Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
Many years ago when I was still in high school, I learned how to sail, and have been doing it ever since. About 10 years ago I picked up a super cheap old nacra catamaran that I had to patch up and repair because one of the hulls was badly cracked. I actually had to completely rebuild the entire rear end of one of the pontoons in order to have the rudder function properly. Even one of the sails was ripped, and one evening in the living room I sewed it back together. When it finally was seaworthy, we took that sailboat out on the lake for many years. But for those of you who really don’t know much about catamarans, it can be a wild ride because they can be just like riding a bucking bronco. When the white caps are just forming on the lake, and you get out into a 20mph wind, you had better watch out, because it will begin to fight against your control, and will try to do whatever it can to throw you off. In many ways it’s like taming a wild animal and bringing it into subjection to your will. In the right conditions, these boats are incredibly powerful but you had better make sure that you are capable of bringing it completely under your control.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Like taming a Nacra, we need to be in complete control of our actions. Like any marathon runner, you are going to have to train your muscles to do the things that they are unwilling to do. To win the prize of eternal life, the wildness of one’s youth, and the sinful desires of the flesh will need to be brought into complete subjection to the will of the Holy Spirit. The sinful nature can be very powerful, but we must resist it and bring it under our control.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (KJB) Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Temperance is being able to be in control of oneself in all things. It is to be in charge of one’s actions, behavior and lifestyle and bringing your thoughts and feelings into complete submission to your will. To be successful in the Christian Life, you must have this quality, otherwise everything else will fall by the wayside.
Titus 2:2 (KJB) That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
Many people claim that they will be in heaven no matter what, but they don’t make that decision, Jesus will. The only people that will be able to obtain that world, will be the ones who have completely submitted themselves to God’s will and purpose. In order to depart from iniquity as the scriptures clearly teach, you must possess the quality of temperance, otherwise you will come up short of God’s requirements. Many people believe that they are going to heaven simply because they claim Jesus as their Lord, but it’s going to require much more than that. Sin must be renounced in one’s life, in order to someday enter into eternal life.
Matthew 7:21-23 (KJB) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
This is why the once saved, always saved heresy completely destroys the doctrines of repentance, faith, and subjection to the teachings of the one true faith. The Christian Life requires effort on our part, and it is a race that we must run to win. What runner would get part of the way and then sit down on the bench and do nothing. But at the same time, they still believe that they are going to win the race. What utter foolishness. False prophets have taught this doctrine for years and have caused many people to believe a lie. The Apostle understood that he could be cast away from God, and even come short of eternal life. To prevent these types of things from happening requires temperance and self-control. These are qualities that are an integral part of a successful Christian Life.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJB) …….and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Being in control of yourself is very important in the Christian Life. In fact if you can control your tongue, everything else will fall in line.
James 3:1-8 (KJB) My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
To tame and control the tongue will require temperance which is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Without temperance, you will find liars, false accusers, gossips and evil speakers, not to mention many other works of the flesh.
2 Peter 1:5-6 (KJB) 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;
So the next time that you go out and drive your car, you will need to keep it under your control in order to drive safely, and to safely live the Christian Life, we must also be in complete control of what we do, something I’m always reminded of, each time that I’m…..
……Taming the Nacra
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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