Solid Steps of Christian Growth – 2 Peter 1 Temperance – Part 3

2 Peter 1 KJV 1900

1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Temperance – Part 3

Surrendering Your ‘Self’ to God’s Will and your Attitude to God’s Holy Spirit

“And to knowledge temperance” Acts 24:25 I.

Acts 24:25 KJV 1900

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Introduction to Part Three (Acts 24:25)

Acts 24:25 KJV 1900

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

A. According to Acts 24:25, the apostle Paul not only preached about righteousness, and judgment of sin, but of “temperance” - the inability of a person to control themselves when it comes to sin, and therefore their need for a new Master!

Acts 24:25 KJV 1900

25 And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

A whole new birth!

B. The Opposites of Temperance

1. Out of Control

2. Undisciplined

3. Unruly

4. Chaotic

5. Lawless

C. When it comes to a Christian’s life, Temperance is three things:

1. Control – Who is in Charge of my life?

2. Balance – Keeping things balanced

3. Grace – Handling Failures

D. Together, those three ingredients enable a believer to surrender my ‘Self’ to God’s Will and their Attitude to God’s Holy Spirit

E. It makes a person Truly Free – not to do as you please (in bondage to sin again), but to be as God designed you to be!

F. But I am going to add some other things that are the opposite of Temperance…

1. Anger – constant

2. Wrath

3. Criticalness

4. Fault-finding

5. Judgmentalism – living in an attitude of judging

6. Negative view on everything

II. Final Point - Having Grace (Hebrews 12:28)

Hebrews 12:28 KJV 1900

28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

A. What about failures in our lives?

B. God says,

1. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved” – BECAUSE we have received a whole new kingdom - a spiritual kingdom IN each of us! (New birth)

2. “Let us have grace” – because of God’s forgiveness, let us all have a lot of forgiveness

3. Only by GRACE are we able to serve God! “whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” NOT judgmentalism, nit-picking, fault-finding, criticizing

4. “For our God is a consuming fire.” God is in charge of THAT department!

C. Temperance means that:

1. As a believer, you do not ever give up on either yourself, or on others – ever! ( Phil 3:13,14)

Philippians 3:13 KJV 1900

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Philippians 3:14 KJV 1900

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

2. Temperance means that you know you are but dust (Ps 103:14) – we know everyone else is worthless, but rarely do we admit WE are dust!

Psalm 103:14 KJV 1900

14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

3. And that even at our best (so full of accomplishment and achievement and success), we are still nothing (Ps 39:5)

Psalm 39:5 KJV 1900

5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; And mine age is as nothing before thee: Verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.

D. That’s why God gives MORE GRACE, and then some more, and then still more (James 4:6) – to make up for all our failures

James 4:6 KJV 1900

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

E. So…

1. Have Grace – as if to say, “Have grace to GIVE to others…” - GIVE grace!

a. What that means is:

1) Give people lots of second chances (that’s grace!) – and third and fourth chances – even a LIFETIME of chances, both to yourselves, and to each other

2) Enjoy people – Grace has joy in it! So, it allows people to trample on you and it not destroy you

3) People are priceless! Have grace with people!

b. Grace is a major theme throughout the Bible of allowing for failure, and immaturity in people – where you learn to put up with imperfect people in one body (1Cor 12:13)

1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV 1900

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1) Put up with different people: Jews and Gentiles, Blacks, Whites, Coloured

2) Different cultures: Greek, Barbarian, Roman, Jewish, Asian

3) Different levels of maturity

a) Jesus put up with Peter’s and with Thomas’

b) Paul failed having grace with John Mark – later he had loads of grace for him

c. God has grace with us – puts up with us!

d. We are called to have grace with each other

2. Seek Grace in your life

a. Focus on learning about GRACE, not tough meats (Heb 13:9)

Hebrews 13:9 KJV 1900

9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.

b. Be soft and meek about failures – about people failing you!

c. Be soft in seeking forgiveness for your own failures – pray a lot about your failures, and talk to someone that you know will help you with grace instead of only judgment

F. A temperate Christian is not a harsh, or angry, or bitter person at all!

1. They fail, and are forgiven, and rise up again (Pr 24:16)

Proverbs 24:16 KJV 1900

16 For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: But the wicked shall fall into mischief.

2. AND, they allow others to fail, forgive them, and HELP them rise up again (Gal 6:1)

Galatians 6:1 KJV 1900

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

3. Check your heart… is it judgmental?

Always critical, fault-finding?

Then you need to ADD to your Faith TEMPERANCE / GRACE!!!

III. Conclusion - Improving Your Temperance – Developing It

A. Temperance FIRST is Yielding to the Right Authority (Rom 6:11-18; Phil 3:8) – Keep JESUS as Lord!

Romans 6:11–18 KJV 1900

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Philippians 3:8 KJV 1900

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

1. Temperance is Placing Yourself under a Stronger Master than Yourself (Luke 11:21,22)… and living by His commands, and in His fear

Luke 11:21 KJV 1900

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

Luke 11:22 KJV 1900

22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

2. Temperance in the Bible means to be 'under-control', 'restrained'. It was applied years ago to the use of alcohol (Temperance Societies), but it means that we are to grow in general restraint, because the more you know yourself, the more you realise your need of limits.

A. Secondly, God wants us Temperate / Balanced in all areas of our life – all areas in order to win a PRIZE

1. Our Time (Eph 5:15,16)

Ephesians 5:15 KJV 1900

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,

Ephesians 5:16 KJV 1900

16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

2. Our Thoughts (Phil 4:8)

Philippians 4:8 KJV 1900

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

3. Our Attitudes (Phil 3:13,14)

Philippians 3:13 KJV 1900

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Philippians 3:14 KJV 1900

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

4. Our Money – not selfish, but giving, and saving and using for God’s glory

5. Our Actions – for the Lord first, then for other, and lastly for self – that’s the right balance

3. Both Hearing AND Doing (James 1:22) – not just coming to Church, but obeying what I hear from the Bible

James 1:22 KJV 1900

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

4. Both Faith and works (James 2:17) – not just believing God, but living like He is being Good to you

James 2:17 KJV 1900

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

5. Both Bible Study and Soul-Winning – so many of you are so out of balance in this area

6. Both Work AND Worship – too many use work to excuse missing church, and have no personal worship time at home!!!

7. Have Convictions AND Grace – rock solid beliefs about what is right and wrong, and yet lots of grace for when others fall, or especially when you fall!

B. Lastly, God says, HAVE GRACE!

1. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved” –

a spiritual kingdom IN each of us! (New birth)

2. “Let us have grace” – because of God’s forgiveness, let us all have a lot of forgiveness

3. Only by GRACE are we able to serve God! “whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” NOT judgmentalism, nit-picking, fault-finding, criticizing

4. “For our God is a consuming fire.” God is in charge of THAT department!