Self-Control Is Saying No To Our Appetites

The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – SELF-CONTROL #2

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things.” [Galatians 5:22-23 NLT]

The Gold Calf

In Exodus 32:19-28 NLT says, “19 When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and he burned with anger. He threw the stone tablets to the ground, smashing them at the foot of the mountain. 20 He took the calf they had made and burned it. Then he ground it into powder, threw it into the water, and forced the people to drink it. 21 Finally, he turned to Aaron and demanded, “What did these people do to you to make you bring such terrible sin upon them?”
22 “Don’t get so upset, my lord,” Aaron replied. “You yourself know how evil these people are. 23 They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.’ 24 So I told them, ‘Whoever has gold jewelry, take it off.’ When they brought it to me, I simply threw it into the fire – and out came this calf!” 25 Moses saw that Aaron had let the people get completely out of control, much to the amusement of their enemies. 26 So he stood at the entrance to the camp and shouted, “All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come here and join me.” And all the Levites gathered around him. 27 Moses told them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Each of you, take your swords and go back and forth from one end of the camp to the other. Kill everyone – even your brothers, friends, and neighbors.” 28 The Levites obeyed Moses’ command, and about 3,000 people died that day.”

In Exodus 32:19-21 describe Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands – In destroying these it appears that Moses may have been hoping to nullify the covenant and thus avoid its curses. Even though God had decided against annihilating Israel, it did not mean that there would be no punitive action taken. Aaron is chided for his part in the apostasy, but his priesthood remained intact.

In Verses 32:26-28 describe Moses . . . said, Who is on the LORD’S SIDE? – Moses calls for those who have not deserted God (Cole). Moses’ own tribe, the Levites, had stayed true to God and are called upon to execute the image worshipers, and three thousand are cut down (Exodus 32:28). Since God sent a plague after this for additional judgment (Exodus 32:35) it would appear that the action of the Levites was directed against the ringleaders of the rebellion and the plague would have afflicted all the participants. The fidelity of the Levites won them a special place in the service of God in the tabernacle (Exodus 32:39).

Moses sees that saying no to sin is the only cure for idolatry. Self-control can save the Israelites from their spiral into sin. If everyone were to obey every demand of every appetite, the world would be left in the charge of gluttons, rapists, murderers, and warlords. To follow our Lord Jesus Christ is to say no to our appetites, take up our cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23)

Israel Failure To Learn

In Amos 4:1-2 NLT says, “1  Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, “Bring us another drink!” 2  The Sovereign Lord has sworn this by His holiness: “The time will come when you will be led away with hooks in your noses. Every last one of you will be dragged away like a fish on a hook!

In Verse 1 describes fat cattle such as those found in the rich pastures of Bashan. The rich pasturelands of Bashan were located east of the Jordan, between Hermon and Gilead. This area was famous for its fat and healthy cattle (Deuteronomy 32:14; Psalm 22:12; Ezekiel 39:18). The prophet’s earlier tirades were directed against the men of the ruling classes, the elite. He now speaks against the wives of these men, likening them to fat cows. These ladies were apparently given to excessive drinking. They were guilty of complicity in their husbands’ crimes of ill-gotten gain because they enjoyed the material benefits of the sin (Craigie). These women craved luxury goods, thus motivating their husbands’ misdeeds (McComiskey).

In Verse 2 describes the Lord GOD . . . by His holiness – God Himself swore, or took an oath, not in the name of some other power or authority but by His own holiness to act and to deal with this corrupt people (Honeycutt). The Lord cannot endure sin and must punish the guilty because of His perfect holiness (Psalm 89:35). With Hooks – Just as fish were taken from the water by hooks, the Assyrians led off prisoners (often a captured king) by a rope that was connected to a hook or ring in their nose (McKeating). Similar language is used elsewhere to describe the treatment of the Israelites and Judeans by their enemies (2 Kings 19:28; Jeremiah 16:16; Ezekiel 29:4; Habakkuk 1:15).

Living By The Holy Spirit’s Power

In Galatians 5:16-21 NLT says, “16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses. 19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God”.

In Verse 16 describes that the word so ties in with Verses 13-15. The strategy for removing the divisiveness that marred the Galatian church was to live according to the new life given to them by the Holy Spirit. God sent the Holy Spirit to be with and within His followers after our Lord Jesus Christ had returned to heaven (see John 14–16).

The phrase conveys the meaning of the literal translation “by the Holy Spirit keep on walking.” Walking means “living” in this context, and it emphasizes the moment-by-moment contact with and guidance by the Holy Spirit for daily decisions and activities. Living “according to the Spirit” should be a daily, continuous action by Born-Again Christians. He is always present, but we must be in touch with Him and stay open to His guidance and correction.

