II Peter part 5

II Peter
part 5

6a) “And in your knowledge (add) self-control.” 

This virtue of self control, within the context as Peter intends it, requires some qualification and exposition to avoid taking it the wrong way. 
While this is the case with each of the concepts and each of the words chosen to express them (as we have seen), I think that we need to exercise a little more caution here; especially considering the “self help” atmosphere that we live in our world today.

It seems that everywhere you turn, whether in written media, on radio or on T.V. we are inundated with self help programs; be they exercise regimes, or exercise devices and apparatus’ promising to transform our bodies in 30 days or your money back, dance and self defense videos that will develop “six pack abs”, brain games to forestall the onset of memory loss (or worse), diets of every description imaginable, organic foods and supplements to reverse the aging process and eliminate disease, water filters, electric juicers and blenders to help us to live to 100, and seemingly absolutely no end to new age Gurus and “Doctors” offering to guide us into “spiritual nirvana, completed self realization, unhindered self expression and total self awareness” (just turn on P.B.S.).

So what does Peter mean by self-control? Let’s look at the original Greek word used in our text. We can check out how it is used in some other scriptures, and we can compare some passages that explain the benefits and reasons why it is good for us to exercise self-control from the perspective of having a more effective ministry in our service in the Church.

The word used by Peter is – ἐγκράτϵιαν – encratian, from the root ecron which means – control over oneself, or lordship which one has over oneself or over something else; and so it is correctly translated as self-control, but that doesn’t help much yet.

The problem is that many within the greater Christian community, over the centuries and even still today, have tried to promote the idea of meritorious aestheticism (monasticism for example) and self denial as a means to attain salvation, under the rubric of Encratia.

In addition to the problem of Encratic asceticism; there is also the very serious error of autonomous ethics (carrying the idea of self control to complete self mastery and moral self determination); that we discussed in our previous study concerning moral excellence.

This concept ultimately leads to ethical utilitarianism (the standard is; whatever produces the most desirable results for the individual is the ethic to be followed);
And consequentiallism (the standard is derived from whatever seems to produce the greatest good for the greatest number).

There is no place within Christian orthodoxy for either Autosoterism (self salvation through self effort, self denial or self control);
Or for autonomous ethics (establishing and living by ones own personal ethical standards rather than submitting to those established and revealed by God).

It is when we explore some New Testament passages where the idea of our exercising self-control for the sake of others is expressed that the picture of what Peter is promoting comes into view more clearly. This aspect is vital for our correct understanding of the idea and for our proper performance in Christian ministry and service.

Gal 5:13-15 – For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Rom 14:1-23 – Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables.

Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. (Herein lies the key to understanding the need for exercising self-control, the welfare of others who are affected by your actions)

Who are you to judge another's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written:
"As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God."
So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this,
Not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.
I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself;
but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love.
Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.

Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace
And the things by which one may edify another.

Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.
It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.
Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
I Cor.8:7-13 – However not all men have this knowledge; but some, being accustomed to the idol until now, eat food as if it were sacrificed to an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.
But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.
For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols?
For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died.
And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.
Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble,
I will never eat meat again,
So that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

I Cor.9:19-27 – For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;
to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.

So we see that it is primarily (all though not exclusively) for the sake of others that we are to add self-control to our faith. As I said, I think it is very important that we understand this first. Remember, we have already added moral excellence.
Now concerning the personal benefits of adding self-control to our Christian walk; this is certainly a very important aspect for our growth into Christian maturity and now that we have put it into the proper perspective regarding our salvation and our ethic; we are ready to explore this aspect of self-control.

I Cor.9:24-27 – Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize?
Run in such a way that you may win.
Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.
They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (rewards/crowns – 3:14-15).
Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim;
I box in such a way, as not beating the air;
But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified (obviously not from salvation but from rewards – II Jn.8).

It is easy to see how a complete misunderstanding of this passage could be had if we did not consider it within the context of the rest of the New Testament teaching concerning self-control.
So we see that there are two aspects to our adding self control to our faith, moral excellence and knowledge.
1. We are to consider the needs and reactions of others that look to us for instruction and guidance and to restrain ourselves from giving offense to a weaker brother or to anyone to whom we may be ministering to 
(I Thes.2:10-12).
2. And we are to continue to be careful to walk in a manner worthy of our calling (Eph.4:1; Col.1:10) so that we do not jeopardize our testimony or our rewards.

Both of these considerations also weigh heavily on the effectiveness of our service to God.
Our primary job, as Christians in this world, is to be servants and instruments in the hand of God to be used as ambassadors of reconciliation to the lost, to the troubled and to the backslidden; and to encourage, equip and empower the Church to do the same.

II Cor.5:18-20 – Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself,
not counting their trespasses against them,
and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ,
as though God were making an appeal through us;
We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Now there are all kinds of service that we can be called to in the Church and they all contribute in some way to the effective ministry of the Church;
Some more obviously or directly than others, but all to the glory of God; and all serve to accomplish His purpose in reaching out with the offer of reconciliation.

I Cor.12 – 14 – Spiritual Gifts and Ministries:

12:4-11 – Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.
And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.
There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit;
to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,
and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

12:27-31 – Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? All do not have gifts of healings, do they? All do not speak with tongues, do they? All do not interpret, do they? But earnestly desire the greater gifts.
14:1 – Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

14:39-40 – Therefore, my brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak in tongues. But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.

Eph.4:11-13 – And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Ro.12:4-8 – For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly:
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;
if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching (a separate gift from pastor);
or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality;
he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

It is God Himself who equips the saints for service and He prepares the good works they are to perform ahead of them for them to walk in.

Eph.2;8-10 – For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

Heb.13:20-21 – Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

But we must willingly offer ourselves for service, without reservation or double mindedness; and we must put to proper use the gifts and callings to ministry that God has ordained for us.

Mt.6:24 – “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

Mt.10:37-39 – “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.”
“He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.”