The Architects's Plan
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Gen. 1:28 (KJV)
"Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die." Gen. 2:15-17 (NASB)
From the very beginning, God had a plan for His creation. The passages above go to the heart of the subject at hand: dominion. God gave mankind dominion over the earth but He made it clear that man's dominion was to be subject to Him. The consequence of spurning His authority is death.
Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve recognized God's authority. They allowed His precepts to control their lives. The pursuit of forbidden knowledge worked in them far more damage than they could have imagined. Things could never be the same again.
They failed at the same point each of us fails: self-control. The KJV has "temperance" but in our time that has taken on specific connotations which limit its meaning. We need to grasp the idea that God has in mind, dominion or mastery of ourselves.
Like Adam and Eve, if we do not allow God's dominion to have its way in our lives, we are unfit to exercise dominion over the work of His hands, whatever that may be.
God's plan was for man to be subject to Him and for creation then to be subject to man. Knowledge tends to endow us with a certain amount of self-satisfaction (a nice way of saying pride). God's order subjects our knowledge to His rule.
I don't know who Frank Bush is, but he relates a story which vividly illustrates what God had in mind from the very beginning. Listen as he describes a student he called to his office.
"He was there because his behavior was so much less than what I expected in a Bible college student. After discussing the matter, he crowned his long recitation with the excuse, 'After all, I'm only human.' When he said that, I jumped to my feet, raised my voice about sixteen decibels, and fairly shouted, 'Only human! Do you realize what you have just said?' He had moved back into his chair, and his eyes were wide with surprise. I didn't wait for an answer.
"Only human! You mean 'made in the image of God,' made a little lower than the angels, and in Christ, given the power to become greater than the angels. Only human! Someday you will be called on to judge angels. Only human! You have been given dominion over the earth and every living creature on the face of the earth. The greatest of all God's creations. The only creature able to think the thoughts of God. The object of his love, and the one for whose salvation he sent Jesus to Calvary. What do you mean, 'Only human?'
"Silence reigned heavily in the room. For a long moment he stared at me in bewilderment, and I attempted to look through his eyes into his soul. I was hoping that my words had driven home an important truth. Soon he began to move uneasily in his chair, and he said, 'I guess I've been less than what He wants me to be. I'm sorry. I will do better.' I nodded my head, and he walked out. . . . I was disturbed then, and I am still disturbed that we expect so little from ourselves. To use being human as an excuse for thoughtless and stupid behavior is an insult to God who made us."
God didn't just make us, He made us in His image. That which is created bears the mark of the Creator. It is created for His purposes and His pleasure. To be made in His image is important because it means we are to be about the business of doing what He does.
His first order of business is to exercise dominion. In creation, He delegated the dominion of the earth to mankind through Adam and Eve. The pre-requisite for that authority was, and is, to be under authority. That, at its core, demands that one first have dominion over their own life: self-control.
This is the pattern that God ordained and we see it brought forward in many ways through history. The biblical examples are numerous. Those who are in authority must prove themselves to be under authority. Those who would be elders must first rule well in their own lives and in their own homes.
Many things have changed, but God has not abandoned this pattern. Our puny excuses for failure unravel in the light of His truth. We will rule and reign with Christ eternally. May we faithfully exercise His rule in our lives today.
The Carpenter's Corner
"O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." (Matt. 26:42)
Gethsemane is the proving ground for faith. This precious prayer of our Lord is repeated three times according to Matthew. It is the supreme example of self-mastery. We do well to note it with careful attention.
The success or failure of God's plan lies in the will of a single, solitary life. The fate of mankind hangs in the balance as our Savior wrestles with His human nature. The issue is self-control.
The first Adam had failed miserably in this area. The hosts of heaven watch as the second Adam engages the battle. We are prone to consider this scene far too lightly. Yes, it was a struggle, but after all, He is God; He should be able to handle it with ease. We hesitate to speak it, but don't we think it?
At the risk of being charged with sacrilege, I want to offer an analogy that helps paint the picture (at least for the current culture). I've been a Star Trek fan since the series first began. I'm concerned about many of the images I see there and so I watch them with a careful eye. I urge you to do the same.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, there is an android character named Data. He has been programmed to be very human, but missing one vital function: the ability to experience emotion. He is confronted with situations that would terrify a mortal and responds mechanically without fear or dread. On the other side of the coin, he misses out on humor, feelings of love and devotion, etc. His lack of feelings is a mixed blessing for him and he longs to be able to feel.
