1: moderation in action, thought, or feeling:RESTRAINT
2a: habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions
b: moderation in or abstinence from the use of alcoholic beverages
KJV Dictionary Definition:
TEM’PERANCE, n. L. temperantia, from tempero.
1. Moderation; particularly, habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence; as temperance in eating and drinking; temperance in the indulgence of joy or mirth. Temperance in eating and drinking is opposed to gluttony and drunkenness, and in other indulgences, to excess.
2. Patience; calmness; sedateness; moderation of passion.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
As we learn to walk in the Spirit, we allow Him to have control and not our flesh. The fruit of the Spirit temperance is not about self control but rather submitting to the Sovereign control of our Lord Jesus Christ. Temperance is self discipline.
Every aspect of our lives need to be yielded to the Spirit’s control including our thoughts (Proverbs 15:26), desires (Romans 13:13-14), speech (Psalm 19:14, Proverbs 29:11), appetite (Proverbs 23:2), sleep (Proverbs 6:9-11), finances (Luke 12:15), entertainment (1 John 2:15-17), emotions (1 Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 16:32), etc. We develop temperance as we practice to live and walk in the control of the Holy Spirit.
With the control of the Holy Spirit, may we exhibit that He is granting temperance to us in all things!
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,” Galatians 5:22
Webster defines Goodness as the state of being good the physical qualities which constitute value, excellence, or perfection; as the goodness of timber; the goodness of soil. 1. The moral qualities which constitute Christians excellence; moral virtue; religion.
Easton’s Bible Dictionary defines Goodness as In man is not a mere passive quality, but the deliberate preference of right to wrong, the firm and persistent resistance of all moral evil, and the choosing and following of all moral good.
The word good appears 720 times in the Bible. Goodness appears 51 times. God is good. It pleases Him to bestow goodness on His people.
Matthew 7:11 tells us that every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. In order for goodness of God to overflow in our lives, goodness must abound in our hearts (Matthew 6:45).
If I am controlled by the Holy Spirit, I will do good unto others hoping for nothing again (Luke 6:35).
Whatever your occupation in life, God intends us to display goodness to those around us. Galatians 6:10 tells us that we are to do good unto all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith.
Goodness is kindness in action. It has been said that “kindness is a language the deaf can hear and the blind can see”. It is allowing God’s Spirit to work through you to be of help and bring a bit of hope and happiness to others.
Goodness is simply a heart that works at meeting the needs of others.
When we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives, the Fruit of the Spirit will show as a result. Gentleness is not meekness. It is more than being tender; it involves having a humble heart and being kind towards others (Ephesians 4:32).
The Greek word in Galatians 5:23 for gentleness is Prautes, which means to submit one’s strength in a posture of meekness. Gentleness is defined as kindness, consideration, a spirit of fairness and compassion. We will be gentle with others once we submit ourselves to God.
Gentleness is not a lack of convictions or weakness. It isn’t about being double minded, indecisive, or wimpy. It’s refusing to use power to hurt others. Rather, it means we value the soul of the person we share God’s truths with and treat them as a person fashioned in the image of God.
Jesus gave a great example of gentleness just prior to His death. In Luke 22:50-52, we see that while Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, a great multitude came to betray and arrest Him. In attempts to defend Jesus, Peter drew his sword struck off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Our Lord’s reaction was not to pat Peter on the back for a job well done, nor scold Peter for only getting his ear. Rather, Jesus touched the servant’s ear and healed him. This was a great act of gentleness and consideration.
When the gentleness of Christ flows through us, we will want what’s best for others.
Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
God is constantly working things out for our good. Sometimes he allows trials and testings to chip away the rough edges as He tries to conform us into His image.
Even though the Cross was in God’s plan, we who through our rebellious actions do not escape the responsibility of putting Christ on the Cross. There are consequences of our personal actions regardless of who we are. The only way to receive true healing is to turn to Him and seek His face (2 Chronicles 7:14).
God is always ready to hear the prayers of a repentant people (James 4:8-10).
