Everything You Need, Week 5, Self Control & Perseverance

We are going to cover the next two items of scripture together this week, as we go over the “all things” God gave us pertaining to life and godliness. He promises to give us everything we need.

Let’s review the section of scripture we’ve been studying:

2 Peter 1:3–4 (NKJV)

as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:5–7 (NKJV)

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

Most of you know a little bit about Peter. When he started following Jesus, impulsive, headstrong, always arguing. But Peter met his match when he met Jesus Christ. And it was our Lord who patiently, gradually, brought Peter to a newfound maturity including self-control and perseverance. Let’s start with self-control.

Part 1- Self-Control

Let me begin this discussion about self-control by saying, first of all, it deserves priority.

I. Self-Control Deserves Priority

There's a sense in which every failure that you read about in the Bible is a failure of self-control. For instance, Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden 'cause they yielded to the devil's temptation. Cain killed his brother Abel because he couldn't master his anger. Moses had trouble controlling his temper and it kept him from the Promised Land. And during the days of the judges, the Bible says: "Everyone did what was right in their own eyes, what felt good to them". And one of the judges was a guy named Samson who was the strongest man on the earth but he couldn't control his own passion. And then there's King David whose failure was his lack of control when he saw and lusted after a beautiful woman named Bathsheba, and the nation of Israel was destroyed by Babylon after losing a sense of self-control and spiraling into rebellion and indulgence.

So, you go through the Bible and you say, "Is self-control in the Bible"? Well, the lack of it sure is 'cause almost every story where there's failure, “the failure is, somebody who knew what to do, knew what was right and couldn't control themselves to do it.

In the New Testament, self-control was one of the main implications of the gospel. Do you know this passage? Jesus said it this way: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul"? And the message the apostle stressed to new Christians in the early church, wherever you look, it's about self-control. Paul wrote to the believers who lived in Rome and this is what he said to them: "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts". self-control is not only about the things we don't do. Self-control is about the things we should do, that if we did, we would prosper greatly. Self-control involves making everyday decisions as well as long-term goals. Think of it as a trade-off. You deny yourself an immediate indulgence to accomplish a higher-lever goal that won't be realized for some time. Here's what it means. Self-control means saying "No" when you wanna say "Yes". It means saying enough when you wanna say more. It means "I won't" when you'd rather say, "I will". It's thinking before we act and controlling our appetites, our tongues, our tempers, our thoughts, our eyes. Self-control for the Christian is a make-or-break discipline. It's the difference between success and failure if you wanna live a godly life. So, that's why it deserves priority. It's not just an incidental thing. It's not just something that we should never talk about. I've already told you that if you examine the failures of the Bible they all have one thing in common: they have in common people who couldn't do what they knew to do and did what they knew they shouldn't do.

II. Self-Control Displays Maturity

There's perhaps no other quality that displays maturity like self-control. The Bible tells us that the same grace that brought you salvation can teach you to say "No" to ungodliness.

Paul visited the island of Crete, that was known for laziness and hedonism. He stayed long enough to share the gospel and start a few small churches. But he left behind Titus, to try and bring order and discipline. Paul then wrote him a letter, the book of Titus, giving him ideas and encouragement on how to tackle this.

One of the central themes of Titus is self-control. Titus 1: 5-8

Titus 1:5–8 (NKJV)

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—…For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,

Titus 2:11–14 (NKJV)

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

the whole book is bringing them to maturity and teaching self control. So, self-control deserves priority. Self-control displays maturity. And then the third thing I want you to notice is, self-control deepens your discipline.

III. Self-Control Deepens Discipline

You see, true freedom is impossible without some constraint. People love their freedom… And most people, freedom means do anything you want, anywhere you want, to whoever you want, whenever you want, no matter what happens, just be free to do whatever you want. Most of us hear that and we know there's something wrong with it as Christians. And the thing that's wrong with it is, freedom is not the absence of restraint. Freedom is more like the length of a cord from a stake. You’ve seen these cords that keep dogs from going too far when there isn’t a fence. Freedom is always the length of a cord from a given stake. In Christianity, we're free in Christ but we're not free to do whatever we want. We're free within the boundaries of godliness that are set in the Scripture. Once you get understanding of that, you'll get used to it, it just sets you so free because, you know, I don't go there. I won't be free there. I'll be enslaved if I go over this line. I wanna stay here where I'm free. Free in Christ. So, self-control deepens your discipline but there's also something to be said for a strategy of self-control.

IV. Self-Control Demands Strategy

So, here are some ideas that I wanna give you for your little notes and for your lives.

* Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help.

Number one, most important of all: ask the Holy Spirit for help. Paul said this: "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh". In other words, let the Spirit of God control you, and you won't be tempted to go outside the lines. Notice the order. The Bible doesn't say: "Don't fulfill the lust of the flesh and you will walk in the Spirit". The Bible says you have to be filled with the Spirit each day under his control and, if you do that, you will be able to say, "No," to the lusts of the flesh. Ask for the Holy Spirit's help.

* Adjust your thoughts.

Number two, adjust your thoughts. Let's go back to Simon Peter, 2 Peter 1:3 through 8 isn't the first time he mentions self-control. This was a lesson he had learned the hard way and he brought it up often in both of his letters. Back in 1 Peter chapter 1:13, he said this, "So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world". C.S. Lewis says that, "Christians often blame their sins on their body, but in most cases the body's just obeying impulses that are generated by the mind.

* Acquire new habits.