The Trekkies are way ahead of me by now, but for the rest of you, let me complete the thought here. In one episode, the day finally arrives when Data receives a new chip that will allow him to experience emotion.
The transition in the character is monumental. Some results are humorous, but others are serious. For the first time, Data knows fear and dread. As he engages in conflict he becomes completely immobilized by the terror caused by the scene before him. Before, his response would have been automatic, now he must choose to accept the risk while part of him says, "No way!"
All analogies fail, so don't try to carry this one too far. Nevertheless, I do think it can help us get a grip on the struggle which confronted Christ in Gethsemane.
In Christ, God accepted the constraints of human form. Jesus, in the flesh, faces His greatest temptation. The emotions are real. The fear is real. The dread is real. The agony is real.
The flesh wars with the spirit. The hosts of heaven watch as the forces of Hell assail the Savior. The choice is clear: self- control or self-preservation? Gethsemane literally means "oil press." It was located at the foot of the Mt. of Olives. The olive crop was brought to the press to have the oil extracted. It is no accident that it is here that Christ agonizes with the issue of self-will or God's will.
The oil press consisted of a huge stone especially hewn for this purpose. The olives were put in bags and placed on a stone base. The "gethsemane" was then lowered on them and the shear weight of the stone caused the oil to flow from grooves cut in the base and into awaiting containers.
The traditional method involved three or four pressings. The goal was to extract every drop of oil so that none of its essence is left. Christ's prayers in the garden, and the suffering that followed portray our Lord absolutely void of self.
The weight of the world bore down on our Savior that night. His dearest friends would not even stay awake with Him. In the end they abandon, deny and even betray Him.
How tragic! As witnesses to His self-control, we might expect they would have found the courage and strength to stand. But it would take the resurrection to accomplish that.
In the end, most of them would die as martyrs. They learned the lesson our Lord lived. May we live it as well.
The Foreman's Forum
"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." 1 Cor. 9:24-25
To underscore the importance of self-control, Paul calls our attention to sports. It goes without saying that our culture hardly needs to have its attention drawn to sports; but today, as in Corinth, preoccupation with sports does not mean we necessarily learn anything from it. Paul says we should.
Just think how the effectiveness of the church today would literally bloom if we were as diligent about our faith as we are our fun. I know, I've gone to meddling now!
The point is, to be successful in any arena, you must dedicate yourself to it. It isn't just about showing up for practice (or worship service). It is about a commitment that encroaches on every aspect of life. It confronts us with the absolute necessity of identifying our priorities and consciously choosing to follow the path that they dictate. Let's look at this idea a little closer.
Paul's words are challenging. He says that if we want to receive an imperishable reward, we must follow the example of athletes who exercise self-control "in all things." Certainly many of our modern athletes are not examples of such discipline in all aspects of life, but the principle will ultimately prove to be true. Those who fail at personal discipline in any area of life cannot escape the ultimate impact it has on their performance.
The same is true for Christians! We may choose to deceive ourselves to enjoy some momentary pleasure that should be avoided, but there is always, ALWAYS, a price to be paid. We may not see the debit today, but sooner or later we will and the penalties and interest paid by our faith will grieve us. May we learn to count the cost before allowing self to rule.
The Carpenter's Tool Box
It should be obvious by now that we are continuing our study of 2 Peter 1:5-8. Thus far we have seen that faith calls us to take a righteous stand (virtue) based on knowledge of God and His purposes. Now we understand that it continues to be a conscious choice to subject our will to God's will.
Either we choose to allow the Holy Spirit to bear fruit in us, or we refuse to grow. We can't have it both ways. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23)
We must be careful to understand that the only way we will be successful in self-control is by the power of the Holy Spirit. Our human will and our frail flesh will never be able to accomplish that work. My life is a testimony to that truth and I suspect yours is too.
