Episode 14, Empowered through Self-Control, The Fruit of the Spirit - a podcast by Stephanie Wright

Episode 14, Empowered through Self-Control, The Fruit of the Spirit

Don't you have any self-control? No doubt you have heard someone ask that question of you or you may have even asked someone else that question. Don't you have any self-control? Well, today we are going to talk about the Fruit of the Spirit called temperance also known as self-control or discipline from Galatians 5:23. We are going to lay to rest this myth that we do not have self-control. My name is Stephanie Wright. Let's talk about being empowered through temperance.
You know, we could spend hours talking about self-control but we are going to focus mostly on one thing. As stated in the opening, we are going to destroy this notion that we do not have the power to control ourselves in whatever area we claim not to have control over. Now, setting aside a medical condition, which may prevent some of us from having control over certain aspects of our lives, for the most part, we have the ability to control what we do. Why? Because Jesus said we do. When did He say that? When He said He would send the Holy Ghost back into the earth once He ascended into heaven. He said the Holy Spirit would be our Helper, Advocate, Guide, and more. (John 14:26, Comforter is “Paraclete” in Greek and means Advocate, Helper). If you have not listened to at least the first two or three episodes in this Empowerment series, please do so to learn about foundation principles and many scriptures on the Holy Spirit and empowerment. At the end of this episode,  we will give information on how to access prior episodes.
As we have done in the past, we will look to our perfect example of temperance, Jesus. And we always emphasize that Jesus exemplified every Fruit of the Spirit not only because He was God but because He was also man. Otherwise, we would use the excuse that Jesus could exercise self-control because He was God. No, no, and no. We are filled with the same Holy Ghost that Jesus was filled with when He was baptized and driven into the desert for 40 days and nights and fasted during that time without food. He went into and came out of the desert experience filled with the Holy Spirit and He showed us what self-control was all about. The ultimate example of His self-control was the suffering He experienced before and during His crucifixion. He did not come down from the cross, He was disciplined enough that He let His love for us absorb the pain until He died on the cross but was resurrected on the third day. 
This God-man was disciplined enough that die for something He did not do. He was sinless, yet He had enough self-control to hang on the cross for about six hours. He had a lot of time to think about whether or not He wanted to be hanging there for the sins of the world when He, Himself, was sinless.
So, what about us? As we have already said, we have the same Holy Ghost that Jesus had. When we become believers and receive Christ into our lives, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38; Acts 5:32; John 15:26, all support this. Through the Holy Spirit we have the same power that Jesus had to exercise self-control, be disciplined, be temperate in all things. 1 Corinthians 9:25. And all means all and that's all that all means. I don't care if it is food, sex, lying, drugs, hatred, or whatever little secret intemperate thing we think nobody knows about. Yes, some of the things I just mentioned Christians are hung up on and in and need to be delivered from. In fact, the word temperance is defined in the Greek as “self-control (the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites).” Furthermore, before we even get to the list of the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, Paul lists the works of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21. (Go to the transcript for the rest of this Episode Description). 
  

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