Adam and Eve would lose their self-control though they lived in an environment GOD had said was Good! They had all they needed, even more so than we have today! GOD physically walked and verbally talked with them in the Garden of Eden daily! Yet, they were given only one "not to" commandment by GOD. "Don't eat of the fruit from the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. For when you do, you shall die." (Genesis 2:17) They were satisfied to follow this one and only commandment...until Satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Eve. Then Eve tempted Adam. What was sinless became sin, not just for humanity, but it effected the entire world! For the first time innocent animals had to be killed to cover Adam And Eve's nakedness. This first shedding of blood started a shedding of blood throughout the animal kingdom and mankind to come! The curse upon Adam and Eve also brought down the animal kingdom to eat one another for survival. Survival of the fittest became the rule. The world that was once a Garden, became a world of death. Loss of SELF-CONTROL brought alive evilness, wickedness, disease, and death. Now, unsaved man is not satisfied with just having his needs met, but his "wants" have taken over to such a degree GOD's 10 commandments (which at one time was only 1) are being scoffed at and disobeyed by mankind throughout today's world. Use your self-control to accept Christ's free gift of Eternal Life. He will change your life in a manner that you will spiritually glow to those around you! I'll never forget when I was spiritually born again, my unsaved friends noticed a change they could not explain in my demeanor and character! I would individually hear time and again, "Susan, you have changed!" But they couldn't explain how. That's when my witness for Christ began. At that moment I would share, "That's what the infilling of the Holy Spirit will do to you when you have accepted Jesus as your LORD and Savior! You can't hold His joy of salvation inside you even if you try"
Praise Almighty Father GOD, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit, that He has brought salvation to mankind! The beauty of our Awesome GOD has brought His Beauty to this fallen world through saving our souls, knowing One Day, He will bring about His New Heaven and New Earth where there will no longer be any evil, sorrow, pain, disease, or death. Only Holiness, Joy, Perfect Health, and Eternal Life; being in the total Presence of our Holy Creator! The Glory of Almighty GOD and His Heaven awaits those who have received His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ! Matthew 5:16, "Let your light (the Holy Spirit in you) so shine before men, that they may see your good works (salvation's witness), and glorify your Father GOD in Heaven!
Jealousy; to want so badly what someone else has whether it's possessions, people, or prestige. Self-Control is being satisfied with what you have and not wanting what others have. When you are a Christian what you possess is very sufficient to meet your needs. GOD says, "I will supply all of your needs." (Philippians 4:19) Coveting covers many of the Commandments. "Thou Shall not steal" - is coveting what you do not have and taking someone else's. "Thou shall not commit adultery" - is coveting someone else's wife or husband. "Thou shall not bear false witness (lying)" - is the jealousy of coveting another's status or prestige by destroying their character. "Thou shall not murder" - is coveting the life of another by having hatred, malevolence, or holding grudges against them bringing you to take their life. As the LORD Jesus said in Matthew 22:39 he shared about the 10 commandments becoming two. The first being love GOD with all your heart, soul, body, and mind. The second being love your neighbor as yourself. Self-Control is our major concern in everything we think, everything we say, and everything we do. It is all being recorded by our Almighty GOD that knows everything! One Day everyone will stand before Almighty GOD and the books will be opened as well as The Book of Life. Those having salvation in Christ Jesus will be judged out of The Book of Life, not for their sins because Christ has forgiven them, but for their sharing of Christ's salvation to others and the help they have given to others. It is a judgment of rewards. Those refusing Christ Jesus will be judged out of the books. All of their sins of thoughts, words, and deeds will be held against them. They will be judged for their sins before being cast into the Lake of Fire where they will forever be in torment (see Revelation 20:15.) GOD's Elect who are written in The Book Of Life will be rewarded and enter into the New Heaven and New Earth where they will forever be in the Glory of Almighty GOD. (Revelation 22:12 and 14, Daniel 7:10,) Which do you choose?
