In Pursuit of Kingdom Character – 3

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; and to brotherly kindness charity.  

2 Peter 1:5-7

We ended the lesson last week with knowledge.  So to rehearse:

Ø “Faith” brings us into relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Ø “Virtue” [Moral excellence] seeks the character of God as the standard and is the goal for our own character.

Ø “Knowledge” describes what God is like, and what we should be like as well.

Let's take a look at the next character in the above scripture on the list which is:  

ØTemperance 

Another word for temperance is self-control.  The term rendered “self-control” literally means “to take a grip of oneself.”   Self-control is the opposite of self-indulgence. As unbelievers, we were dominated by our physical appetites, enslaved as we were to them – and we were in some form or fashion – we were: 

. . . dead in your trespasses and sins, 2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  (Ephesians 2:1-3)

But – good news – we’ve been delivered from our bondage to the flesh:

What then? Shall we sin because we’re not under law but under grace? May it never be!  Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone [as] slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?  But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. Romans 6:15-18  (also see Romans 8:12-13)

 We’re no longer bound by our former lives.  Living a godly life requires us to master the flesh and make it our servant, rather than our master:

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.  And 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.  Therefore, I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Sin uses the flesh to keep us in bondage (Romans 7:14-21).   Satan and the world encourage us to live according to the flesh. But being a child of God requires that we live no longer for the flesh or in the power of the flesh. Our flesh still has a strong attraction, as Apostle Paul’s words in Romans 7 and our own experience make painfully clear. Only by God’s grace can we overrule fleshly lusts, and because of His provisions, we must diligently strive to do so. The prompting of the flesh must be brought under control, and we’re to heed the prompting of the Spirit of God, as He speaks to us through His Word (also see Romans 8:1-8; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; 3:16-17; 4:6).

 When we know His word, we don’t fall prey to false teachers.  False teachers appeal to fleshly lusts. They gather a following by proclaiming a gospel which indulges the flesh rather than crucifying it:

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. . .

 But know this:

 . . . the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties, whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reveling judgment against them before the Lord.  But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery and that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; . . .

For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved   (2 Peter 2:1-3, 9-14, 18-19).

False teaching is not uncommon today. It offers a different gospel than the apostles.   Rather than proclaim thee gospel which involves suffering and self-denial, they proclaim a “better” gospel of self-indulgence and success in life; a gospel whose power is in its appeal to our fleshly nature. It promises that those who possess enough faith can escape suffering and adversity and be guaranteed peace and prosperity. It promises that when one gives a little, one may be assured of receiving much more in return. These rewards are not looked for in heaven as much as on earth, now.  But, the gospel of the apostles was very different:

But some days later, Felix arrived with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him [speak] about faith in Christ Jesus. And as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, “Go away for the present, and when I find time, I will summon you” (Acts 24:24-25)

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, Envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)

We can’t be fooled by nor dilute the gospel to make it attractive to men by appealing to their fleshly lusts.

We must be able – through our faith, virtue [moral excellence], knowledge and self-control over all ungodliness – to proclaim the message of the gospel in its fullness and its simplicity; knowing that only through the Spirit of God are men enabled to grasp the truth of the gospel and quickened to do so.  Scriptural reference:

·         1 Corinthians 2:1-5,         1 Corinthians 2:14-17

·         2 Corinthians 3:1-11,       2 Corinthians 4:1-15

ØPatience [Perseverance]

The next character trait — “perseverance”— enables us to persist in our pursuit of kingdom character, even when we suffer for doing so.

If self-control has to do with curtailing physical pleasures, perseverance has to do with pain. Our natural tendency is to pursue pleasure and flee from pain. The gospel calls for us to identify with Christ, which includes identifying with Him in His suffering:

For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.  For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. (1 Peter 2:21-25)

 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:  (Colossians 1:24-27)

Perseverance is the frame of mind and character which persists in doing what is right even though doing so may produce difficulties, suffering, and sorrows. Perseverance is the commitment to suffer in the short term in order to experience glory for eternity. Perseverance was exemplified by Jesus:

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. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Perseverance includes patience. In the light of eternity, suffering is light and momentary

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; (2 Corinthians 4:17)

But when our Lord’s tarrying seems to be endless, we desperately need patience to persist in the stewardship God has given to each of us. The false teachers point out that our Lord has not returned as proof that He will not. They urge men to live for the moment and to pursue fleshly pleasures, doubting the reality of a day of judgment or even our Lord’s return as told in Scripture:

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:1)

Knowing that in God’s economy, one day is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years is like a day, we must patiently persist in doing what is right, looking for our eternal rewards when He returns.

 

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