04/10/18 SELF CONTROL IS A MANIFESTATION OF COMMON GRACE
I recently wrote about the importance of Common Grace, (the grace of God that keeps sinners from becoming full blown monsters) expressed through civility (among other things). I pointed out that the person who does not practice civility will move to more obnoxious behavior and character.
I came across a comment, which addresses this very idea. I was not looking for this, but I thought it would be good to share with you.
This quote was not from a Christian. Thomas De Quincey (a confessed heroine using author of the early 1800s), at one point said, "If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." Obviously the weight of offenses are reversed in this comment.
Though he was not a Christian, he did have an understanding about the fall of man. Notice that "incivility" is on the far end of the sin continuum in this quote. But we need to understand that it is from the least offensive vices that the other vices arise. If a person will not exercise self control (a gift of God through common grace) in the small things of life, then the more repugnant sins will manifest themselves.
God gives everyone a limited power of self control (though it is inadequate to resist all sin and temptation). If we do not use the modicum of self control to do the small things that are right then we will not be able to resist when Satan forces us to commit greater sins, until there is no sin we are truly able to resist.
When we make the right choice to believe in, and follow Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit of God gives us new life, a new nature and His own power to do that which is pleasing in His sight. Self control is purest and most powerful when found in the Fruit of the Spirit. We need God's Spirit in order to do God's will and the Fruit of the Spirit is the work of God in us.
Keep in mind, self control cannot overcome the sin nature. Christians cannot keep the sin nature under submission. The Bible says that "the carnal mind is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Since the sin nature is not subject to the law of God, it cannot be subject to our will or our self control. The only answer for the problem of the sin nature, the carnal mind, the Old Man is crucifixion, death.