Exodus 20:16 is the reference to the ninth commandment. "Neighbor" is not just the people who "live" next door to you, but everyone! It is the person standing next to you in the checkout line, sitting at a table next to you in a restaurant... Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 19:19, 22:39; Mark 12:31, 12:33; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9; James 2:8; Galatians 5:14 all commands man to love his neighbor as himself. John 8:44, False witness, lying comes strictly from Satan who is "the father of all lies!" Genesis 3:4, The biggest lie from Satan "you will not die" being accepted as truth in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve. The Fall brought about their immediate response of lying to Almighty GOD by bearing false witness against one another. Adam blamed Eve (Genesis 3:12), Eve blamed the serpent (Genesis 3:13), the serpent was cursed to crawl on its belly by what Satan accomplished through it. One known fact; when one lies, it doesn't stop there. Other lies then need to back up the first until the liar doesn't remember what he/she has said and their world collapses for the lack of truth. This also includes half truths. One may have said just enough truth to make another think differently than if they had told the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Self-Control of your words should be held high in one's personality, attitude, and disposition. For every word that proceeds out of your mouth, "Every idle word that men speak, they shall give an account on Judgment Day." (Matthew 12:36) GOD knows all of your words, truth and lies. There's so much beautiful in the world! Man shouldn't corrupt it by half truths, lies, and false witness against others. Love, don't hate. I love this shortened version with different pictures of John Denver's song. It is worth the watching! Take in the Love of GOD for you!
In today's world, stealing is seen as a right to those who do so! Some of their excuses are, "They have insurance to replace it; they can afford to buy another; I need it more than they do..." They have no self-control in coveting their "neighbor's" belongings, so they take them! The sad story for them is there will never be anything that will "satisfy" them. The more they steal, the more Satan gets control of them even to the point of demonic possession. Drug addiction is an example of the "reason" they steal; to feed their drug habits. Self-Control has become self abuse! Ecclesiastes 4:6, "...be content with what little you have..." If you look worldwide there are always millions more who have much less than you!
Luke 13:14, "...be content with your wages..." If you look worldwide, you will see those in bondage that have no wages!
Acts 19:36, "...be content and do nothing rash..." For when you do something rash, it brings more trouble down upon you!
Philippians 4:11, "Whatsoever state I am, be content." For if you are in Christ Jesus, you know the LORD GOD says he will supply all your essential needs (Genesis 45:11). In the book of Philippians 4:19, "My GOD will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Self-Control is knowing our needs from our wants.Self-Control is knowing right from wrong. Self-Control is making the right choice to not steal things that don't belong to us. It is so much more exciting when our wants get supplied by Christ Jesus! Know, there are "Entertaining Angels" all about us.
Exodus 20:14 Thou shall not commit adultery. Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus said, "You have heard it said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart!" Who is it that was lusting in this verse, the man. John 8:4-5, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The Law of Moses commands us to stone her." Where was the man who was caught in the act with her? The crowd had not included him. Christ continued in verse 7, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept pure, for GOD will judge the adulterer and sexually immoral." This does not just include those married, but also those who are not married! You may ask, "How can that be adultery if neither person is married?" Sex outside of marriage is fornication, and Hebrews above lists it as sexually immoral. Ephesians 5:3-7 speaks of this sin. Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands love your wives even as Christ Loves the Church and gave Himself up for her." Husbands, that's a great responsibility on your part! Ephesians 5:22, "Wives be subject to your husbands as to the LORD." Wives, that's a great responsibility on your part! Genesis 2:24, Mark 10:8 clarifies the union of marriage, the husband and wife become one. This is a mystery with Christ and His Church.
John 10:16 speaks of His Church as a flock that becomes one, separate from the world unto Christ Jesus! Again, John Denver's "Annie's Song" (in a different presentation from the last that I used)expresses this love in detail! And, how much more so our Almighty GOD fills up our senses!
Exodus 20:13, "Thou shall not murder." Even to just think so in your anger, you have already committed so in your heart! This also includes wishing someone to be dead! Matthew 5:28 shares this with the concept of a man lusting with his eyes after a woman, he has committed adultery in his heart though he has not touched her! Self-control is a full time spiritual battle! Praise the LORD, we have the help of His Holy Spirit's leading! If you think murder will keep you out of Heaven, Christ died for you too! Ask for His forgiveness and receive His cleansing of your Sin. The only sin you can commit that will not be forgiven is the blaspheming of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:29 which is claiming Satan's work to be Christ in rejecting Jesus as Savior!) Come to the LORD GOD Almighty and see GOD's Grace for you!
