I invite you to turn with me tonight to Romans chapter 6. We'll read together verses 1-14 and also Romans 12, the first two verses. Romans 6 and a couple of verses from Romans 12. And I draw your attention to Proverbs 25, verse 28. we read these portions from Romans in connection with Proverbs 25, verse 28, which says this. The writer Solomon says, Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. Continue the reading of God's Holy Word. Romans 6, beginning at verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means. We died to sin. How can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again. Death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness. But rather, offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master because you are not under law, but under grace. And Romans 12, 1 and 2, those familiar verses. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect will. May God add His blessing to the reading and the consideration of His Word tonight. Well, beloved, in the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul makes it clear that for those who are in Christ Jesus by faith, it is not the old life as usual as it once was. It simply cannot be. Again, he says in Romans 6, verse 4, we were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. It simply cannot be the old life as usual because there has been a transformation, a transformation from death to life. There has been a radical change from unbelief to belief. And this transformation is an ongoing transformation as Paul makes clear in chapter 12. an ongoing no longer conforming to the patterns of this world and instead an ongoing renewing of your mind. More and more coming to know as we more and more come to know and understand the Word of God and what that godliness is that characterizes the child of God with which God is well pleased. Paul says in Ephesians 4 beginning at verse 22 you were taught with regard to your former way of life to put off your old self which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires to be made new in the attitude of your minds and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. An ongoing transformation. An ongoing putting off. An ongoing, a continual putting on. In our consideration of godliness and godly living thus far, we have begun to consider together what God's Word teaches regard to those godly traits, those godly virtues, which are, as we have said, God-centered. They center us on God. They acknowledge and exalt God's character and focus our hearts and our adoration on Him through those virtues of humility and contentment and thankfulness and joy. And the last time we considered this, we began to consider those traits, those virtues which are God-like, those traits which reflect God's character and focus our practice and our behavior on that which is pleasing to God, that which reflects Him. For example, holiness is the one that we have considered so far. Peter, we said, he quotes the Lord from Leviticus when the Lord says, Be holy as I am holy, for I am holy. And Peter goes on to say, Therefore, be holy in all you do. and god is our perfect pattern of holiness but we know that his perfect holiness is impossible for us because of our sin yet jesus christ has offered perfect holiness for us he has offered it on our behalf and therefore god sees us as right in his sight we are right with him he sees us as righteous and holy in his sight for the sake of jesus christ and the result is an amazing transformation so that now in Christ we are empowered, we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to desire, we didn't before, to strive for, we didn't before, to desire and strive for holiness and to practice holiness. By faith, being committed to obedience, consciously choosing to do the will of God. And we might say then that the companion of holiness, the companion of holiness by which the Holy Spirit helps us to be disciplined in holiness is self-control. Self-control is of the fruit of the Spirit. And this godly virtue of self-control, beloved, most likely, I suspect, makes each one of us a little bit uncomfortable because this virtue requires us to know ourselves and to know ourselves honestly and we do, don't we? It requires us to discipline ourselves, which is something that we don't always want to do. This virtue, I suspect, touches each one of us in some way. Probably not because we are so good at it. Probably not because we are so good at being self-controlled. but because we know we lack it with regard to something in our lives. And that's why there is an emphasis in Scripture on exercising the godly virtue of self-control. Again, it is of the fruit of the Spirit. It's in the list that Paul gives in Galatians 5, verse 23. And as well, to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1, beginning at verse 6, Paul says, For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline or self-control. Peter says in 2 Peter 1, beginning in verse 3, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, that reason being to participate in the divine nature and to escape the corruption in the world, for this very reason make every effort to add to your faith goodness and to goodness knowledge and to knowledge self-control and to self-control perseverance and to perseverance godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's an emphasis in Scripture on self-control for the child of God. To Titus, Paul says, that elders and older women and younger men, in other words, all believers are to be self-controlled. and he tells us why in titus 2 verse 12 we've considered this verse already in connection with this series paul says that we are to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age and proverbs 25 verse 28 again teaches us much about self-control by pointing out the day how dangerous a lack of it is like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control beloved to exercise self-control we must understand first of all the nature of self-control what it is now i suspect that that we all even the youngest ones among us we all have an idea of what self-control is very simply we can say that it is control of oneself but then we might say well Well, as we consider the definition of self-control, it's good for us to notice that in both the Hebrew word of Proverbs 25, verse 28, as well as in the Greek word of Galatians 5, verse 23, both words translated as self-control, both of these words rightly point to restraint, temperance, or moderation. restraint, or