“and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness” 2 Peter 1:6
December 5, 2025
The apostle Peter was writing to Christians who were seeking to follow Jesus Christ. They were having to swim upstream against currents of false teaching. One element of this was following one’s feelings rather than Christ’s commands. Self-control is the development of the ability to control one’s desires rather than being controlled by them. Among others, this means controlling one’s sexual desires (1 Cor. 7:9). It means controlling our wants, wishes, interests, so that legitimate desires can work to serve God. Am I intent on living a God-pleasing life by the ability to subordinate all my “wants” in the pursuit of God? This is a standard for an elder (Titus 1:8), a summary truth for the Christian life (Acts 24:25), and one of the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23). Am I making progress in controlling lustful thoughts that knock at my mental door? Be on guard and thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit, remembering that the short-fuse of anger can ignite a forest-fire of relational conflicts.
H
Reflections: What physical appetites do I have special difficulty in controlling?
How much time do I spend scrolling with my smart-phone?