How to Control Yourself

I. The Significance of Self-control
A. The judgment seat and our source - 2 Cor. 5:10
B. Greater light brings in greater responsibility - James 1:1; Matt. 23:14; Luke 12:48
II. Knowing Ourselves According to God
A. Our whole body - James 3:2-3, 6
1. Man's parts - Gen. 2:7; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Cor. 15:44-46
B. Our members - James 3:5-6
1. Our members as parts of Christ - 1 Cor. 6:15
2. The law of sin in our members - Rom. 7:23; James 4:1
3. Sinful passions in our members - Rom. 7:5; Col. 3:5; Matt. 5:28-30
4. Other members suffer with one member - 1 Cor. 12:26
5. Who do we present our members to - Rom. 6:13, 19
6. The unique member among our members - James 3:6; 2 Cor. 4:13
C. Our tongue and our source - James 3:10-12; John 4:14; Rom. 8:15
III. Controlling Ourselves
A. The source of self-control - Gal. 5:22-23; 2 Pet. 1:4-6
B. How to make our members obey - James 3:3-4
1. Bits and rudder
C. How to turn our members
D. How to bridle ourselves
IV. Purifying Our Source
A. The purity of God's work and goal
1. In the new creation - 2 Cor. 5:14-18
2. With the Bride and the Holy City - Rev. 19:7-8; 21:18, 21; 22:1
B. The purifying work of the Word - Heb. 4:12; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 2-3
C. The meaning of purity
1. Purity and seeing God - Matt. 5:8
2. Purity and God's economy - 1 Tim. 1:3-6
3. The primacy of purity - James 3:14-17
4. Dealings that bring in purity - 1 Tim. 3:9
5. Purity and genuineness - 1 Pet. 1:22
D. The meaning of being single and simple
1. One goal in daily life - Eph. 6:5-8; Col. 3:22-24
2. A single eye and heart - Matt. 6:21-24, 33
3. Singleness and simplicity - 2 Cor. 11:2-3
4. Singleness and our conscience - 2 Cor. 1:12
E. Understanding Motives
1. Their location in the heart - Heb. 4:12; 1 Cor. 4:5; Ezek. 14:3-5; Mark 7:21-23
2. Their hidden secrets of the heart - 1 Cor. 14:25; 2 Cor. 4:2
F. The nature of motives
1. Any thought, reasoning, emotion, desire, or lust operating on the will and moving us to act apart from God - Eph. 2:2-3; Luke 12:13-21
2. They're satanic and demonic - 2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 2:2
3. They're blinding - 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4
4. They're strongholds - 2 Cor. 10:5
5. They're complex - Eph. 2:3
6. Their behavior
a) They behave in the form of a desire, an emotion, a consideration, a wish, an intention, etc. - 1 Tim. 6:9-10
b) They plan and think ahead - Rom. 13:13-14
c) They are self-centered - Phil. 2:3-4, 21
d) They protect their own interests - Matt. 6:19-23
e) They seek their own glory - John 7:18; Phil. 2:3-4
f) They have great expectations - 1 Tim. 6:17-19
g) They know how to make excuses - Luke 14:15-20
h) They are competitive - Phil. 1:15-17
7. Their source
a) The complex flesh - Eph. 2:3
b) The satanic spirit - Eph. 2:2
c) Demonic and soulish - James 3:14-15
d) Friendship with the world - James 4:1-4
G. The purifying of motives
1. By confessing our sins, which leads us to a deeper dealing with our motives
- Psa. 51
2. By drawing near to God, light will shine on our motives - James 4:6-10;
2 Cor. 3:17-4:2
3. By coming boldly to the throne of grace - Heb. 4:12-16
4. By dealings with our heart - Matt. 13:3-9, 18-23
5. By obeying the truth - 1 Pet. 1:22; Rom. 6:17
6. By acts of obedience - 2 Cor. 10:5; Phil. 2:3, 12-14
7. By living in God's economy - 1 Tim. 1:3-5