prayer partners.  They were fast asleep.  Jesus told them:

 

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41

 

Jesus said there are two things we can do to not fall into temptation.  Watch and pray.  We’ll talk more about prayer later in the message.

 

Let’s talk about watching. When it comes to temptation, to watch means to be on the alert.  To have your guard up.  To put some safeguards in place.

 

When you are driving down some roads there are guardrails on the side of the road, especially when you are driving on some curving, winding roads.  Guardrails are put in place when you traveling up or down roads which, if you were to drive off the road, you might go down an embankment.  The guardrails are there to keep you safe/

 

We need to put up some guardrails in our lives.  We need to set some boundaries.  We need to set up some limits to guard against the sin or sins we continually struggle with. 

 

Those guardrails may be different depending on the temptation.  Guardrails may be situations to avoid, places to stay away from or people not to hang out with.  Those situations, places, or people tend to drag you down spiritually.

 

But the point is we need to be proactive.  We need to safeguard against our most vulnerable areas.

 

A second pro-active step we can take that allows the Holy Spirit to help us have self-control is to……

 

2.TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR THOUGHTS

 

Thoughts enter our minds every day.  How many thoughts do you think you have on a single day?  Have you ever tried to count them?  Neither have I!

 

But the researchers at the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California have.  According to them, the brain is a three-pound computer that processes 70,000 thoughts each and every day.

 

That’s a lot of thoughts.  Our brains are crowded places. 

 

Here’s the challenge.  We are the sum total of our thoughts.  Centuries ago, King Solomon wrote that a person is whatever they think in their hearts.

 

Positive thoughts generate positive actions.  Negative thoughts activate negative behavior.  So, if we are to have some self-control, we need to control our thoughts.  We are told to do just that in Scripture.  2 Corinthians 10:5 says:

 

“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” – 2 Corinthians 10:5

 

Here are a couple of more Scriptures about taking control of our thoughts:

 

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Romans 13:14

 

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

 

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” -Colossians 3:1-2

 

Taking control of our thoughts makes a big difference in having self-control.  Look at what the Apostle Paul wrote about this:

“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires;

 

“but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”  - Romans 8:5

 

The battle for self-control begins in our minds.  If we’re struggling with sin, it’s because that’s where we let our minds go.  If we have self-control, it’s because we have set our minds on what the Holy Spirit desires.

 

We become what we set our minds on.  So, what has your attention every day?  Where does your mind continually go back to?

 

The problem with our sinful nature, is that we naturally gravitate to negative thoughts.  And the second problem is that it is human nature to constantly dwell on such thoughts.

 

In order to take control of our thoughts, we need to do three things.  We need to review our thoughts, reject negative thoughts and replace those thoughts with better ones.

 

First, we review our thoughts.  We take inventory of our thoughts.  We review our thoughts through the filter of God’s truth.

 

As I audit my thoughts, I ask myself these questions.  Are my thoughts negative?  Are they tearing me down and leading me to places I shouldn’t go?  Are my thoughts keeping me from the life God wants me to have?

                                                                                               

Or, are my thoughts building me up?  Do they reflect my faith?  Are they God-honoring thoughts?  Do my thoughts reflect the hope I have in Christ?  Do my thoughts equip me to become more like Jesus?

 

As I review my thoughts and screen them with the truth of God’s Word, I need to reject the thoughts that would lead me to struggle with temptation.

 

Are you a picky eater?  Were you one growing up?  I was.  Mom and Dad had one rule when it came to food at the dinner table.  I had to try everything once.  If I didn’t like it, I didn’t have to eat it. 

 

Well, I found a loophole with their plan.  If something didn’t sound good or didn’t look good, I decided before I put it in my mouth that I wasn’t going to like it.  So, I was a very picky eater growing up.  Especially where vegetables were concerned.  Which may explain my aversion to broccoli.

 

It’s not a good thing to be a picky eater, unless you are picky about the things you shouldn’t eat.  But we really need to be a picky thinker when it comes to negative thoughts.

 

Where did we get the idea that every thought needs to be thought?  That every idea deserves a hearing?  Who came up with the notion that every notion warrants a place at our mental table?

 

Just because you have a thought doesn’t mean you have to think about it, entertain it and dwell on it.

 

Max Lucado wrote- “You can be the air traffic controller of your mental airport.  You occupy the control tower and can direct the mental traffic of your world.  Thoughts circle above, coming and going.  If one of them lands, it is because you gave it permission.  If it leaves, it is because you directed it to do so.  You can select your thought pattern.”

 

In order for the Holy Spirit to produce self-control within us, we need to reject those tempting thoughts that lead us down the path of sin.

 

As we reject those ungodly thoughts, we are to replace them with godly ones.  That’s what the Bible encourages us to do:  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.”