2 Chronicles 7:14 f my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
James 4:8-10 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
The Greek word for longsuffering makróthymos (Strong’s #3115) is made up of two words makro
(long) and thumos, (wrath). Slow to wrath. The idea is to remain in a
state of emotional quietness in the face of unfavorable circumstances. Longsuffering is patiently enduring lasting
offenses or hardships.
James 1:19-20 –
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak,
slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
Proverbs 14:29 – He that is slow to wrath is
of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.
Longsuffering is the ability of restraining oneself in the
face of provocation that does not quickly retaliate or immediately punish. It avoids quarrels, restores injustices, and cultivates
charity.
Numbers 14:18 – The
Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and
transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Ephesians 4:32 – And
be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Longsuffering endures
the abuse and ill-treatment of others without growing resentful or bitter.
Ephesians 4:1-3 – I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Colossians 3:12-13 –
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another,
and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
You cannot be
longsuffering without also be willing to forgive others.
Romans 2:4 – Or
despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
How do you respond to those who irritate you, get under your
skin, never let up on you? How does God
want us to respond? Longsuffering.
But how?
Exodus 34:6-7 – And
the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful
and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy
for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by
no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth
generation.
Just as God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth. He does
not do unto us as we deserve, but rather forgives us. God uses restraint.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 –
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not
itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own,
is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Take the burden of resentment and vengeance off your heart
and COMMIT your way unto the Lord.
Psalms 37:5-6 – Commit
thy way unto the Lord: trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as
the noonday.
Don’t worry about justice being served. God will take care of them.
Romans 12:19 – Dearly
beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
We cannot obtain longsuffering overnight. When we continuously live in the Spirit and
daily place all our sinful tendencies on the cross, we will gain the virtue –
Longsuffering – little by little.
Galatians 2:20 – I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Difficult days are inevitable and sometimes unavoidable; but
you don’t have to let them make you miserable.
The next time your patience is being tested, take time to quiet your
mind, remove yourself from the irritation, and call on God for His help.
Tips on helping to become more longsuffering:
Purposely and consciously yield your life to
Christ. Don’t fight it or run from your
trial. Allow the trial to be your
teacher. Ask God to help you learn what
you need to be taught.
Practice patience. Focus on a solution. What must you do to take steps in the right
direction? Ask God to show you the truth in love. James 2:14
Become more disciplined in studying the Word of
God. Ask God to help you understand what
longsuffering actually involves. Read
the Book of James. Ask God to show you
all His promises and give you wisdom, peace, endurance, faith, healing, and
protection.
Find the “golden nugget” because there is a
greater purpose. Your trials often
become triumphs for others. Jeremiah
29:11-14
“But the fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23
The world all around us is full of trouble and turmoil. There are wars and rumors of wars, nations rising against nations, great earthquakes in various places, famines, infectious outbreaks, persecutions, etc. God states these things must come to pass for His Word to be fulfilled (Matthew 24:3-31; Mark 13:5-27; Luke 21:8-33).
Christians are not excluded from trouble, turmoil, and
calamities living in a sin filled world.
There is strife among countries, corporations, nations, churches,
families, and even in the pews.
What is PEACE??
How does one attain PEACE in the midst of all these
commotions?
Webster defines peace as “a state of tranquility or quiet”. Peace is a tranquility of mind which frees one from worry or fear. Peace is an untroubled heart that comes from trusting God.
Peace does not come naturally, and as humans we tend to fail at times, but God commands us to pursue peace. Psalm 34:14 “…seek peace, and pursue it.”
The best way to seek Peace is to:
Keep an attitude of prayer.
Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Read your Bible daily.
Great
peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165
Submit your heart to God regularly.
And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in
one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians
3:15
Meditate on God’s Word faithfully
Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he
trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength: Isaiah 26:3-4
Keep living right
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr once said, “Do Right ‘til
the stars fall.” Nothing destroys peace
faster than when we have sin in our hearts before and Almighty God.
Mark
the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Psalm 37:37
We can only impart the evidence of the fruits of the Holy
Spirit working in and through our lives when we allow Him to work freely in our
hearts and lives.
