Temperance – The Result Of The Spirit

Self-control, do you have it? Our text for study today is Gal. 5:22-25. Here are a few points worthy of consideration in our Bible studies.

• The fruit is the result of our being a Christian. It is the result of the word of God (given by the Spirit) being planted and taking root in our heart. Because God ordained that we should be conformed to the image of his Son (Rom. 8:29) and that we should follow his footsteps in life (1 Pet. 2:21-25), the result of our obedience to that part of his word is the fruit of the Spirit being added to our life and demeanor.

• Although each element of the fruit of the spirit requires self-control, temperance is itself one of the elements that result when we are in Christ. If we find ourselves become more uncontrolled in our habits (eating, study, gossip, anger, laziness in spiritual matters, prayer), we need to examine whether we are exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit and, therefore, whether we still follow Christ.

• Verse 24 makes it obvious that in order to have the fruit of the spirit, we must practice the self-control to reject the lusts of the flesh. By choice, we have become dead to sin. We are to mortify the deeds of the flesh  and put on the new man (Col. 3:5-10). The fruit of the Spirit does not magically happen. It becomes part of us through our decision and effort.

• If we are going to claim Christ, let’s walk like Christ. If it is the case that we are alive in the Spirit, we must walk like it, not like a hypocrite.