Temperance

    The second epistle of Peter is certainly a deeply moving letter. Written with an awareness that his death was near (2 Peter 1:14). It was also written with a warning that false teachers would seek to lead them astray (2 Peter 2:1-2). It was written with the hope that they would be mindful of the commandments given to them by the apostles of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:1-2). The final command this aged apostle leaves his readers is a charge to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). We are not left to wonder what Peter had in mind, for in 2 Peter 1:5-8 we learn with it means to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is the development of eight graces. In these graces according to verse eight, we must abound. Only then can it be said that we are “growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

    This growth process involves much more than simply increasing our “intellectual” knowledge of Jesus which Paul also teaches that we should do in Ephesians 3:4; 5:17. Here Peter is talking about growing in a fuller knowledge of our Savior which comes by developing the “Christ-like” attributes listed in this passage.“But we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”(2 Corinthians 3:18) The more we grow in these “graces”, the more we come to really “know” Jesus. Consider 1 John 2:3-5.

    Of these eight graces, “Temperance” i.e. (self-control; self-discipline) plays an important part. After all, what good is it to grow in knowledge of good and evil if we do not have the ability to make the proper use or application of such knowledge (James 1:22-25)?

Exactly What Is Temperance & How Is It Added To Our Lives?

    The Greek word for temperance is enkrateia and comes from the word kratos, meaning “strength” as defined by various scholars: “One holding himself in” (Robertson) ; “The virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites” (Thayer); “Where this virtue subsists (abides), temptation can have little influence” (McKnight). As found in the New Testament, i.e., Acts 24:25, “The word follows ‘righteousness’, which represents God’s claims, self-control being man’s response thereto” (W. E.Vine). Paul, in Galatians 5:23, explains that it is an element of that fruit born by one who is walking by the Spirit. Also explained by Paul, it is a requirement of one who would serve as an elder in a local congregation of Christians (Titus 1:8). Temperance therefore is the discipline of one’s self so as to live in harmony with the knowledge of right and wrong that one has. The importance of which is seen as we consider the demand that is placed upon the one who desires to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. A requirement of Christ to one who would please Him is to: “deny self” (Luke 9:23).

Temperance is an important element of what God’s grace teaches us (Titus 2:11-12). One cannot be a faithful follower (disciple) of Jesus Christ without exercising temperance. Paul realized the need to keep his body under control as stated in 1 Corinthians 9:27 and Peter’s condemnation of false teachers included their becoming enslaved again due to a lack of “TEMPERANCE” to the corruption that is in the world (2 Peter 2:19-22).

    The problem with developing this grace is seen throughout the Scriptures. The wise man wrote: “It is easier to take (capture) a city than to control the spirit” (Proverbs 16:32). The misuse of the tongue is just one example of how hard self-control can be (James 1:26-27; 3:2-10).

 

A Battle We Must Fight Daily. A Battle We Must Win With His Help

    There’s a constant battle between the flesh and spirit going on within each of us who would attempt to please Christ, a battle we must “win” with His help if heaven is to be our home for “of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage” (2 Peter 2:19b; Romans 6:16; Galatians 5:16-17). I said above, “a battle we must win with His help” and that’s exactly so! We, like Paul should be of the mind, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13) Apart from Him we can do nothing worthwhile (John 15:5; Ephesians 3:20-21).

    There is a war we must wage between the flesh and the spirit. “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11) We are often like Jesus said of Peter who slept along with the other apostles as Jesus poured out His heart to the heavenly Father in anticipation of His betrayal and crucifixion, “What, could you not watch with Me for one hour? Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41-42).

However There Is Hope!

    Realizing that apart from perfect law keeping he could not please God for he found himself under the law condemned by the very law he tried so hard to keep, often doing what he should not as well as not doing what he should, Romans 7:15-23 being in spiritual bondage by his own body and because he could not totally control self, self controlled him, Paul said, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He answered his own question thus: I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord...” (Romans 7:24-25). I’m convinced that Paul was writing about his spiritual condition prior to being converted as may be seen from v-25 where he gave thanks to the Lord for being delivered as just noted. The entire previous chapter six was written to Christians admonished them “not to continue in sin that grace may abound!” (Romans 6:1-23).

The Problem of Sin Is Real-So Is The God Provided Solution!

    We, if indeed we have obeyed “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), like Paul may say “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”(Galatians 2:20). “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24).

    Due to a genuine faith in Christ and the gospel, we must become dead to the intent to practice sin through repentance, then the “old man of sin” must be “buried into the death of Christ by immersion in water and raised to walk in a “newness of life” (Romans 6:3-6; Colossians 2:10-13). Paul says it is then that we are “free from the dominion or rule of sin” (Romans 6:14). Of course our battle against the Devil and his angels isn’t over by any means-In a sense it is just beginning. I suppose Satan hates to lose a disciple (servant) so badly that he probably doubles his efforts to get us back under his rule! ( 1 Peter 5:7-8; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Are You A Person of Temperance?

    Just as “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26), so faith apart from “temperance” is meaningless. Striving for excellence is impossible without it. Increasing in knowledge is nothing but an academic exercise, unless we are able to apply that knowledge by exercising “temperance”.

Our “temperance” will be observable by our “total commitment” to Jesus Christ as the Lord of our daily lives (Luke 6:46). It will manifest itself in our speech-dress-habits-dedication to the work of the local congregation- our morals in general as well as our temperament. May we exercise “temperance” as we develop that Christ-like character and come to really know Him who through “temperance” offered Himself as a servant to God the Father (Philippians 2:5-11).

    The idea for this lesson and some of the material came from an article by John Daniels of Sevierville, Tennessee with a lot of editing and added material along with bolding by Kenneth E. Thomas Via Vigil-a paper published by Adamsville Church of Christ in Alabama.