The Power of No

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,

Titus 2:11-12 NIV

One aspect of the grace of God that we often overlook is the power we are given to say no. The world does not teach you how to control desires. Think about things we have heard our whole lives. "Falling in love." "Men are dogs." "It's only natural." 

The grace of God means that we are no longer slaves to sin. Desires, emotions and passions are all subject to faith in Christ. He is above all things (see Ephesians 1:19-23). That does not mean you won't ever feel things, have desires or be passionate. But, Christ is Sovereign and his grace frees us from all other masters. We are free to, by faith in Christ, be self-controlled, upright and godly in this present evil age. 

The power to say no gives me the grace to say yes to serving others and loving others in Jesus Name. 

Don't Be Crazy

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

2 Peter 1:5-7 (NIV)

When I was in college I played goalie for the soccer team. It was a small school and we played in a league that had several semi-pro type players. One game against a team that called themselves the Pars got pretty physical and the ref warned everyone (mostly this one guy from the other team) that he would call the game if it got out of hand. 

Shortly into the second half the ref awarded the Pars a free kick. The player from the other team who was player just shy of dirty, thought it should have been a penalty kick. While he was complaining we blocked their attempt and went down and scored. Crazy guy "attempted" to block a pass from our best player and kicked him full force in the shin. The ref blew the whistle and called the game. 

Crazy out of control guy was just getting warmed up. He was yelling at the ref and his entire team was trying to restrain him from attacking the ref. He broke free, ran directly at the ref, jumped in the air and kicked the ref square in the chest. Crazy out of control guy and his team were kicked out of the league. 

Proverbs 25:28 warns, "Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." If you don't have self-control, you have no defense. While crazy guy was busy complaining about the call, we scored. Sometimes we do that too, don't we. Something happens and we start complaining (maybe just to ourselves) but, we get distracted from the battle at hand, our defenses are down like broken walls, and the enemy can walk right in. 

Self-control is knowing that God is Sovereign and acting like it even when we don't see exactly see or discern what God is doing. 

Father, help us to by faith be self-controlled. Praise be to you in us today!

A FEW WORDS ON SELF-CONTROL

So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. 

I Thessalonians 5:6

He who guards his lips guards his life,

   but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. 

Proverbs 13:3

A wise man fears the LORD and shuns evil,

   but a fool is hotheaded and reckless.

Proverbs 14:16

A quick-tempered man does foolish things,

   and a crafty man is hated.

Proverbs 14:17

A patient man has great understanding,

   but a quick-tempered man displays his folly.

Proverbs 14:29

ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 

I Peter 1:13

I marvel at professional athletes who, after a bad performance, say, "We didn't come ready to play and we need to come ready to play every night." I don't really get the being a professional, paid ridiculous amounts of money, but not ready to play concept. But, to be honest, I consider myself a professional at my job, and some days I'm just not sure I ready.  

As Christians, we should try our best to prepare ourselves for the day. That, of course, is why so many people have daily devotions in the morning. Reading the Bible on a daily basis keeps watering our minds and spirits with the truth. 

Notice that Peter says to be self-controlled. I think it is interesting that he doesn't say controlled by the Spirit. Maybe he is trying to emphasize that part of being a Christian where we choose to follow Christ, to act in obedience, no matter how we feel or what the circumstances are around us. 

Finally, we must set our hope on the end of our journey, the grace given us when Jesus Christ is revealed. When we die or Christ comes again (whichever comes first) we will be given grace...We will know him even as we are known. Every tear will be wiped away. We will go home.

That is why we need to be ready to play everyday. 

Father, help us to prepare our minds, be self-controlled, and set our hope fully on the grace we will be given when Jesus Christ is revealed. Praise be to you in us today!

SELF-CONTROL, YES YOU CAN: Titus 2:2

"Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance." Titus 2:2

Society tells people and men in particular that they have very little control over their most base instincts. People are animals. Men are dogs. Some desires are just products of the evolutionary process that allows us to survive as a species. The problem for me is that is not what the Bible, God's Word teaches. 

Everyone, men and women, have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We are all born in sin. We all have a sinful nature.  We all need the grace of God. 

Paul instructs Titus of the grace of God that brings salvation and that it teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled lives (Titus 2:11-14). This is in complete contrast to the message of the world, which is a lie and will only lead to death. 

The bottom line: If God tells me to be self-controlled, I can control myself. I can control myself when I am living by faith in Christ Jesus who died for my sins and ever lives to intercede for me. Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ!

Father, teaches us to live by faith and be self-controlled, resting in the love of Christ! Praise be to you in us today!

BE REASONABLE, DO IT MY WAY!: I Timothy 3:3

I am sure that you work with, or have worked with a person who is (in there world) the center of the universe. They are always right (according to them) and if they don't get their way they can be unbearable. Truthfully, they're unbearable even when they get their way. Generally speaking, they are self-centered. Not good qualities for a leader of the church, or a husband and a father. 

"not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money." I Timothy 3:3

The phrase I want to focus on today is that we should not be quarrelsome. 

I would have to say that being quarrelsome is probably an area that God has done a lot of work in my life and will continue to deal with me for the foreseeable future. The idea is to be strong in your convictions without arguing over them. Being a bit more conservative them most of my fellow teachers often puts me at odds with the popular opinion. A friend once told me that people aren't ready to hear something until they are ready to hear something. When we are unwilling to listen we are unable to hear. One side of being quarrelsome is being unwilling to listen and the other is having to be heard. 

TWhen I was maybe nineteen my friends gave me a plaque for my birthday that read, "Be reasonable, do it my way!" I have learned that other peoples ways are just as good, if not better, than my own. I once went into my pastor's office and read him a two page list of things he said wrong. I am not sure I would do that now. I might pray a bit more and maybe think about humility. 

Now that I have had my little moment at the confessional, I encourage you to look at yourself. Are you a bit contentious? Do you always have to be right? Are you strong enough to be right and not have to prove it, to everyone, all the time?

Father, help us to be humble and strong, living according to the truth. May your Spirit work in and through us. Praise be to you in us today!