The Need Of Self-Discipline
I.
INTRODUCTION:
II.
DISCUSSION:
A.
BE TEMPERATE
--
I
Corinthians 9:25
= “…And
every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all
things. …”
1.
Temperate:
a.
The Greek word for temperate is Egkrateuomai pronunced
(eng-krat-yoo'-om-ahee); Meaning
to exercise self-restraint (in diet and chastity).
b.
Webster’s Dictionary defines temperate as being
in self-control of one’s passions and appetites.
2.
The runner was to be temperate in preparation for the
approaching games:
a.
Ten months he submitted to rules of the trainer.
b.
There was the constant exercising of his arms and legs.
c.
There was strict control
what he ate and drank; as well as getting the right
amount of sleep.
d.
This was readily done in an effort to achieve a “corruptible
crown”.
3.
The child of God must be temperate also in submitting
to the rules of the trainer:
Matthew
16:24 =
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If
any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow me.”
Colossians
3:5-11 =
“Mortify therefore your members which are
upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection,
evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh
on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off
the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge
after the image of him that created him:
Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision
nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but
Christ is all, and in all.”
Galatians
5:24 =
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified
the flesh with the affections and lusts.”
Comment: This we should gladly
do in view of the fact that we are striving for an “incorruptible
crown”.
a.
Being temperate or in self-control but the all the
way and not half
way.
Matthew
6:24 =
“No man can serve two masters: for either
he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will
hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God
and mammon.”
Revelation
3:15-16 =
“I know thy works, that thou art neither
cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold
nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
(1)
The athlete who exercised self-control in eating, but
not in drinking failed in the race.
(2)
The Christian needs to exercise self-control in “all
things”.
I
Corinthians 9:25
= “And
every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all
things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but
we an incorruptible”
b.
Self-control must be continuous:
(1)
One day’s debauchery was enough to destroy weeks
of training.
(2)
One lapse into ungodliness will undo years of training
in Christian living.
B.
BE DECIDED:
I
Corinthians 9:26
= “I
therefore so run, not as uncertainly; …”
Comment:
The runner who enters the race undecided as to
the direction he is going never wins.
Progress is slow until the hour of decision, then we
fly like an arrow to its mark.
Remember what Paul said:
Philippians
3:14 = “I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus.”
As runners in the race toward the crown of life we
need:
1.
Freedom of action.
2.
Patience in well doing.
3.
Singleness of purpose.
Note:
This basically the content of what Paul wrote in
Hebrews
10:1-2 =
“For the law having a shadow of good things
to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with
those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually
make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because
that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience
of sins.”
Revelation
2:10 =
“Fear none of those things which thou shalt
suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison,
that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days:
be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown
of life.”
C.
BE EFFECTIVE:
I
Corinthians 9:26-27
= “… So
fight I, not as
one that beateth the air. But I keep under my body,
and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway.”
1.
The apostle Paul in fighting the good fight of faith
made his blows count, he did not waste his energy
-- “Not
as one that beateth the air”.
2.
Some fight an imaginary foe, that is they put on a
sham-fight, not the real thing.
Matthew
23:5-7 =
“But all their works they do for to be seen
of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the
borders of their garments,
And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief
seats in the synagogues,
And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men,
Rabbi, Rabbi.”
Comment:
The enemy the Christian faces is real and is very
skillful. If
we are in earnest as we fight we will lose.
3.
Some fight human beings
- but
flesh and blood are not our real enemy.
Ephesians
6:12 =
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers
of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness
in high places.”
4.
Some fight the enemy in other people, when the real
enemy is in ourselves.
Luke
6:41-42 =
“And why beholdest thou the mote that is
in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is
in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull
out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest
not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast
out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou
see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's
eye.”
5.
Paul fought himself first.
a.
In bringing every thought and evil inclination into
subjection.
b.
Self is the worse enemy that mankind faces.
c.
When we fight any other enemy we are as Paul writes
“beating the air” or fighting a sham-battle.
d.
Unless we control self, we will be rejected.
e.
When we have conquered self, we are then better equipped
to carry the battle to other fields of conflict.
f.
As Paul wrote:
(ASV) “But
I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage:
lest by any means, after that I have preached to others,
I myself should be rejected.” = I
Corinthians 9:27
III.
CONCLUSION:
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