Biblical self-control is a matter of allowing the Holy Spirit to have His way in our lives. He will never rush in and force His will upon us. He offers us the opportunity for obedience and with it comes the ability to choose rightly. Prior to knowing Christ, we lacked that important attribute which is essential to obedience: power. Paul anguished with it in Romans 7:24, "Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?"
There is a war within us as evil is being purged from our lives. Our minds agree with God, but our flesh wants to rebel because its end is death, and it does not want to die.
Paul goes on to answer his own question in verse 25, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" The only way to be faithful in doing what we know to do, and fleeing what we should refuse is through Christ. "The arm of flesh will fail you, you dare not trust your own." Self-control is being led by the heart rather than the mind.
That is why the scripture makes it so evident that we are to be obedient to our conscience. It is there that the Spirit speaks to the issues of our lives. May David's prayer become our own and may we always praise God for His answer, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Notice the two thoughts he aligns here. Returning to our text in 2 Peter we find that the next supplement to our faith is perseverance (steadfastness if you will). We will pick up there next time.
The Chronicles of Christian Skywatcher
If there is one thing that defines Christian Skywatcher, it is his absolute commitment to popular opinion. He is like the person James describes as being tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.
To him, self-control is keeping a "balanced" perspective. No need to become a fanatic about faith. His life is characterized by the conventional wisdom of "Don't put all your eggs into one basket." He hedges his bets, "just in case."
In more popular jargon, he is keeping his options open. Coming to a knowledge of the truth is time consuming, requires a lot of effort, and still you make mistakes. Skywatcher thinks he's better off just relaxing and enjoying the ride. He may eventually end up at his intended destination, but his course is fraught with danger.
Skywatcher senses this, but he is more self-confident than self-controlled. He meets life head-on. There is no challenge he can't face if he just puts his mind to it. Or, so he thinks.
He hears Christ's call to deny himself. He isn't about to take the time to consider what that might mean to his life, but he is certain that the Lord doesn't mean it literally.
Skywatcher has largely ceased thinking for himself. He relies on others to tell him what to believe and how to act. Being diligent to prayerfully consider what he hears could compel him to change in ways that require sacrifice: knowledge demands self-control. He is not prepared for that.
Instead, he chooses to be controlled by whatever popular wave engulfs him. Ultimately, he has no sense of direction, no mooring, nothing that is worth defending, and no hope.
The Apprentice's Journal
Considering self-control has uncovered a memory for me that I have not thought of in years. It speaks to the topic, so let me share it with you briefly here.
During my teenage years we lived on a dead-end street adjacent to acres and acres of woods in southeast Dallas. The area was reputed to be the stomping ground of the likes of Belle Star, and Bonnie and Clyde. It evoked lots of adventure for me. The woods were private property but they were not posted and we spent much of our time in them.
The only improvement on the land was an old frame house that the caretaker, John, was supposed to live in. He moved silently through the woods and you always believed he was close by, watching.
He had long black hair and a long, untrimmed black beard. He never had much to say, and he really had little to do. He spent his time going through the woods, hanging pages from his notepad on trees: lot's of them. From the road it looked like the dogwoods were in bloom! Those who ventured closer discovered that each page contained a verse from the Bible.
One day our exploration led us to an area of the woods we'd never scouted before. They took on an eerie feel as we saw tree carvings, and sculptures in the limestone creek bank.
Finally, we came to the most spectacular of all, a massive limestone chair labeled, "John's Throne." Beside it was an inscription warning of the danger to any who dared to sit there. After we each took our turn (testosterone really challenges self-control in teenage boys), a voice above and behind us said, "You just couldn't keep from doing it could you?"
John called us to where he had been standing unseen, and we didn't dare disobey. In a gentle caring voice, he talked to us about temptation and self-control in a way that spoke volumes more than any Sunday School teacher I ever had.
Then, to our delight, he showed us the dugout where he lived! A small hole in the ground with a tarp for a roof, a small wood stove, a cot, an oil lamp, a pad and pencil, and his Bible. After a long visit we left. The next time we returned, John had moved somewhere else in the woods to continue his ministry.
I'm sorry to report that I didn't learn self-control that day. The failures have been many, yet by God's grace, I am making progress. Those early days are long gone, but the memory challenges me still. John was God's instrument. I wonder....