THE QUEST FOR HOLINESS, INSTALLMENT TWO: SELF-CONTROL.

What does it mean to be holy? And what is the path for getting there? As I further reflect on the matter, I realize that a major key could be found in the concept of self-control.

I discovered the word sophroneo (in Greek) and did a word study on it as a young man. It is the word used to describe the Gadarene demoniac who had had a legion of demons cast out of him by Jesus. He was sitting, fully clothed and in his right mind, or self-controlled. It is also the word used for what Paul told Titus to teach older men, older women, younger women and young men in Titus chapter 2. In fact, self-controlled is the ONLY thing that Titus was to encourage the young men to be.

What does it mean to be self-controlled? On a practical level, it means to be soberminded, to be morally straight, to hold one's temper, to avoid wildness, to be focused and disciplined. Practically speaking, it means to say "no" to your flesh and to those natural desires that you know lead to self-destructive or wrong behavior.

But on a deeper and even more practical level, to be self-controlled means something beyond myself. I might say that being self-controlled means to be Spirit-controlled. I don't just say "no" to my flesh, but I focus on saying "yes" to the Spirit. And the Holy Spirit (the spirit of holiness) will, without exception, lead me to make holy choices by a simple "yes" to His promptings.

If I only focus on saying "no" to myself, I quickly wind up in legalism and restrictions. If I focus on saying "yes" to Him, I walk in freedom and yet am set apart for the things of God. After all, I am not my own. I belong to Him. I live for Him. I die for Him. I give to Him. I serve Him only.

"LORD, I choose self-control to lead me to a holy life. I will deny myself, and I will say 'yes' to Your Spirit. I choose to walk in the Spirit, to be led by the Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit. And when He speaks, my answer will be 'Amen.'"
-ker