The result? You won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. When we become Born-Again Christian believers, our sinful nature still exists. But God asks us to place our sinful nature under the control of the Holy Spirit so that He can transform it. This is a supernatural process. We must never underestimate the power of our sinful nature, and we must never attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have a limitless ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin by our own willpower, we must take advantage of the tremendous power of our Lord Jesus Christ. God provides for victory over our sinful nature – He sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and give us power. But our ability to restrain the desires of the sinful nature depends on how much we’re willing to “live according to” the Holy Spirit. For each believer, this daily process requires moment-by-moment decisions.

In Verse 17 describes that while we as Born-Again Christian believers live in this world, we face constant tension between our old sinful nature and what the Holy Spirit wants. We must not infer from Paul’s words that our personality has two selves, nor that we have two equal and opposite forces struggling to gain control. In our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit, we have a victorious new resurrection life. The Holy Spirit in us guarantees our future total redemption and change. Though we have new life in our Lord Jesus Christ, we still have a mind and body prone to rebel and enticed by sinful desires. We must resist those desires.

We often experience resistance when we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. Satan serves as a persistent teacher of rebellion, and humanity has had centuries of practice. Whatever path we choose, we will hear the whispers of opposition – our choices are never free from this conflict. Whenever we set out to do what the Holy Spirit instructs, we can expect our sinful nature to flare up in opposition. When we decide to share the Gospel, our sinful human nature will make us feel foolish. When we decide to commit ourselves to some service, evil desires hinder us, trying to thwart the leading of the Spirit. Conversely, each time we follow our sinful human nature, we will receive (through our consciences, God’s word, or even other believers) reminders not to follow those sinful desires. True believers realize the deadly power of sin. No longer their master, sin now attacks like a powerful enemy. These two forces within are constantly fighting each other. Sinful desires still pop up, like guerrilla forces, attacking us when we least expect it.

In Verse 18 describes freedom from the law does not imply freedom to do whatever we please (Galatians 5:13). Neither do we live in the Holy Spirit in some sort of “middle ground.” Instead, we live on another plane altogether – we have truth as opposed to falsehood; we have grace as opposed to works; we act out of love as opposed to being subject to the law; we are supervised by the Holy Spirit as opposed to being supervised by the law.

In Verses 19-21 describe Paul contrasted the desires of the sinful nature and the works of the Holy Spirit-filled life in Galatians 5:19-21 and Galatians 5:22-23. Paul’s list of sins falls into four categories. These particular sins were especially prevalent in the pagan world, and the Galatians would have readily understood them. With few exceptions, we recognize these sins as present in our own time as well.
In the first category three sexual sins are mentioned:

1. Sexual immorality – Any form of illicit sexual relationship. The term serves to spotlight forbidden sexual behavior between people or indirect participation as an audience.
2. Impure thoughts – Moral uncleanness. Perhaps no sexual act has taken place, but the person exhibits a crudeness or insensitivity in sexual matters that offends others. An example today would be the excessive use of sexual humor (or what is supposed to be humor) where people make statements with a sexual double meaning.
3. Eagerness for lustful pleasure – Open and excessive indulgence in sexual sins. The person has no sense of shame or restraint. This is the outworking of sexual immorality and impurity.
   The next two sins are religious sins particular to pagan culture:
4. Idolatry – Worship of pagan idols. A person creates substitutes for God and then treats them as if they were God. This person is giving in to sinful human desires.
5. Participation in demonic activities – involvement with the powers of evil, at times using potions and poisons. With idolatry, a person acts in a submissive role in relation to evil; with demonic activity, the person is an active agent who serves the powers of evil.
   The next eight sins pertain to conduct toward people (interpersonal relations) that has been motivated by sinful desires. It’s sad to note, but many of these social sins are often seen in our churches today:
6. Hostility – A condition of fixed enmity between groups. This may be real, unresolved conflict whose cause has been forgotten but which has yielded a harvest of bitterness.
7. Quarreling – Competition, rivalry, bitter conflict – the seeds and the natural fruit of hatred.
8. Jealousy – A feeling of resentment that someone else has what another feels he or she deserves.
9. Outbursts of anger – Selfish anger. The plural form conveys the meaning of continual and uncontrolled behavior.
10. Selfish ambition – The approach to life and work that tries to get ahead at other people’s expense. Not only might this refer to what we call “workaholism,” it also implies a mercenary, aggressive attitude toward others in the pursuit of one’s goals.
11. Divisions – Strong disagreements or quarrels. The situation that can quickly develop between people when a disagreeable attitude prevails.
12. The feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group – Dissension created among people because of divisions. This describes the tendency to look for allies in conflict. The almost spontaneous generation of cliques demonstrates this characteristic of sinful human desires.
13. Envy – A desire to possess something awarded to or achieved by another. Or even the twisted logic that cries “Unfair!” about another’s circumstances and expresses the wish, “If I can’t have that, they shouldn’t get it either!”
    Finally Paul lists two sins, common to pagan cultures, that are often connected with the rituals of idol worship:
14. Drunkenness – Excessive use of wine and strong drink.
15. Wild parties – Drunken, carousing “parties,” often filled with sexual promiscuity, were associated with festivals of some pagan gods. The feasts in honor of Bacchus were particularly infamous for their immorality.
16. And other kinds of sin – Paul added an “etc.” to show that the list was by no means complete.
    Anyone living that sort of life refers to the lifestyle of people who habitually exhibit these characteristics. This does not mean that believers who lapse into any of these sins will lose their salvation and their inheritance. But people who habitually exhibit these characteristics reveal themselves to be enslaved to sinful human nature. They are not children of God; thus, they cannot have any part in the inheritance in the Kingdom of God. People who have accepted Christ and have the Holy Spirit within them will manifest that new life by making a clean break with such sins as listed above.