moderation with regard to our physical appetites, not just for food and drink boys and girls, but all of our physical appetites and desires and passions. Now, one definition of self-control says this, it is the ability to avoid excesses to stay then within reasonable bounds. Self-control is being mastered over one's own desires and impulses instead of being mastered by one's own desires and impulses. It is that inner strength that provides the will to control and regulate our desires, especially in the face of temptation. To keep those desires within proper boundaries. What boundaries? Well, the boundaries that are set by the Word of God and boundaries then that are understood by the believer's renewed mind. with sound judgment illumined by the Holy Spirit who helps us to determine the boundaries of moderation with regard to our appetites and desires and habits in a way that is pleasing to God. These boundaries, you see, beloved, help us to maintain our focus on God alone as the giver and as the one to be served. And self-control, then, is the will to stay within those boundaries. Now, we ought to understand that when it comes to self-control, there is a positive aspect of self-control that says yes to what we should do. To obedience. There are things that we know that we ought to do according to the Word of God, but sometimes we don't want to. Self-control simply helps us to say yes to what we should do. There's also a negative aspect to self-control which I suspect we are more familiar with. It teaches us to say no to what we shouldn't do because whatever it is might be sin or might be harmful or might be dangerous. But also, there's another aspect to self-control that deals with moderation that guards oneself against excess, that gives up excesses when it comes to things that we might describe as being indifferent or acceptable. Such as food and drink, eating and drinking. Such as possessions, which we are allowed to have. Such as a conversation with someone. Details of which, when they are done in excess, can become sinful. And therefore, beloved, the nature of self-control is that it acts as a defense. And that's why Solomon's illustration is an appropriate illustration. Solomon likens self-control to a wall around a city. Now, boys and girls, you know too that in the ancient times, in the Bible times that we read about, the main defense of a city was its wall. The wall was the strength of the city. The wall provided protection and security for those inside the city. At the same time, it served to keep invaders and enemies outside of the city. and as Israel found out both from the offensive and the defensive side of things if the wall was destroyed or if it was even broken through the city was incapable of being defended the enemy was let in and able to do some damage see the purpose of that proverb is this that the self-control is the believer's wall of defense that fortifies the believer's inner man that wall of defense defending and guarding his desires and appetites against temptations to sin against temptations to fall into excess against the destructive forces of evil without self-control one is like a city without walls that one is in danger of collapsing under attack in danger of being taken over in danger of being influenced by evil in danger of abandoning the path of holiness and following the sinful temptations of the heart. And beloved, that is why there is in the second place the necessity of self-control. Someone might be tempted to say, but I'm a new creature. Everything is okay. Why do I need self-control? Well, the Bible clearly teaches us about our three sworn enemies. The devil, the world, and our own flesh. We are at war against Satan, whom Peter says is prowling around seeking someone to devour. Paul talks in Ephesians 6 about the flaming arrows of the devil, those flaming arrows of temptation and evil that Satan continues to bombard us with, against which we are to defend with that shield of faith. We are at war against the devil. We are at war against the wicked world. The wicked world that seeks to cause believers, to cause you and I to give in a little bit. To let down our guard. To compromise. But you know, even more dangerously, we are at war against ourselves. Now that may seem strange to hear. We are at war against ourselves. We are at war against our own sinful desires of the old man. Indeed, we are being sanctified. But on this side of glory, we will not be perfectly holy. The battle continues within us. The desires of the old man are still tucked deep inside. No longer are we slaves to sin. But we still do battle with it as Paul makes clear. Scripture teaches us that. James says, But each one is tempted when by his own evil desire. Did you get that? When by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Peter says, I urge you to abstain from sinful desires which war against your soul. And again, Paul in Ephesians 4, verse 22 describes the desires of the old man as being deceitful. Beloved, the sinful desires are so dangerous because they still dwell in our own hearts. And they are an ally with the temptations that attack us from outside of us. Those temptations that come upon us from outside find a friend deep within us. The desires of the old man. And that's why we are called to deny ourselves. Jesus in Luke 9 verse 23 says, If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me. Deny himself. Deny his sinful passions. Deny his sinful desires. That is the task of self-control. To deny ourselves of what comes naturally to us because of sin. The task of self-control is to guard and defend against following our own sinful desires and instead to live within the boundaries that God has set, those boundaries which are pleasing to Him. The task of self-control to continually put off the deeds of the old man, to put on the characteristics of the new man. It is that for which Christ has saved us. Indeed, He has saved us from the eternal wrath of God against sin, but also that we might be new creations offering ourselves as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God. Exercising self-control. Self-control that is fortified by prayer and fortified by submission to the Word of God. As the writer of Proverbs also says in chapter 3, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. And you know the believer's confidence for exercising self-control is the very promise of God. As Paul says again in Romans 6, verse 14, For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Indeed, a