Will You Live a Self-Controlled Life in 2025? (part 1)

1.5.2025

Introduction

Live your life in the light of eternity.

As the return of Jesus seems to be closer than ever, the most important thing in life is to be right with Him, and to find out what He wants in your life, and fulfill it!

God wants you to put Him and His Word first place in your life. He wants you to love your spouse. He wants you to be close to your children and discipline them. He wants you to work hard and be industrious and not waste your time on things that in the end don’t matter. He wants you to live honorably in all your relationships, love and forgive without reservation, and treat others with kindness and respect.

The Antichrist spirit that is rising worldwide wants you to abandon yourself to every whim and desire, because you only live once. It urges you to give in to every base thought and feeling you have, to live for the now. Just forget the future! It urges you to anesthetize yourself with excess – partying, overeating, drinking, drugs, sex, watching movies, scrolling social media, playing online games (for the younger) and just filling your life with whatever you can to forget the hardships that we all face! That spirit urges you to downplay your relationship with Jesus and keep your life filled with other things.

So, which way will you go this year?

Will you exercise self-control?

Or will you go with the crowd and give yourself to all sorts of excesses?

God wants to use you to minister His life to people this year.

Will you let Him?

Our mission statement here at Victory is – Helping People Become Who God Created Them To Be.

If you haven’t figured out what gift God has given you to use in service to others, we can help you.

Victory Pathway is scheduled for Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 4:00 pm. There we can help you understand what God is saying to you as to your giftings from Him.

We have a spiritual gifts test that we provide you in our second Victory Pathway class that can help you understand what gifts God has placed in you to serve others.

This is a time to be careful with yourself and be self-controlled instead of being controlled by the winds of our changing world!

We are in an intense spiritual battle right now!

God has called us to live self-controlled lives in an out of control world!

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!

I just don’t know of a more accurate way to say it than The Passion Translation!

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (TPT)

But you need to be aware that in the final days the culture of society will become extremely fierce and difficult for the people of God. 2 People will be self-centered lovers of themselves and obsessed with money. They will boast of great things as they strut around in their arrogant pride and mock all that is right. They will ignore their own families. They will be ungrateful and ungodly. 3 They will become addicted to hateful and malicious slander. Slaves to their desires, they will be ferocious, belligerent haters of what is good and right. 4 With brutal treachery, they will act without restraint, bigoted and wrapped in clouds of their conceit. They will find their delight in the pleasures of this world more than the pleasures of the loving God. 5 They may pretend to have a respect for God, but in reality they want nothing to do with God’s power. Stay away from people like these!

One other description of today that is so applicable is Jesus Words to His disciples about the world just prior to His return:

Luke 21:25-28 (AMP)

And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth [there will be] distress (trouble and anguish) of nations in bewilderment and perplexity [without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn] at the roaring (the echo) of the tossing of the sea, 26 Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken and caused to totter. 27 And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great (transcendent and overwhelming) power and [all His kingly] glory (majesty and splendor). 28 Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.

Luke 21:34-35 (TPT)

Be careful that you never allow your hearts to grow cold. Remain passionate and free from anxiety and the worries of this life. Then you will not be caught off guard by what happens. Don’t let me come and find you drunk or careless in living like everyone else. 35 For that day will come as a shocking surprise to all, like a downpour that drenches everyone, catching many unaware and unprepared.

The time people refer to as The tribulation – a period of 7 years – is one of the most difficult times the world has ever known. Get ready for it.

Daniel 12:1-2 (NKJV)

At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.

The other side of the challenges is the return of Jesus and eternity with Him!

The Holy Spirit offers us an ability to live self controlled lives in the middle of all of that will happen this year!

This is a time to yield to the Holy Spirit and His ability to help you!

He imparts to us wisdom for each day from Jesus Himself!

John 16:13-15 (NLT)

When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring Me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me.

One of the fruit of the Spirit is – Self Control!

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Ask for His help this year!

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

We have the ability from heaven to control ourselves in an out of control world!

Here is a good verse for controlling yourself:

Psalms 19:14 (NKJV)

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

When I think of self-control, I think of 3 words:

Manage yourself

First of all understand that God wants to help us, not hurt us. He is for us, not against us!