Avoiding Sexual Sin

In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 NLT says, “12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything” – but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by His power, just as He raised our Lord from the dead.
15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.” 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him. 18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

In Verse 12 describes that the phrase “I am allowed to do anything,” appears to have been a catchphrase, as it appears twice in this verse and twice again in 1 Corinthians 10:23. Apparently, the Christians in Corinth had been using this phrase as a license to live any way they pleased. Perhaps Paul had used the statement when he preached to them about their freedom in our Lord Jesus Christ, but they had wrongly interpreted it. Paul never meant disregarding basic Christian morality and ethics. Some Christians in Corinth apparently were using this to excuse their sins, saying our Lord Jesus Christ had taken away all sin, so they had complete freedom to live as they pleased; or what they were doing was not strictly forbidden by Scripture.

Paul answered both of these excuses. While our Lord Jesus Christ has taken away sin, this does not mean everything a person might do would be good. While some actions may not be specifically forbidden in Scripture, Born-Again Christian believers should know that these actions and their results would not be beneficial to themselves or to the church. Believers should be using their Christian freedom to share the Gospel and show love for others instead of looking for ways to gratify themselves. In addition, while some actions are not sinful in themselves, they are not appropriate because they can control believers’ lives and lead them away from God. Believers should not do these actions because they do not want to become enslaved to anything.

Freedom is a mark of the Christian faith – freedom from sin and guilt, and freedom to use and enjoy all things that come from God. But Christians should not abuse this freedom and hurt themselves or others. Many people have misinterpreted the phrase today to mean, “I will not be mastered by any rule of ethics, law, or Bible principle,” rather than, “I will not be mastered by any besetting sin.” Christians who have been in the church for many years can easily excuse sins such as gossip, bitterness, an unforgiving spirit, lust, or withholding money from God’s work. We must be on alert for those desires that can master us. What God has allowed His children to enjoy must not grow into a bad habit that controls them. For more about Christian freedom and everyday behavior, read 1 Corinthians chapter 8.

In Verse 13 describes another saying, “Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food”, had apparently been used as an illustration to explain the Corinthians’ warped understanding of Christian freedom. They seemed to believe that because the physical activity of eating and digesting food had no effect on one’s Christian life, neither would other merely physical activities – such as sexual sin.

Paul stated that it was true that what one eats does not affect the spiritual life. In fact, so transitory is this physical realm that one day God will do away with both stomachs and food. However, he also stated that one could not compare eating to sexual activity. Humans are a combination of material and spiritual. Just as the spirit affects the body, so too the physical body affects the spirit. People cannot commit sin with their bodies without damaging their souls because their bodies and souls are inseparably joined. While the stomach was made for food, people’s bodies were not made for sexual immorality. Stomachs and food will pass away, but believers’ bodies will be transformed and glorified.

The Greek word for “body” used here refers to the whole being and personality, not to the worldly flesh. These bodies were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. Christianity takes very seriously the realm of the physical. God created a physical world and pronounced it good. He promises a new earth where real people have transformed physical lives. At the heart of Christianity is the story of God Himself taking on flesh and blood and coming to live with people, offering both physical healing and spiritual restoration.

