Living the New Life

My neighbor and I was walking this morning around our neighborhood and we were looking at the stars and he made a statement that grabbed me.  He said, “They says that some of the stars that we are seeing now have actually burned out many years ago.” 

How many of our “stars” in our churches have actually burned out a long time ago.  They are just continuing to put forth light off of  yesterday’s glory and power?   How many preachers do we have that are filling pulpits and are actually burned up instead of still on fire?  I wish and pray that God’s people will be full of the power and fire of the eternal flame of Christ Jesus.

Are you on fire or are you simply burned out but still shining off of yesterday’s flame?

The other day I was reading the newspaper when I came across a story of a 61 year old man who had become aggravated at a small child and slapped the child in the face 5 or 6 times.  The man was arrested for this act of violence when he let his urges get the best of him.  We all can become irritated and aggravated in certain situations.  We have to be aware that at times we will have urges that will be detrimental to our life. 

The Bible talks about controlling our urges when it discusses self control.  It is so important that the Bible mentions it when describing the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  The word translated “self-control” in the NIV is rendered “temperance” in the King James Version. It comes from the word “strength” and means, “one who holds himself in.” To be self-controlled is to not live in bondage to the desires, passions and appetites of the flesh. While “self control” is a good translation of the Greek word, it’s a bit deceiving because we all know that we can’t control ourselves simply through our own willpower or self-determination. Self control is more than just self help. Paul speaks of our dilemma in Romans 7:18: “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good but I cannot carry it out.” Self control, biblically speaking, means walking by the Spirit, under the Lordship of Christ.

In order to fully understand self control, it may be better to describe what the absence of self control looks like. Proverbs 25:28 provides a description of the a person who is living out of control, “Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.” When the book of Proverbs was written, one of the main sources of strength and protection for a city consisted in the building and maintaining of walls. A wiped out wall was considered a breach in security. A city with walls in disrepair was a city with a shameful reputation. That’s one of the reasons Nehemiah was so motivated to begin a building campaign in Nehemiah 1:3. Those who lived in the capital were in “great trouble and disgrace” because the wall of Jerusalem was broken down. It was open to attack and ultimate destruction. The man or woman who lacks self control is like a city that has no effective defense. They are not able to resist the things that can destroy their lives and the lives of others. When occupants of a city for whatever reason neglected their own safety by failing to build and maintain strong walls, they would have been looked upon as a weak and foolish people. Likewise, when we forfeit the fruit of self control, we are feeble and not very wise.

The Bible offers several vivid examples of people who lived out of control lives. One of the most dramatic stories is of Samson, found in Judges 14-16. He is a portrait of self-destruction. As one of Israel’s judges, the Spirit of God empowered him. He was known for his strength and led God’s people for 20 years. One of his primary tasks was to protect his people from the influence of the pagan Philistines. But because he did not have self-control he instead visited Philistine prostitutes and eventually told Delilah about the secret of his power. Lacking sexual self control, he soon lost his hair, his strength and his life.

We’ve been created with a multitude of moods, passions, and desires. They all need managing. They must be under control or they will end up controlling us.  Our appetites and longings have their proper place. Self control is the Holy Spirit giving us direction ensuring that everything stays in its proper place and comes in at just the right time. To be self controlled is to be Spirit controlled.  There is no way we can develop self control on our own. There are more than enough people pulling us back into unrestrained living. The good news is that you don’t have to give in to them, or into your own desires. As you submit and surrender to the Spirit’s control, you can experience freedom and power that you’ve have not seen before.

I woke up this morning with a song in my head from my youth.  I can hear it ringing over and over as my grandfather would play it on his organ.  The words were “Jesus use me and oh Lord, don’t refuse me.  Surely there’s a work that I can do.  And even though its umble, help my will to crumble.  Though the cost is great, I’ll live for you.

As I was singing that song this morning I asked myself “what is the cost serving Jesus?”  The answer for me is extremely simple.  It is the sacrifice of self.  It is not doing what I desire or what I long to do, but what God’s will is for me.  Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 15:31 ”I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.”  I have to choose to die daily to myself and sacrifice my will for His.

This is my cost.  What is yours?