matter of fact that Paul says. And we can also take it as a glorious promise. The promise that we are under God's grace. And therefore, the believer has confidence in the third place then to exercise the nurture of self-control. Where is it to be practiced? In what is it to be practiced? Well, I suspect that when we think of self-control and where we might need self-control, we often think of it with regard to food, eating, or spending, or possessions, especially this time of year. I have a feeling there's a lot of a lack of self-control with regard to all these things. I speak from personal experience in the eating part. We might also think of the necessity of self-control when it comes to lust and sexual desires. And all these things indeed are included. In Galatians 15, verse 19, just before Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit, he gives a list of the acts of the sinful nature. He says, the acts of the sinful nature are obvious. Sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery. idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. To which he responds with the fruit of the Spirit to combat those things, including self-control to combat all of those things. With that list, we see just how comprehensive and just how inclusive the need is for self-control. We find it also throughout the book of Proverbs, but especially in chapter 25. We didn't read that chapter tonight. The very first verse of that chapter makes it seem like it's just a bunch of disconnected Proverbs, some additional Proverbs of Solomon that Hezekiah's men copy down. But if you take the time to look through Proverbs chapter 25, you notice that in so many places, the writer is referring to self-control. For example, in verse 6, there is to be self-control with regard to arrogance. In verse 8, self-control with regard to accusations, to giving accusations. Verse 11, self-control is to be exercised with regard to speech. The word self-control is not used there, but you can read them for yourself and find where it fits. In verses 13 and 18, there is to be self-control when it comes to the truth. In verse 14, self-control with regard to boasting. Verse 15, with regard to patience. Verses 16 and 27, with regard to food. Verse 17, with regard to visiting. I love this one. I'm going to read this one for you. Proverbs 25, verse 17. Seldom set foot in your neighbor's house. Too much of you, and he will hate you. Self-control with regard to your presence with another. Verse 19, self-control with regard to being dependable. In other words, not being undependable. Verses 21 and 22, self-control when it comes to exercising kindness to enemies. And then verse 27, self-control with regard to self-promotion. We see how comprehensive and inclusive this is. In other words, beloved, just as Christianity is not simply one compartment of the believer's life, that we are Christians in one part of our lives, but not in other parts of our lives. Instead, Christianity is that life. The same is true with regard to the call to godliness. Self-control is to be exercised in the whole of life, in our bodies, who we are and what we do, in our minds, especially our thoughts, in our hearts, speaking specifically of our emotions. And therefore, self-control is to be nurtured with regard to our body. Now, we know that God made man to enjoy life with our senses. Many things are enjoyable with regard to our senses. Yet sin has corrupted our senses and our desires, and those things that God created good and for our use, our pleasure, become our masters, have a tendency to become our masters. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6, verse 12, Everything is permissible for me. Of course, he's talking about righteous things, good things, not sinful things. Everything is permissible for me. He goes on, but I will not be mastered by anything. i believe he also was saying that i will not indulge in excess in anything and therefore self-control is necessary against physical temptations for example of gluttony and laziness and sexual immorality and impurity first with regard to gluttony when we think of gluttony we we probably first of all think of gluttony with regard to food and drink all kinds of food and drink. Beloved, food and drink is meant for our satisfaction and our sustenance, not to make us lethargic and lazy. Proverbs warns about being in the presence of a gluttonous person. It says, don't do it. It's dangerous. And Paul in 1 Corinthians 10 verse 31 says, whether you eat or drink, do it all. How? To the glory of God. Moderation with regard of food and drink because too much food and drink or too little food and drink. Either way, it can kill a person. Or we can think about gluttony with regard to possessions. The more we have, the more we want. And it's not too long and our possessions become idols. We've got to have them. Self-control is necessary against the physical temptation of laziness. Laziness. Both physical laziness and spiritual laziness. And again, the writer Proverbs and Paul himself give a warning against idleness. If a man will not work, he will not eat. I suspect as we consider laziness for ourselves, we would probably say, well, that really doesn't fit me, at least most of us. We're not too lazy. We are hard workers. Indeed, we are called to work faithfully and honestly, but even with regard to our working, there is to be self-control. Our working is not to be to the neglect of our family and church, but it is to be for the care of family and church. And we can talk about physical exercise and spiritual exercise. Neither are to be neglected. Both are to be practiced and there is to be a healthy balance between the two. Self-control is also necessary with regard to the physical temptation of sexual immorality and impurity, which we know includes not only physical acts, but it includes impure thoughts and lustful looks and suggestive speech the Bible is clear beloved that even though there is to be moderation practice when it comes to food and drink because these things are given for our use yet the boundary God's standard for sexual self-control is absolute abstinence outside of marriage that's the boundary absolute abstinence outside of marriage. Indeed, many passages calling for self-control are found in the context of sexual immorality and impurity. But there is to be that absolute abstinence outside of marriage, even within marriage, beloved. There is so much seeking our attention away from our spouse. And