Psalms 130:3-4 (NKJV)

3 If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,

O Lord, who could stand?

4 But there is forgiveness with You,

That You may be feared.

You can ask Him to help you manage yourself by searching you for anything that would detract from the life He has for you.

Psalms 139:23-24 (NLT)

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

The backdrop of this is that God longs to help us change!

Psalms 90:8 (NKJV)

You have set our iniquities before You,

Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.

Psalms 90:8 (AMP)

Our iniquities, our secret heart and its sins [which we would so like to conceal even from ourselves], You have set in the [revealing] light of Your countenance.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (God’s Word Translation)

Examine yourselves to see whether you are still in the Christian faith. Test yourselves! Don’t you recognize that you are people in whom Jesus Christ lives? Could it be that you’re failing the test?

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NCV)

Look closely at yourselves. Test yourselves to see if you are living in the faith. You know that Jesus Christ is in you–unless you fail the test.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (MSG)

Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need first hand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.

Ask, Lord, what in my life displeases you?

What do I need to change?

What in me would hurt others instead of help them?

What do You see in me that I cannot see?

Submit yourself

1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (NKJV)

For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (AMP)

But if we evaluated and judged ourselves honestly [recognizing our shortcomings and correcting our behavior], we would not be judged. 32 But when we [fall short and] are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined [by undergoing His correction] so that we will not be condemned [to eternal punishment] along with the world.

When I judge myself, I tell the Lord the thing I am doing, repent, admit that it is wrong, and ask for forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 (AMP)

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

Yield yourself

Exercise your faith in Jesus to overcome sinful or harmful habits.

Romans 6:5-13 (NLT)

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. 9 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10 When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. 11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

12 Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. 13 Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

There are four areas that we should exercise self- control in with God’s help!

1. Spiritual self–control

Make a choice not to be an emotionally based believer, but a Word based believer.

Put God’s Word above your emotions!

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

For we walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT) For we live by believing and not by seeing.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]—

Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)

But He answered and said, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4 (CEV)

Jesus answered, “The Scriptures say: ‘No one can live only on food. People need every word that God has spoken.'”

Make sure that you take time each day to spend with God in His Word.

God said to me way back in 1983, What is first in your life, make first in your day!

That statement from Him transformed me.

The Word will create within you a rest from the turbulence around you.

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (TPT)

Are you weary, carrying a heavy burden? Then come to me. I will refresh your life, for I am your oasis. 29 Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. 30 For all that I require of you will be pleasant and easy to bear.”

If your spiritual needs are not met, you will live on empty inside, and may easily succumb to the pressures and lifestyle of the culture around you.

This is NOT a day to live on empty!

If you don’t eat a satisfying meal, snack foods sure are tempting! But, when you are satisfied and sated, you don’t need them.

Read and meditate.

Colossians 3:16-17 (NKJV)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

2. Mental self-control.

Remember that your mind and emotions are best buddies. They tag along together.

What you think, you feel.

To change feelings, change thinking.

Philippians 4:8-9 (NKJV)

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

You will keep him in perfect peace,

Whose mind is stayed on You,

Because he trusts in You.

The Hebrew word for peace is double in that verse.

It actually reads – You will keep him in peace, peace!

Peace – Definition:

The state of quiet, rest, repose, harmony, order, and security, in the midst of turmoil, strife, and temptations. A mental or spiritual condition marked by freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions: A calmness of mind or heart.

We are to steer clear of mental drunkenness!

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

(Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary)

nepho …signifies “to be free from the influence of intoxicants”

(CWSB Dictionary)

To be sober-minded, watchful, circumspect. The word does not mean to abstain from the use of alcohol but rather to refrain from the abuse of it which leads to intoxication.

Nous is the Greek word for mind. So it is referring here to staying away from mental drunkenness.

We must refuse to obsess over the issues of life!

