Welcome to in Bolden, where through Bible scripture and commentary we seek a bold fate, and in doing so we share the amazing love and message of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hello, I'm Chris Shatter. I'm an ordinary Christian seeking a deeper relationship with our extraordinary God. Won't you join me?
Hi friends, are you looking for a life full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and that ever-elusive self-control? Please join me over the next few weeks as we take a look at the Bibles verse in Galatians 5, 22 to 23, so we can experience the Christian life in full bloom. During the last five years or so, I started gaining that dreaded hormonal weight. As a woman over 50, I've watched a donut grow around my waist.
Thankfully, being tall, I can frequently hide this mysterious weight gain, but I know what's there. So, of course, I decided to try and diet my belly away. I successfully lost weight through a program called NUM multiple times. Yes, after about a year of relishing my new body and saying I'm never going back the other way again, the weight crept back on.
My second stint with NUM saw the same weight loss to any eventual gain. I still constantly blame myself for failing to have enough self-control so I don't become fat grandma instead of fit grandma. And while I do recommend the NUM program, which isn't really a diet at all, but rather a healthier way of looking at food, it lacks one feature that would make it complete. God.
John Piper, in his essay, the Fierce Fruit of Self-Control, says, the Christian way of self-control is not just say no. The problem is with the word just. You don't just say no. You say no in a certain way.
You say no by faith in the superior power and pleasure of Christ. It is just as ruthless. And it may be just as painful. But the difference between worldly self-control and godly self-control is crucial.
Who will get the glory for victory? That's the issue. Will we get the glory or will Christ get the glory? If we exercise self-control by faith in Christ's superior power and pleasure, Christ will get the glory.
And I ask, how many times in your life have you sought to abstain or control a behavior that is destructive or just isn't serving you well by thinking, I just need to say no. And yet over and over you fail. Sometimes in little bits and sometimes with flair, it seems the one thing we tell ourselves over and over not to do is exactly what we find ourselves doing, but take heart. We are not alone.
Paul in Romans 7 and 15 through 20 has this famous, I do and I don't statement. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate to do.
If I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is in my sinful nature. I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
For I do not do the good I want to do. But the evil I do not want to do, this I keep on doing. Now, if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that doesn't. In no, Paul, we feel your pain.
He sounds exactly like the second type of man that C.S. Lewis describes in his essay about the three types of man, the one we looked at in the last post who has a divided mind. But thankfully, Paul does not leave us in this fretful state. He makes a right turn into Mr.
Lewis's third man. Romans 7, 24 to 25 and Romans 8, 1 through 2 continue. Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord.
And therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. A life free from sin, death and I might add shame. Sounds like a pretty good place to be, doesn't it? But how do we get there?
How do we stop being double minded, trying to put our weight on that wobbly rock and instead on the only solid rock we need? First, by declaring Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And secondly, turning our entire life over to him. You see, the third man in Mr.
Lewis's essay has done something violent. That man has fiercely killed their old self. All their time, their thoughts, their actions, emotions belong to God, which means it also belongs to them because they are his. It's a daily choice to submit their all to him.
This man, this man is joyfully obedient, not sullenly dragged to do good. Charles Stanley in his devotional God's purpose for your life says, the abundant life is a choice you make day by day to embrace God who created you to be. Becoming the masterpiece God formed you to be is a lifelong process, but it is worth it because of the beautiful, unique reflection you become of your Savior. The first time I realized the cycle of failure and not including God in seeking a better fruit-filled life was when I attempted to stop cursing.
Throughout my day, I told myself to not curse. Of course, I found myself doing it more. My thoughts were placed on the wobbly rock, my own self, and cursing was what was on my mind. It wasn't until I placed my thoughts in the Holy Spirit's hand that I finally found success.
And when in trigger situations, I turned to God even for a brief moment and asked what he want out of me right now, anger or love. Romans 8, 13 says, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if I the Spirit, you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. Friend, just as in all the other fruits of the Spirit we've lived at, biblical self-control is not the same as the world's.
The world says, try harder, and when you fail, sit in shame. God on the other hand assumes you cannot be the only member in this fight of wills. He tells us to put on our full armor, his word, salvation, peace, truth, the righteousness gifted to you, and the shield of faith. We take this armor and we call it trust.
Trusting in the only solid rock that can hold our weight and get us safely to the other side of the river. And when you see the word self-control, don't jump to all the things you've contemplated in your personal inventory and think, I can fix this. Instead, friend, drop to your knees and cry out to the Holy Spirit for help. As the two of you begin a new life and new self together, you will find your halves twos turning into get twos.
Your new self allows the light of the Lord to shine on all areas of your heart and mind. For me, I might stop thinking about cursing and turn to love and kindness and gentleness. For others, they might stop being angry and unforgiving and experience patience and peace and joy. For others, we stop obsessing over their needs, for our bodies, our hearts, and our minds, and instead ask God, what He wants of us.
In other words, we stop growing weeds and start blooming and living a full Christian life. Thank you for joining me on this journey through the fruit of the Spirit. And be sure to follow along on the blog to receive your notice about the next series.