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Hey guys
Welcome to this series where we talk about the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
In this video, we're going to talk about self-control.
Do you struggle with self-control? Or do you have self-control in most situations?
Think about it. Answer truthfully.
And after you've given your answer let me tell you this.
Did you know that every single time when you act through the
flesh and not the spirit is a time when you have lost self-control?
(Galatians 5:17) As a new believer,
A reborn Christian, A child of God,
Everything that you do now should be done through faith
Through the Spirit Because you are a new creation.
(2 Corinthians 5: 17)
So you are a new creation A reborn Christian
But you still have that fleshly nature and you give into it when you lose self-control.
Then you sin. And a lot of Christians can't understand this.
Why? Because now I'm a reborn
Christian - I'm spiritually alive. I start to think differently.
But I still want to sin sometimes. My fleshly nature - and sometimes I fall.
I'm weak. And then when it happens afterwards
they feel so bad and they can't understand it. Because they feel like they don't have any control
And what that created is doubt. A lot of Christians even doubt their salvation.
Some even get depressed if they can't overcome sin.
They struggle sometimes with different sin. But sometimes with the same sin over and
over and over and they just can't get over and they don't understand this.
But does this mean I'm not a Christian anymore? Because I want to be a Christian.
I accept that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior but I'm still struggling.
Why? It is because you do not understand scripture.
Because you do not understand the difference between the spiritual nature and the fleshly
nature and how to act through the spirit yet. Let me ask you
What are you struggling with? Pornography? Saying you'll stop
but then you go and watch it again and again? Pride? Always wanting to win the argument and
then you lose to the person? Gluttony? Eating and eating
to try and find comfort in food only to cry about what you've done when you've finished
eating and when you look in the mirror? Whatever it is you need to understand
that this is this is crucial. It is very, very important
when you feel like you can't overcome it. That is true because you cannot.
You cannot force it from your own power from your own fleshly nature to overcome sin.
It is impossible. Listen to this:
( Romans 7:14-25)
Do you understand this? You have a sinful nature within you
And you cannot save yourself - by yourself. Even your best deeds are like filthy rags to God.
Who is perfect. Who is Holy.
Who is righteous. We are not good enough.
The law shows you how sinful you are because you cannot keep it.
Even the Israelites back in the Old Testament. You could see over thousands of years they
tried to obey the law all the time. But they failed time and time again.
Because you - we humans - all of us. We are sick.
We have a sickness. It's called the fleshly, sinful nature
since the fall came into the world. And the cure is Jesus Christ.
And that's the beauty of it. Because it shows us that we need the Holy Spirit.
We need Jesus Christ to become a reborn Christian. To become a child of God.
To have a relationship with Him. And then we need the spirit
of God to lead us forward So that we can overcome sin.
The law of the Spirit has set us free from the law of sin and death.
(Romans 8:1-4)
So the key to having self-control is the Spirit, not the flesh.
It's like a switch. You have to switch it on.
You have to make the active decision to now live by the Spirit and not your sinful fleshly nature.
The Spirit now needs to guide you fully. Your own will.
Your own emotions. Your own intellect.
Everything that you are - the Holy Spirit now guides all of you.
(Romans 8:5-7)
Did you hear that?
It cannot. It's impossible.
(Romans 8:8)
Do you get it? Once this is open
to you - when you - wow - when you click. When you understand this - it's like - wow.
Now I understand. It's so silly.
Why have I been trying to please God - obey His law
With the flesh while it is the flesh that's doing this?
It doesn't make sense. It's like you want to put
out a fire with more fire. It doesn't make sense.
You cannot please God in your flesh So why do you even try to overcome
your fleshly desires with your flesh? It's impossible.
( Romans 8:9-11)
Wow, you need to understand this and rest in this truth.
It needs to become part of you. Write it on your heart.
Engrave it. The Spirit who
raised Jesus from the dead is in you. That is how we have self-control.
Where we deny our fleshly nature and we now live through that Spirit.
God's Spirit in us. That is how we overcome sin.
That is how we now share the Gospel. That is now how we serve God.
That is how we praise Him. That is how we do everything now.
Everything in the Spirit Through the Spirit.
(Galatians 2:20)
This truth needs to sink in. Into your inner being.
Write it on your heart. Engrave it on your heart.
You cannot praise God. You cannot overcome sin if you're in the flesh.
You cannot worship God if you're in the flesh either.
You can try. You can go to church.
You can sing to God. You can talk to other people.
You can go to Bible studies. You can make YouTube videos.
Everything that you want to do that's religious means absolutely nothing if you
don't do it through the Spirit. If you do it in the flesh
it can actually bring death to other people. Spiritual death
when you don't act in the Spirit. There's no life.
And the opposite of life is death. So when you act in the flesh even
if it's religious things it means absolutely nothing to God.
(John 4:24)
You see, the spiritual nature is not like a power you use sometimes.
It's not like a necklace you put on and whenever you feel like it.
No, it needs to be the center of who you are now. It needs to guide you in everything that you do.
Not just big things but normal things as well - even just eating and drinking.
(1 Corinthians 10:31)
The secret to having real self-control where you can overcome sin
Is to give up your control. Let me say it again.
It is to give up your control of your fleshly nature.
Give that control up and give it to the Holy Spirit
So that the Holy Spirit can now guide and lead you.
That means you need to crucify the flesh with its passions and its desires.
(Galatians 5:24)
Do you know what the Bible says right before this verse?
This is what we're talking about. This is what our series is all about.
Let me read it.
(Galations 5:22-24)
If you live in the spirit it also means that you abide in Christ.
Because then you'll be able to overcome sin. You will have self-control because
that is the gift from God to you. Without God you cannot have self-control over sin.
It is impossible. That is why you need to abide in Him at all times
And act through the Spirit.
And then you will automatically produce the fruit of the Spirit.
(John 15:1-5)
Wow, if you want to know more about how to abide in God and He in you
Then watch these videos here And I'll see you there.
And always remember, God loves you.
And I love you too. Bye
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