The best way to seek Peace is to:
Keep an attitude of prayer.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7
Read your Bible daily.
Great
peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. Psalm 119:165
Submit your heart to God regularly.
And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in
one body; and be ye thankful. Colossians
3:15
Meditate on God’s Word faithfully
Thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he
trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting
strength: Isaiah 26:3-4
Keep living right
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr once said, “Do Right ‘til the stars fall.” Nothing destroys peace faster than when we have sin in our hearts before an Almighty God.
Mark
the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. Psalm 37:37
We can only impart the evidence of the fruits of the Holy Spirit working in and through our lives when we allow Him to work freely in our hearts and lives.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11
Webster’s dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by
wellbeing, success, or good fortune by the prospect of possessing what one
desires.” That definition by the world’s standards leaves something lacking;
however, Theopedia defines joy as “a state of mind and an orientation of the
heart. It is a settled state of contentment,
confidence, and hope.”
The word Joy appears 155 times in the Bible. It appears 82 times in the Old Testament and 73 times in the New Testament. Joy is the keynote of Philippians “Joy in Prayer” (Philippians 1:3-11).
“Joy” and “Rejoice” are repeated multiple times throughout Scripture. Joy is not to be compared to happiness. Happiness is an emotion based on your circumstances. Just like holding your child for the first time or making a final payment on your car or moving into your first home – these things make you happy. As long as things are going well in your life, you are happy. As soon as circumstances are out of our control or things aren’t going just so, we become irritated and disgruntled and lose the emotion of being happy. Joy is being contented in whatsoever state you are in whether it’s good or bad (Philippians 4:11).
Man has an inexplicable desire to seek Joy in all they
do. We seek out happiness through all we
do. Some seek to climb the ladder of
success thinking that if they’ll obtain joy when they reach the top. Some look for joy in seeking out fame, but
they find no joy
“Joy isn’t a passing moment of happiness, but rather, an entrenched anchor that keeps our hearts from descending into the deep pit of bitterness, because thankfulness is what keeps us afloat.” True joy is found in having an ongoing relationship with God. It is knowing that our lives originate from the True Vine – Jesus Christ (John 15).
“And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
We will find that the word “love” is mentioned in the Bible
in some form around 373 times. Upon
closer study, one can find that the Greek language has three notable words for
love in the Bible: Philo (brotherly love), Eros (physical love in marriage),
and Agape (unconditional love of God).
Charity is the Agape love of God.
It is a love that is comprehensive and pure.
True Agape love is missing in most relationships at work, at school, and at home. Most homes know nothing about the true agape love rather their lives are filled with pride and selfishness. The way to grow in our faith and our maturity is to love as Christ loved and be humble. Humility is not disliking one’s self but rather thinking less of one’s self.
Charity in 1 Corinthians 13 is a special kind of love. Agape love is the highest form of love. This type of love can only come from the Lord.
“And beside
this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness;…” 2 Peter 1:5-7a
The Greek word for brotherly love is philadelphia which is a combination
of two words “philia” (love) and “adelphos” (brother). It means to have kindness or love towards
your brother. Romans 12:10 admonishes us
to “Be kindly affectioned one to another
with brotherly love”. Affectioned is
to cherish one’s kindred.
The way to develop brotherly kindness towards others is to spend time
with other believers. This is not just
socializing with them before and after services. This is putting into practice the commands
found in scripture which tell us to not “forsake the assembly of ourselves
together,…but exhorting one another…” (Hebrews 10:24). When we spend time in fellowship with other
believers we not only build relationships, but we also exhort (encourage) and
spur (provide the needed prodding) to seek the Lord.
Notice that in order to obtain brotherly kindness in our lives we must first have faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, and godliness? Once we become a part of God’s family we do not automatically have brotherly kindness towards others. Kindness is an important ingredient in dealing with relationships “especially unto them that are of the household of faith” Galatians 6:10. If we are to grow in our walk with the Lord, we must work on developing brotherly kindness, which is having true love of the brethren (1 Peter 1:22).