Paul understood that the godliness every Christian desires can be achieved with the right habits. Did you ever read what he said to Timothy? He said, "Timothy, exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having the promise of the life that is now and that which is to come". He's saying bodily exercise profits little. It helps you in the here and now. But spiritual exercise, the exercise toward godliness, is way better because it not only helps you now, but it helps you in the life to come. You know why I like this verse? Because that word, that phrase, is the translation of a Greek word that sounds like this: gymnasium. That's the word. He says get into the spiritual gym and get your work done. Do your bodily exercise. That's great, but don't forget while you're doing your bodily exercise to do your spiritual exercise, the exercise toward godliness.

* Avoid tight spots.

You ever pull up to a parking space and hesitate, hmmm i don’t think i’m gonna fit, move on to another one. As you change to be more self-disciplined, you're gonna study your own life and you know what's interesting to most of us is we have certain failures that happen to us routinely at the same time and the same place in the same situation. Don't go where you often find yourself defeated in your life.

*Accept the process.

What is the process? Here it is. If you mess up, don't give up. Just pick up and go back where you started, where you got off and start again. "For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again," Proverbs 24:16. Someone once told me that the Christian life is nothing more than falling down and getting up, and falling down and getting up, and falling down and getting up all the way to heaven. So, when you fall down, just get up. Get up. So let me encourage you. "Add to your faith virtue, and to your virtue knowledge. Then when you get a little knowledge, add to your knowledge self-control". And he promises us we have everything we need to be a person of self-control.

And that brings us to the next part, the word right after that, “perseverance”.

We’re gonna also translate it determination.

Part 2- Perseverance

The word "perseverance" is a really interesting word. It means to bear up under something but the word itself is the key to its understanding. The word "per" means through and the word "severe," we know what that is. So to persevere is to go through something severe, to go through something, all the way through it to the end, to per-severe.

We all have stuff we have to go through. Isn't that right? Perseverance is what God uses in our lives to turn our ordeals into opportunities. It gives us the opportunity to finish what we begin, to outlast our pain and our sorrow, to strive until we accomplish things that are difficult, and to demonstrate God's grace in the difficult seasons of life. To go through the severe. Eugene Peterson wrote: "Perseverance is not resignation, just putting up with things the way they are, staying in the same old rut year after year or being a doormat for people to wipe their feet on. Perseverance is not a desperate hanging on but a traveling from strength to strength. Perseverance is triumphant, perseverance is alive. Perseverance isn't something, 'Well, I just guess I'll get through it completely.' Perseverance is getting through it with your hands up high in victory, all the way through to the edge," amen?

Perseverance has always been a part of God's plan for our lives. He wants to teach us not to be quitters, not to be people who walk away when things get tough. It's in the process of perseverance that we build our spiritual muscles. Let me tell you some things that happen when you persevere.

I. Perseverance Produces Trust

First of all, perseverance produces trust. It teaches you to believe. Probably the best illustration of this is in the Old Testament. We all know history's best-known sufferer. His name was Job. And Job confessed at the end of his story, he said, "God, I know that you can do everything, and that no purpose of yours can be withheld from you". He learned to trust God even in the midst of a difficult time in his life and the fact that God rewarded him for his perseverance was just a little more icing on the cake. Job learned to trust God. How do we learn to trust God? Can you learn to trust God in times of prosperity? I guess you can but it's not easy. Because in times of prosperity you usually think it's because of you, right? "I'm doing so good, I'm so great. Look at all that I've done". But when you go through times of difficulty and there's nobody left to blame it on, and all of a sudden you realize that God is still with you and he's helped you, you come out of that and you know that the God you serve is a God who is worthy of your trust, amen? Perseverance produces trust.

II. Perseverance Produces Transformation

Number two: perseverance produces transformation.

Romans 5:3–4 NKJV

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

In the book of James we read these words:

James 1:2–4 NKJV

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

The Bible teaches us in these two key passages that the way that you learn perseverance is through suffering and trial and difficulty. Learn to persevere. Learn to keep going. Don't quit. When it's tough, don't give up. Because if you do, you will live to regret it and it will make it much more difficult the next time you face trouble to stay the course

III. Perseverance Has A Formula

So now let me talk to you for a moment about the formula of it. God knows we need trials to form character, just like athletes need resistance to tone their muscles. In God's pursuit of us, he will not leave us in our comfort zone where our spiritual muscles will atrophy from the lack of use. He exposes us to things that strengthen our faith. He exposes us to things that humble our hearts. He exposes us to things that refine our character. That's why Paul urged Timothy to "pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness". So how do you pursue perseverance?

*Put your problems in perspective.

The Bible tells us we're to look at our problems today in light of eternity.

Listen to what he said in 2 Corinthians 4. He said, "We do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed every day. For our light affliction," he calls our problems light affliction, "which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory". When you weigh the outcome against the cost of your perseverance, not only does perseverance become your first response, it comes to you more easily. You realize, "Yes, I'm going through some stuff right now but in light of what God has planned for me for eternity, I will be ok.”

* Just tackle today.

Put your problems in perspective and just tackle today. You don't need to accomplish your life's work in one day. God's plan is step by step and we have to take life day by day. Ask God to give you the grace for today.

*Know when to take a break.

Jesus is a good example. He took periods of rest during his mission on earth. Rest is not a lapse in perseverance. Rest is stopping to take stock, reorganize, regroup, turns your conscious mind off and enables you to refocus and see the problem from a new angle. I love what David said in Psalm 3. He said: "I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around". Despite enemies assailing him, David rested, unafraid, knowing that God was his strength and his protection.

*Refuse to quit.

Then let me just add this last thought: refuse to quit. That's what perseverance is. Don't quit. What if the theme of your life is, "I don't care what happens, I'm not quitting"? Over and over in the book of Hebrews, there's this little phrase: "Let us go on". Let us go on. Let's keep going. Let's keep doing what God has called us to do. And if we do that, we will persevere.

Hebrews 12:1–3 (NKJV)

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.