Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Fruit of the Spirit Hardest to Remember


“Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit” (Proverbs 25:28).

  • “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” (16:32).
  • “Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way(23:19).
  • “But some days later Felix...sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus...he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come” (Acts 24:24,25).
  • “...the fruit of the Spirit is...self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-25).
  • “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you...the overseer must be...self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict” (Titus 1:5-9).
  • “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control...if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (2 Peter 1:1-11).

Father, today produce in us the Spirit-originating fruit of self-control that is found by faith in the Son for Your glory. Amen.

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