All of us who have grown up under the care of loving parents have been greatly blessed, especially those whose parents lived on into their older years! But, you may ask, "What about those who have had abusive parents or those whose parents were never there for them? GOD is always here for us! He is our Heavenly Father! He has always directed our pathway. Many who would never have otherwise turned to Almighty GOD, have done so due to searching for parental love. His infilling Holy Spirit has even made abusive parents see a change in their child that turns them toward His salvation for their lives! Come to your Heavenly Father through the shed blood of Jesus. There is no greater Parent than He! Love unconditionally, for that is what Christ did for us even to the death on a cross for all of our sins and for us to one Day be resurrected as was He to Eternal Life! A blessed Father's Day to all of you dads!
We were created to praise our Almighty GOD! Ecclesiastes 12:13, "Have reverence for GOD and obey His commandments because this is all that we were created for!" Matthew 5:37, "let your words be simple, yes or no; whatever else is from the Evil One." Have self-control with what your tongue utters, for GOD knows every word you say! (Isaiah 55:8-9, "My (GOD) thoughts are completely different from your thoughts and My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine!) He is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time), omnipotent (knows all things.) See May 25, 2014 post. You will stand before Him one day and give account of your life. Please let your words you speak of GOD and Christ be in His honor and not of cursing. The wonder of our Almighty GOD shows He Loves you so very much! Let your words glorify Him!
What exactly can images and idols be besides those of graven images? Many people become obsessed and addicted to materialism such as collections of all kinds and some activities that consume them even to getting themselves into deep debt and bankruptcy or even jail!
Deuteronomy 7:25 speaks of not becoming ensnared with materialism such as the things mentioned below: Some people have no self-control over buying objects of collections (whether art, cars, crystal, clocks, dolls, clothes, shoes, fishing rods, tools, exotic animals, the list could go on and on.) Proverbs 22:26 talks about the following: Some people submerge themselves in activities like gambling, bowling, football, baseball, auto racing, even exercise and weight lifting, hunting animals just for the "sport" of killing them and placing their heads on a wall for display.... When these things become a compulsion to do (no matter what), one has lost self-control. Hosea 4:12, "Drunk on sex, they've replaced GOD with their genitals" Revelation 17:2, "Sexual sin is like being drunk on wine (can you imagine the hard liquor and drugs of today!)" Worst of all is the addiction to alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and sex. These are the greatest examples of having lost all self-control. Deuteronomy 8:19, "destruction will come upon those who turn from GOD." Luke 15:10, "there is joy in Heaven when one (on earth) turns away from sin!" Hallelujah, Amen! Images of wood and stone are not the only false gods men worship, but any worldly activity that becomes an obsession (which God has said, "Thou shall not...") The only obsession man should have is for our Awesome, Almighty, Creator, Savior, Holy, Father GOD! The joys He brings to us far out weigh any pleasure (good or bad) that can be experienced in this fallen world! AND, He opens your heart to what awaits all of His Elect! Alleluia, Praise the LORD Jesus Christ, our Savior and GOD!
Jesus said it very well when He condensed the 10 Commandments into 2: Leviticus 19:9,18; Matthew 19:19, 22:39; Mark 12:31,33; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, "Love the LORD GOD with all your heart, soul, body, and mind; the second is to Love your neighbor as yourself." GOD is to be first in everything we think, say, and do.
Who exactly is your "neighbor?" It's all people, starting with our parents, children, siblings, spouses, relatives, friends, acquaintances, even our enemies. Matthew 5:44, Jesus said, "I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven." Luke 6:27, Luke takes it further than Matthew, "Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you!" Self-Control, what a responsibility mankind has as individuals!
Ezekiel 18:4-16, Self-control is not bullying others. Micah 2:2, Self-control is not defrauding others. Exodus 20:3Self-control is not worshiping false idols and gods. Exodus 20:4, Self-control is not making false gods to worship, or putting other "things" before you do GOD (people, homes, cars...) Exodus 20:7, Self-control is not using the LORD GOD's Name (Jesus Christ's Name as well) in vain. (Cursing) Exodus 20:8, Self-control is not forgetting to keep the Sabbath Holy. Exodus 20:12, Self-control is not dishonoring your parents. Exodus 20:13, Self-control is not murdering others (even wishing others were dead!) Exodus 20:14, Self-control is not committing adultery. (Including sex before marriage. It will be adultery in the past to whom you marry in the future!) Exodus 20:15, Self-control is not stealing. (Even for self preservation. If you truly know Christ as your savior, He will provide for you.) Exodus 20:16, Self-control is not lying. (This also includes "half-truths.") Exodus 20:17, Self-control is not lusting for what others have. * If you notice the last 10 listings have to do with the 10 commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai.