In Verses 19-20 describe the words your body in this verse refer not to the corporate “body of Christ,” but to each believer’s individual, physical body. Each believer should view his or her body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, who was living in them. Our Lord Jesus Christ died to pay the high price that purchased sinful people’s freedom (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19). His blood provided the sacrifice that made believers acceptable to God. Because of our Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit came to indwell those who believed in Him – He took up residence in their bodies. This Holy Spirit had come into them when they had believed. Born-Again Christian believers, therefore, do not belong to themselves. God bought them, so they must honor God with their bodies. They must “honor God” by showing their gratefulness for our Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice by their worship, obedience, and service (see Romans 12:1-2).

In Leviticus 11:44 NLT says,“For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. So do not defile yourselves with any of these small animals that scurry along the ground.”

But what is God really trying to accomplish with these kosher taboos of Leviticus? Is God trying to restrict His people to a killjoy life in which they will always be on the lookout for sin and never really enjoy a single day of positive living? Of course not. Every taboo that God asks us to honor is given for own sake and for the sake of the kingdom of God. Take the Ten Commandments: Are they intended to regiment and restrict our freedom? It is not their constraint that is so important. At the center of every you shall not is a glorious liberty – not a coercion. what kind of world would we have if everybody went around lying, stealing, murdering, and committing adultery at will? It is only when we honor these constrictions that we become truly free – and the world along with us.

In this Election 2020, then, tried and cleansed, we have moved freely into a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that is more powerful than it was before our trials. We are at home in the presence and fellowship of God, for we are heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ, more like Him that we could ever have dreamed possible. So, let’s continuously and persistently pray for this Election 2020, that may God’s perfect will be done. Amen!

Prayer is the key that unlocks and reveals faith. Effective prayer needs both an attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Prayer demonstrates complete reliance on God. Thus, there is no substitute for prayer, especially in situations that seem impossible. Often the disciples would face difficult situations that could be resolved only through prayer. Their humiliation made this a painful lesson to learn.

Our Lord Jesus Christ said that prayer and devotion to God are the real evidences of a robust inner faith. Self-control is the first step of spiritual discipline. We must practice and prepare ourselves for the coming battles. If we cannot control our appetites, we can hardly be expected to enter into spiritual combat that tries even the souls of those who pray and fast.

So, in this Election 2020, let our hearts and minds in tune with God, in the power of God, the Holy Spirit. Let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. Amen!

So our worship centers on our self-control. But then so does our entire world of relationships. Our self-control finds the energy to be consistent in its driving desire to bring pleasure to our Heavenly Father.  

The principle is that no one has anything of value to bring to God in order to deserve salvation, mercy, justification, or even a second glance from God. The proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored. Acceptance before God cannot be achieved by good deeds, piety, or any amount of self-proclaimed righteousness.

Let’s never get over the effect of God’s saving transformation on people’s lives. People who were lost in sin, filled with anger and bitterness, give up their hatred and become approachable as we have studied and learned last time. That is, of course, why we minister to others. Those of us who minister are not people to whom gentleness and self-control comes naturally. We are people who have been remodeled by grace. We thankfully leave our old natures far behind as we embrace gentleness and self-control and in our treatment of others.

Sunday by Sunday as we come to worship, we may have confidence that the Bible is true. In the book of John, John and the other witnesses have certified it. May we be as gentle in our ministry of certainty as John is in his reporting it.

Let me encourage our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and I want my readers and listeners to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others’ needs. Because all, we as Born-Again Christian believers are strong in certain areas and weak in others, we constantly need to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

In these SELF-CONTROL Series of Podcast, we will learn the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

1. Learned and knew the Path of Coming to Maturity – Podcast Self-Control #1
2. Learn To Say No To Our Appetites – Podcast Self-Control #2
3. To Receive Freedom From Permissiveness – Podcast Self-Control #3
4. To Manage Our Moods – Podcast Self-Control #4
5. To Have A Discipline Life and Mark of Obedience – Podcast Self-Control #5

Three (3) Questions we can answer from these Sources: The Bible and Guidance of the Holy Spirit

Observation: What do these passages say to you?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean to you?

Application: How do the meaning of these passages apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer, please take a look of one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Suggested Prayer: Father God, we come into your presence in our Lord Jesus Christ name, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Your agape love and forgiveness you have done on the Cross of Calvary, and continue to intercede for us in prayer. Thank you Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage and strength. We cling, yield, plug-in and tune-in to you Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Words, obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in our Lord Jesus Christ name, Amen!

God bless you all and our families!

In Malachi 3:10-12 AMPC says, “10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it”, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [Malachi 2:2.] 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruits before the time in the field,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight”, says the Lord of hosts.

If the people would obey God, giving as they should, God would flood His people with blessings. There would be an overabundance of God’s blessing if He was given what He requested.