 

If we want to live self-controlled lives, we have to control our thoughts.  In Romans 12 Paul said our lives are transformed by the renewing of our minds. If we will tame our thoughts, the Holy Spirit can transform our lives.

 

The third thing we need to do to have self-control is to……

 

3.STAY CONNECTED TO JESUS

 

When it comes to the Romans 7 Struggle and seeking to have some self-control, we think we need to try harder.  But nowhere in Scripture are we told to try harder.  We don’t produce self-control through self-effort.  The Holy Spirit produces self-control in us.  When we are Spirit-controlled, we will be self-controlled

 

  So, instead of trying harder, we need to just stay connected to Jesus. Staying connected to Jesus is an intentional thing.  You just don’t accidently drift closer to Jesus.

 

Never in all my years as a pastor, have I ever had heard anyone say-“I’ve not read my Bible in like 6 months.  It’s been weeks since I’ve prayed.  And I haven’t attended a church service in at least a month.  But I woke up this morning, and I felt closer to Jesus than ever before.”

 

No, you don’t ever just drift closer to Jesus.  But you can drift away from Jesus and not notice it.  You drift away by neglecting your spiritual life. 

 

Satan is sneaky about this.  If Satan can’t get you to sin, he’ll just get you busy.  And then you become too busy to pray.  Too busy to read your Bible.  Too busy to come to church.  Then, one day, you wake up and you realize you’ve drifted away from the Lord.

 

The decision to follow Jesus isn’t a one-time decision.  It’s a day-by-day decision.  It’s moment by moment.  Following Jesus isn’t accidental.  It’s intentional.  It starts by intentionally staying close to Jesus.  Staying connected to him.  Jesus told us that we need to do just that:

 

“I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15:5

 

It is vital for us to stay connected to Jesus to be strong spiritually.  Jesus said that apart from him we can do nothing.  We don’t have self-control by trying harder. Self-control comes from staying connected to Jesus.

Jesus said that staying connected to him is how we will bear much fruit, including the fruit of self-control.

 

How can we stay connected to Jesus? We stay connected by staying connected to His Word.  Jesus said:

 

“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” -John 15:7

 

We remain in Jesus as his words remain in us.  Staying in God’s Word will help us to maintain self-control. 

 

Jesus found the Word of God a very effective tool in saying no to every temptation Satan enticed him with. Every time Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus responded with Scripture and Jesus said no to temptation every single time.

 

Let’s get very practical for a moment.  We’re not going to spend any time reading our Bibles if we’re on our phones all the time scrolling through social media or if we have the news on all day long.  Before you pick up your phone; before you tune into the news, pick up your Bible. 

 

We also stay connected to Jesus by staying connected to him in prayer.  Even Jesus was intentional about staying connected to his Heavenly Father through prayer.  We read about it in Mark 1:35:

 

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” – Mark 1:35

 

This was not a one-time event for Jesus.  Prayer was a regular spiritual discipline for Jesus. 

Now, if Jesus thought it important to pray every day, should we do any less? Since Jesus needed to pray, do we think we are so spiritually superior to Jesus that we somehow need to pray less than Jesus prayed?

 

Prayer helps us to remain self-controlled.  Earlier I referenced Jesus going to the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed about whether or not to go to the cross.  Jesus was tempted to not go to the cross; to not die for our sins.  In the Garden, he prayed for strength to go to the cross and he went to the cross and died for our sins.

 

  It was in the Garden where he told his disciples to watch and pray so they would not give in to temptation.  In the Lord’s prayer Jesus taught us to pray for spiritual protection- “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

 

We absolutely need a daily quiet time where we each stay connected to Jesus through Bible reading and prayer.  Then we stay connected to Jesus as we stay connected in community.

 

I have never met anyone who was truly connected to Jesus who was disconnected from the church, which is the body of Christ.  We need each other for mutual encouragement and support.

 

The Holy Spirit produces self-control in us.  But what do we do when we go through a Romans 7 Struggle? Let’s let Paul answer his own question about his Romans 7 Struggle.

 

I’m reading from Romans 7:24-Romans 8:2.

 

The answer to the Romans 7 Struggle is found in the Romans 8 Hope.  The late Tim Keller once said, “In Christ we do not go from wartime to peace.  We go from a battle we cannot win to a battle we cannot lose.”

 

You and I may live in a Romans 7 Struggle, but no one can take away our Romans 8 Hope.  You and I have been set free from sin and death by the Spirit who gives us life; a self-controlled life.  A life of victory.  A life of hope that comes through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

 

Will you stay connected to Jesus?  Instead of trying harder, trust him more.

 

Do you want to get connected to Jesus for the first time?  You can decide to follow Jesus through faith, repentance, confession and baptism.