Mastering Self-Control in Faith
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ScribdTranslationsSELF-DOMAIN
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial: all things are lawful for me, but I do not
I will not be under the authority of anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of self-control.
1 Timothy 1:7
For sin will not have dominion over you; for you are not under the law, but under grace.
What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? In no way.
way. Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obey, you are
servants of the one you obey, either of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
But thanks be to God, that although you were slaves of sin, you have obeyed from the heart to that
form of doctrine to which you are delivered; and having been freed from sin, you become servants of
justice. (Romans 6:14-18)
Christians need to realize how important it is for us to
let us conform to divine principles. Self-control means that we
we move away from sin and do only what is right. The
A disciplined person knows and understands the law of God and does nothing.
that is outside of its limits.
OWN DOMAIN is:
Knowing how to say no to something that dominates us.
Exerting will over emotions.
Mastering one's natural character.
Hold the tongue to not say whatever comes to mind.
Ser controlado por el Espíritu Santo y no por la carne.
An inner force that controls our passions and desires.
Control over decision-making.
THE OPPOSITE OF SELF-CONTROL WOULD BE:
Never being able to say NO to bad habits.
Disorder in emotional life, letting myself be carried away by my feelings.
Uncontrollable character.
Say everything that comes to my mind without thinking.
Weakness in front of others who dominate or persuade.
To fall into the temptation of excesses.
Impulsiveness to make decisions.
I. IT IS NECESSARY TO EXERCISE SELF-CONTROL IN:
The thoughts:
Criticism, gossip, judgments. We are so accustomed to criticizing others that we don't even realize that it
we do. Our thoughts are very quick and they need to be anchored and redirected; what it says:
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report; if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, in
this think.
2. The way of speaking:
James 3:7-10 "For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea,
it is home and it is tamed by human nature: But no man can tame the tongue, which is
a harmful thing that cannot be restrained; filled with deadly poison. With it, we bless the God and Father, and
with it we curse men, who are made in the likeness of God. From the same
From the mouth come blessings and curses. My brothers, it is not fitting that these things should be done this way.
Does our language adhere to our will? Suddenly, words that are not very...
building. We always talk about what is true or we have bad habits of:
Exaggerate a little – to increase the truth slightly so that it sounds more important or urgent.
Talking about others who are not present.
Draw conclusions and make judgments about the actions of others.
3. The way of eating:
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are beneficial: all things are lawful for me, but I will not.
I will place myself under the authority of nothing. Food for the belly, and the belly for food;
but to him and to them God will destroy. But the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the
Lord for the body: (1 Corinthians 6:12-13)
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have
of God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought at a price: therefore glorify God in your body
body and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Have we realized that when we are given a diet for an illness, and certain foods are prohibited, ...
foods, is it hard for us to obey?
When we like a food, we can't resist a second helping, even though the stomach has indicated that
Is it enough?
4. In the use of money:
Do we spend more than we have?
Do our desires have to do with having more money?
Do we have control over money or does it control us?
Are we in debt because we couldn't say No to a temptation?
5. In time:
Can we go to bed at a time that is convenient for our health, or do we always find something else?
What to do?
Do we leave until the last minute to fulfill a duty – a study – a commitment?
Can we discipline ourselves to get up at a time in the morning that allows us to have time?
with God?
How much time do we give the Lord to read and pray?
The order and control of the whole day may depend on this good habit.
6. About our body:
Do we have good exercise habits for the body or are we dominated by laziness and ease?
short walks or according to our physical ability.
Do we know when we need to rest – and give ourselves the time – or do we keep demanding from our bodies?
until we fall from exhaustion (and complaining to others, playing the victim).
No one forces us to waste our body, we are the only ones responsible.
7. Regarding decisions:
Do we usually share all our problems and receive advice from many?
We can say no in love to the people who want to abuse our time and strength, demanding
a service that the Lord did not ask of us.
Weakness under pressure is not good.
Feelings sometimes betray us.
II. WHO CAN HELP US WITH ALL OF THIS? WHERE WILL THE DOMAIN COME FROM?
OWN?
There are two very important elements that I would like to emphasize this evening.
They are mentioned in Ephesians 6:14.
The Belt of Truth
Pablo said: 'Therefore, stand firm, girded your loins with truth.'
He had in mind a Roman soldier prepared for battle. If a Roman soldier entered the
battle without the belt, her clothes floated freely around her. In a hand-to-hand combat, a tunic
without being restrained could interfere with the soldier's movements and be the cause of his death. That made him
also vulnerable to an enemy soldier catching him by his clothes and knocking him down. To prevent this from
this happened the Roman soldier wore a belt to keep his clothing well secured around
his body. Pablo called this the belt of truth.
He associated it with a sincere and firm commitment to self-discipline. We must be serious about
of our preparation to enter the spiritual battle. That battle is not a trivial matter. We must
to commit ourselves to walk the narrow path that God invites us to walk. That is not easy;
there are small voices along the way that invite us to stray. If we love pleasure more than
as we love God, we will stray from the path of self-control to which God calls us and
we will fall into sin.
2. The breastplate of righteousness
The Roman soldier also wore a breastplate over his chest to protect his organs.
vitales were vulnerable to arrows and daggers. Paul called this the breastplate of righteousness (or
sanctity.
We must live in justice – obey the laws of God – or we will be vulnerable in the battle.
In 2 Corinthians 7:1 Paul says: "Therefore, beloved, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from
all filth of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
It is sad to see undisciplined Christians.
They know they have to be obedient, but they do not feel committed to the commandments.
from God. A pure life and self-control comes as a result of being saturated with the Word.
of God.
The psalmist said: 'I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you' (Ps. 119:11).
Colossians 3:16 says that "the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly." The Word of God
It is the source of discipline and we must faithfully dedicate ourselves to knowing it.
Do not give in to the clamor of the world that tells you: 'Come here and enjoy life.' If you occupy yourself with
dirty movies and sinful activities, has not fully committed to the way of living
to whom God calls. I have repeatedly heard the reasoning that Christians make for
justify questionable activities, but none of them impress me. We should not get into
to swim in the gray areas. Pablo tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think about the things that are
good, not in those that don't seem bad.