thereto, the boundary is absolute abstinence against that which would draw our attention where it ought not be. And instead, beloved, that physical relationship between a husband and wife is to be for the blessing and the pleasure of one's spouse alone. And that brings glory to God. We are called to nurture self-control with regard to our body, but also we are to nurture self-control with regard to our minds. In 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5, Paul says, we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Now we know that in the context, Paul is talking there about taking the thoughts of their opponents in Corinth captive to make it obedient to Christ, but it is to be included in our personal self-control. Each one of us is called to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ. And that means not just refusing to allow sinful thoughts in, but it means focusing positively on what is good and pleasing to God as Paul has beautifully outlined that in Philippians 4, verse 8, he says, Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy. What? Think about such things. Fill your minds with such things. Why is that so important? Beloved, because our minds are the first line of defense in the battle of self-control. As one writer says, our minds are mental greenhouses where unlawful thoughts, once planted, are nurtured and watered before being transplanted into the real world of unlawful actions. Thoughts often become actions. And we know, of course, that the door to our thoughts, to our mind, is our eyes and our ears. We are called to guard and protect our eyes and our ears. Solomon speaks of guarding your heart. Paul talks about protecting and guarding, defending. And those words are very solemn words. They have a lot of meaning to them. They call for action, sincere, hard work action. Sadly, probably a lot more hard work than any one of us actually puts into it. Because so often we are so lenient and even permissive with regard to what enters our eyes and comes into our ears. But beloved, we are called to be selective with regard to what we watch and listen to. To be sober. To understand our surroundings. Young people, what's on your iPod? Or what is on your Facebook title page? What information can be read on your Facebook or another Facebook? What are the things that read? Are they details that encourage and build up and edify you and others? Or do they bring your minds to a place where they ought not be? We are to guard our eyes and our ears. Nurturing self-control with regard to our bodies and our minds, but also with our hearts. And now I'm talking specifically about our emotions, the emotions of the heart, the negative emotions of the heart. Anger, a hot temper, resentment, self-pity, bitterness. Self-control is to be exercised. You see, some of these emotions harm others, like a hot temper. Again, Scripture is clear about what a hot temper, how dangerous it is for someone who is near one who has a hot temper. Other emotions tend to destroy oneself because they are hidden deep inside, allowed to fester, and they are not dealt with according to God's prescription. Self-control is not exercised with regard to them. And what's in the heart then often translates to words. Jesus in Matthew 12 says, For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. And therefore, beloved, self-control is to be exercised when it comes to gossip, whether speaking it or receiving it. It is to be exercised with regard to slander or filthy language. Dear people of God, self-control is indispensable for the godliness expected from the child of God and for which we have been redeemed. We have been redeemed in Christ Jesus and that redemption comes with a transformation that we didn't ask for, that we didn't even want, but what a blessing to you and me. A transformation to godliness. A godliness that is to be practiced. God's people are equipped by God for self-control and all the other virtues. The psalmist says, Your word have I hid in my heart. Why? that I might not sin against you, that I might have a defense against sin. Our God Himself reveals what is pleasing and what is displeasing to Him. He reveals in His Word the boundaries for us for living before His face. And self-control is a part of our sanctification. And even as we are to be growing in sanctification by the power of the Spirit, we are to be growing in self-control. And in order to grow in self-control, it needs to be exercised. It ought to be exercised because sinful tendencies are not sin, but failing to exercise self-control against them is sin. To say, well, with regard to something, well, I can't help it. I can't help myself. It's just the way I am. It's no excuse. And worse, really, it is to say I'm not a new man in Christ. Or I'm not a new woman in Christ. Instead, beloved, the child of God exercises self-control not from a fear of penalty for sin because our penalty is already gone. It's already been taken from us. But the child of God exercises self-control from delight that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. The child of God exercises self-control with a desire to honor and serve God with my entire being as a living sacrifice. And the child of God exercises self-control depending completely on the power of the Holy Spirit to equip me with the self-control wall of defense so that whatever I do, I might do it all to the glory of God. Dear people of God, we have been redeemed from sin and shame through Jesus Christ. He is our one and only Master for whom we are called to exercise self-control. by which the Holy Spirit helps us to conform more and more to the image of Jesus Christ. Amen. Let's pray together. Our great God and Heavenly Father, we praise Your most holy name because what You require of us, what You call forth from us, You have provided to us through Your Son and in us by Your Holy Spirit. And we pray, Lord, that especially when it comes to self-control of our desires and passions, that You would strengthen us. That You would increase that self-control. That indeed we might present ourselves more and more as living sacrifices holy and acceptable to You. We thank You for accepting on our behalf the saving sacrifice of Jesus Christ and therefore in Him also receiving our praise and our thanksgiving and our lives of godliness. Father, help us to always desire and only desire to do that which is pleasing to You in our thoughts, in our words, in our actions. In Jesus' name we pray these things. Amen. Thank you.