Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- 2 Peter 1 – we come to v5-6
- Faith is the starting point
- Reading v5-7
- God wants us to be mature in our faith
- Continually growing
- To be like the Lord Jesus
- To be conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus
- We have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling in the strength of God and by His grace
- If we are growing – we will know Christ all the better and this will abound to the fruit of God (v8)
- The passage is not to be taken like a stepwise ladder
- To keep progressing rung by rung
- Instead it is a tree with fruit on different branches that needs to ripen together
- If we are not growing we are stagnating and show:
- Lacking discernment
- Acting in the flesh, arguing, quarrelling
- Lacking self-control
- Considering self-control this week
- Be careful with knowledge – examples
- About the mastery of self
- Not just losing our temper, over-eating, temptation
- It is much bigger than this
- To not be controlled by your emotions
- Though we do need the above
- To say no to things that do not help
- To say yes to righteousness
- Only by the power of the Holy Spirit
- To master your tongue / body / mind
- To pray for God for help (James 1:5)
- The mastery of self – coming under the Lordship of Christ
- Quote – "Self is our number one problem"
- We are to deny ourselves and take up our cross
- Quote from Augistine
- Overview:
- Know yourself
- Know the grace given to you
- Know how to practice self-control
Know yourself
- v10 – if you want assurance, these qualities must be part of your life
- You must be honest over what is lacking
- Examples – laziness, overwork, lust, gossip, greed, ‘comfort’ tasks
- God has given us things to richly enjoy – but do not over indulge
- Examples from 2 Peter 2:13-14, 10
- Identify the areas where you need to exercise self-control
Know the grace [of God] given to you
- Not to rely on worldly slogans/ways
- You must replace the things of the world with Godly things
- Otherwise you will fall back to worldly ways
- It is God’s grace that brings salvation and enables to say no to sin/yes to righteousness – Titus 2:11-12
- When tempted to sin/sinning – come to calvary to remember/find the grace of God
Know how to practice self-control
- Prov 16:32 – "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city."
- Example of benefits of self-control
- Prov 25:28 – "Whoever has no rule over his own spirit Is like a city broken down, without walls."
- Gal 5:16-18
- Walk in the spirit – love, do good, be kind, forgive
- Not trying in your own strength
- Gal 5:22-24
- We must exercise the fruit of the Spirit
- In the Spirit of God, praying for grace and wisdom
- "You sow a though and reap an action, you sow an action and reap a habit, you sow a habit and reap a character"
- We must establish good habits and develop Christ like character
- Those who are addicted need professional help
- Paul talked about self-control
- Do not be like Felix – deal with things with God speaks to us
Closing Remarks