1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Rick Renner

— Sparkling Gems From the Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner

https://a.co/7Oem5N9

The word “cares” is the Greek word merimna, which means anxiety. However, in principle it described any affliction, difficulty, hardship, misfortune, trouble, or complicated circumstance that arises as a result of problems that develop in our lives. It could refer to problems that are financial, marital, job-related, family-related, business-oriented, or anything else that concerns us. This means anything that causes you worry or anxiety—regardless of why it happened—is what you need to throw over onto the shoulders of Jesus Christ!”

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP)

Casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

Matthew 6:25-34 (AMP)

Therefore I tell you, stop being worried or anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted) about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, as to what you will wear. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow [seed] nor reap [the harvest] nor gather [the crops] into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by worrying can add one hour to [the length of] his life? 28 And why are you worried about clothes? See how the lilies and wildflowers of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin [wool to make clothing], 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory and splendor dressed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive and green today and tomorrow is [cut and] thrown [as fuel] into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Therefore do not worry or be anxious (perpetually uneasy, distracted), saying, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ 32 For the [pagan] Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; [but do not worry,] for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also. 34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

3. Emotional self-control.

Put spiritual values over natural things.

I’m not moved by what I see. I’m not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe.

Philippians 4:11 (A.S.Way)

I have learned in whatever condition I am, to be independent of circumstances. I am schooled to bear the depths of poverty, I am schooled to bear abundance. In life as a whole and all its circumstances, I have mastered the secret of living – How to be the same amidst repletion and starvation, amidst abundance and privation. I am equal to every lot through the help of Him who gives me inward strength.

Our emotions can dominate us unless we choose to restrain them.

Emotions in a healthy person are generally a result of thoughts.

When we are feeling down or blue, we should check up on what we’ve been thinking about.

Thoughts fuel emotions. To change our emotions, we can learn to redirect our thoughts.

When I was young my emotions ruled me most days. Life was a roller coaster. I was up and down and moody emotionally.

Over time I learned to value the Word of God over my feelings and I learned to force my mind away from negative thinking by consciously choosing to think on scripture instead of the negative events from my past or present.

4. Volitional self-control!

Are you stubborn, or are you adaptable?

Do you have to get your way?

Are you easy to work with?

Are you easy to live with?

Do you deny yourself when your mind or body wants to do what you know is wrong? Or do you easily yield?

The will is the pivot point between carnality and spirituality in your life.

You will either be body ruled or spirit led, all based on what YOU choose.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NKJV)

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

Matthew 16:24-26 (NLT)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

Matthew 10:38-39 (NLT)

If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Matthew 16:25-26 (NLT)

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

Mark 8:34-37 (NLT)

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

Mark 8:34 J.B. Phillips Translation

Then he called his disciples and the people around him, and said to them, “If anyone wants to follow in my footsteps, he must give up all right to himself, take up his cross and follow me. The man who tries to save his life will lose it; it is the man who loses his life for my sake and the Gospel’s who will save it.

Luke 9:23-25 (NLT)

Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

Luke 14:26-27 (NLT)

If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple. 27 And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:33 (NLT)

So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.

John 12:24-25 (NLT)

I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.

William Barclay

He was saying that only by spending life do we retain it. Those who love their lives are moved by two aims–by selfishness and by the desire for security. Not once or twice but many times, Jesus insisted that those who hoarded their lives must in the end lose them, and those who spent their lives must in the end gain them. There was a famous evangelist called Christmas Evans who was always on the move preaching for Christ. His friends begged him to take things easier, but his answer was always: ‘It is better to burn out than to rust out.’ When Joan of Arc knew that her enemies were strong and her time was short, she prayed to God: ‘I shall only last a year, use me as you can.’ Again and again, Jesus laid down this law (Mark 8: 35; Matthew 16: 25; Luke 9: 24; Matthew 10: 39; Luke 17: 33). We have only to think of what this world would have lost if there had not been men and women prepared to forget their personal safety, security, selfish gain and selfish advancement. The world owes everything to people who recklessly spent their strength and gave themselves to God and to others. No doubt we will exist longer if we take things easily, if we avoid all strain, if we sit at the fire and cosset life, if we look after ourselves as hypochondriacs look after their health. No doubt we will exist longer–but we will never live.”

— The Gospel of John, Volume Two (The New Daily Study Bible) by William Barclay

https://a.co/9ruGPSM

25 Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity.

