Theme:

"Living and Enjoying 
the Fruit of the Spirit"

Day 10:

Fruit:  TEMPERANCE
                 (Self-Control)  

Day Verse:

Review of all our Memory Day Verses
this week!

 

  The first thing we think of when we hear the word TEMPERANCE is abstaining from alcohol--being able to say NO when we are offered alcohol or other drugs.  

But many more virtues are hidden in the word TEMPERANCE than refraining from those things to which we say NO!  A temperate person is one who holds all his natural appetites in check.  He constantly counts on the Lord to do His part in restraining him, but he also does his own part in refusing to do anything in excess.  God's Word reminds us that every athlete who is out to win is "temperate in ALL things" (I Corinthians 9:25).  If we desire to have a godly character, we must also be temperate.  "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).

How can we let the Holy Spirit fill and control us?  Is there any magic way that we may receive His great power?   

Neither our salvation (I Peter 1:18, 19) nor the power that the Holy Spirit exercises in us believers can be bought with money or influence.

How, then MAY we be filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit?  By recognizing the Holy Spirit's right to produce His fruit in us and honestly WANTING Him to have His way, by faithfully and hungrily reading God's Word and by talking often about the Lord Jesus in prayer.

God's Word is profitable in many things (II Timothy 3:16).  It is profitable for doctrine or teaching--letting us know God's all-knowledge, His all-power, His constant presence, His redeeming us through the precious blood of Jesus, His keeping us true to Him through through the power of the Holy Spirit, and His plan to have us live with Him in heaven throughout all ages of eternity.  God's Word is also profitable for reproof and correction--making us ashamed when we say certain words, go certain places, or do certain things.  We feel rebuked by God's Word whenever we disobey Him.  It is also profitable for training in righteous conduct--showing us how He wants us to live as Christians.  

This is why it is vitally important that we should not neglect searching the Word daily and meditating often on the Lord's marching orders for us.  Only by spiritually intelligent reading of the Bible and heeding its teachings can any of us exercise SELF-CONTROL.  Temperance, or self-control, is really God or Holy Spirit control, since we cannot, through our own up and down efforts, successfully control ourselves and be temperate as we ought.

Have you noticed, as you read God's Word, that you seldom see one fruit of the Spirit mentioned alone?  Spiritual fruit is almost always found in clusters.  We don't choose between one fruit or another, for they cannot be divided.  "For the fruit of the Spirit is in ALL goodness and righteousness, and truth" (Ephesians 5:9).

A gentle Christian is also meek and long-suffering.  He who is longsuffering will also be faithful, well disciplined, steady, not easily upset, able to "give and take."

A Christian who lacks love will find his joy all shriveled up, but if his heart is full of love, he will have joy and peace and other fruit, also.