William Barclay

Once a schoolboy was asked what parts of speech my and mine are. He answered–more truly than he knew–that they were aggressive pronouns. It is all too true that in the modern world the idea of service is in danger of getting lost. So many people are in business only for what they can get out of it. They may well become rich, but one thing is certain–they will never be loved, and love is the true wealth of life. Jesus came to the Jews with a new view of life. They looked on glory as conquest, the acquisition of power, the right to rule. He looked on it as a cross. He taught men and women that only by death comes life; that only by spending life do we retain it; that only by service comes greatness. And the extraordinary thing is that when we come to think of it, Christ’s paradox is nothing other than the truth of common sense.”

— The Gospel of John, Volume Two (The New Daily Study Bible) by William Barclay

https://a.co/iKQIfWu

5. Physical self-control.

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NLT)

I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:27 (NKJV)

27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:27 (KJV) 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.

Rick Renner – Sparkling Gems quotes:

Castaway

When the King James Version uses the word “castaway,” it is actually the Greek word adokimos, which comes from the word dokimos, an old Greek word that means approved. But when an a is added to the front of the word, making it the word adokimos, it reverses the condition, which means this is no longer an approved person. Now this person has become disapproved, discredited, or disqualified.”

— Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner

https://a.co/09Z2bsQ

“This is a person who has lost a high position he once held. Although he was once honored and respected, he has now become a “castaway.” He has lost his testimony and forfeited his reputation; as a result, he has become discredited, dishonored, and shamed.”

— Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner

https://a.co/jdzBaAp

“The primary reason people become discredited and shamed is that they don’t control their flesh. Instead of crucifying the flesh and submitting it to the control of the Holy Spirit, they pander to the cravings of the flesh. As a result, they become dominated by the desires of the flesh, and those fleshly desires very deceptively lead them to fall into sin.”

— Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word sStudies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner

https://a.co/52LEQ2p

Subjection

Paul’s body, which he determined to make his slave and his instrument, was never allowed to have its own way. Rather, Paul kept it under his command and made it his slave for the purpose of accomplishing his God-given dreams. If you continue going the way you are going right now, is your physical body going to be a fine-tuned instrument that God can use, or is it going to be the very tool the devil uses to bring you into discredit and shame? Who is running your life today—you or your flesh? If the apostle Paul was concerned that he could become discredited after all he had seen and done in the service of God’s Kingdom, I think it would be wise for you to be concerned about who is running your life as well. Don’t cut your flesh too much slack, friend, or it won’t be long before it’s running all over you and telling you what to do. You will reap the same result as others do when they refuse to discipline their flesh. In other words, you will eventually become broken by it. Don’t join the ranks of those who were once used by the Lord but are now set aside and ruined because they refused to bring their bodies into subjection. Your reputation, your influence, and the souls of unsaved men and women are at stake. Make sure you don’t become a castaway after all the good you have already done!”

— Sparkling Gems From The Greek Vol. 1: 365 Greek Word Studies For Every Day Of The Year To Sharpen Your Understanding Of God’s Word by Rick Renner

https://a.co/6EuSkyt

1 Corinthians 9:27 (AMP)

But [like a boxer] I buffet my body [handle it roughly, discipline it by hardships] and subdue it, for fear that after proclaiming to others the Gospel and things pertaining to it, I myself should become unfit [not stand the test, be unapproved and rejected as a counterfeit].

Romans 12:1 (NKJV)

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Living sacrifice is an oxymoron. Jews offered dead animal sacrifices to God. We offer our body to God in sacrifice by denying them its appetites!

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NKJV)

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

What promises? Look at the previous verses.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 (NKJV)

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the LORD Almighty.”

Action Points:

1. Do you think of yourself as a self controlled person?

2. How often do you give yourself spiritual checkups to see how you are progressing spiritually?

3. Are spiritual things in first place with you?

4. Do your thoughts control you or do you control your thoughts?

5. Are you ruled by your emotions or do you rule them with your relationship with God’s Word?

6. How do you resist your personal tendency to be stubborn?

7. How do you control your physical appetite when they want to dishonor the Lord?