LIVING IT OUT · THE WALK WITH GOD — CRAWL, WALK, RUN, FINISH
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Temperance — Living It Out — Bible Study
LIVING IT OUT · THE WALK WITH GOD — CRAWL, WALK, RUN, FINISH
Temperance — Foundational Biblical Doctrine
OPENING WORD
Temperance is a walk before it is anything else. A child does not rule himself in a day: first he crawls, and is carried, and is fed with milk; then he is weaned, and quieted, like a child weaned from his mother; then he walks, and learns to refuse the evil and choose the good; then he runs — and everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. The Greek word is egkrateia (G1466, temperance) — strength within, a person's rule over his own self; and it has a companion, egkrateuomai (G1467, to be temperate), which is that same strength put to work in the race. The Hebrew sets it in one word, mashal (H4910, to rule) — the one who rules his spirit is better than the one who takes a city; and where that rule is missing, matsar (H4623, rule), the person is a city broken down, without walls. This study carries temperance through a person's whole journey: how he finds it when he can only crawl; how he walks in it day by day once he has it; how he runs with it and offers himself up like a soldier; and how he crosses the line at the end, where the crown never decays, and where the world passes away, and its cravings with it, but the one who does the will of God lasts forever. Search it out.
THREE QUESTIONS THIS STUDY ANSWERS:
1. Where is temperance found, and how does a person first come to it?
2. What should a person do with temperance once they have it, and how is it lived out day by day?
3. How does the race end — what crown is stored up, and who lasts forever when the world passes away?
(My personal thoughts — notice how the word is built. Strong's says egkrateia (G1466, temperance) rests on two words — G1722, in, and G2904, kratos, strength, rule — strength WITHIN: a person's rule over his own self. And egkrateuomai (G1467, to be temperate) is that same strength put to work — not something a person only has, but something a person does in the race. The fruit and the running of it are one word in two forms.)
(My personal thoughts — mashal (H4910, to rule) is the very word for rule: the same word appears in, You made him to rule over the works of your hands (Psalm 8:6); and God spoke it to Cain about sin at the door — its desire will be for you, and you shall RULE over it (Genesis 4:7). The rule God set in the beginning he sets first over a person's own spirit. And matsar (H4623, rule) means restraint — where it is missing, the proverb says, the person is a city broken down, and without walls.)
1. CRAWLING — HOW TO FIND IT
(My personal thoughts — every walk begins low, and so does this one. Temperance is not first a work of your own hand; it is FRUIT — and fruit is not manufactured, it is grown. It grows on a vine, and the vine is a Person. And the baby finds it where he finds all his food: in the word, as milk; look for it there like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure. Begin low, begin at the breast of the word, and begin.)
Tap Bible Speaks under any verse for its word study, other Scripture, and notes.
1.Galatians 5:22-23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
AS THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT OF ITSELF, EXCEPT IT ABIDE IN THE VINE --> NO MORE CAN YE, EXCEPT YE ABIDE IN ME.
3.John 15:5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
HE THAT ABIDETH IN ME + I IN HIM --> THE SAME BRINGETH FORTH MUCH FRUIT + WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.
(My personal thoughts — here is where temperance is found. It is written among the fruit of the Spirit, and fruit grows only on the branch that stays in the vine. Cut off the branch, and there is no fruit; for without me, he says, you can do nothing. To find temperance, stay in HIM — the strength within is his strength living within you.)
4.2 Peter 1:3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
HIS DIVINE POWER HATH GIVEN UNTO US ALL THINGS THAT PERTAIN UNTO LIFE AND GODLINESS.
5.Proverbs 2:4-5If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
THY WORD HAVE I HID IN MINE HEART --> THAT I MIGHT NOT SIN AGAINST THEE.
(My personal thoughts — notice where the young man's rule begins: by paying attention according to your WORD, and by the word hidden in the heart. tsaphan (H6845, to hide) means to store up like a treasure. The person who would not sin stores the word up inside, where the desire rises — the treasure is set at the very door the enemy knocks at.)
9.1 Peter 2:2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
I HAVE BEHAVED AND QUIETED MYSELF --> AS A CHILD THAT IS WEANED OF HIS MOTHER.
11.Isaiah 28:9-10Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
THEM THAT ARE WEANED FROM THE MILK --> PRECEPT UPON PRECEPT + LINE UPON LINE + HERE A LITTLE, AND THERE A LITTLE.
(My personal thoughts — who will he teach? those who are weaned. gamal (H1580, weaned) is the child taken from the breast and grown past it; and the psalmist makes it the very picture of a quieted soul — I have calmed and quieted myself, like a child weaned from his mother. The first temperance a person learns is a weaning: the soul stilled from its craving, and taught command upon command, line upon line, a little here, and a little there.)
12.Luke 2:52And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.
JESUS INCREASED IN WISDOM AND STATURE + IN FAVOUR WITH GOD AND MAN.
(My personal thoughts — and in case you think the crawling is beneath you, the Son himself INCREASED — prokopto (G4298, to increase), to move forward. He grew, and you will grow too. No one is born fully grown in this; desire the milk, and grow by it. Now that you are standing, learn to walk.)
2. WALKING — WHAT TO DO WITH IT WHEN THOU HAST IT
(My personal thoughts — the baby is on his feet; now comes the daily walk. Temperance found must become temperance WALKED, and the first rule of the walk is this: Walk in the Spirit, and you SHALL NOT carry out the cravings of the flesh. The way to rule the flesh is not to stand still and fight with it; it is to WALK — in the Spirit, in the daylight, honestly, soberly — and notice in these witnesses what the walk refuses, and what it puts on.)
1.Galatians 5:16This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS --> BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
(My personal thoughts — scripture sets two fillings against each other: wine, which leads to excess — asotia (G810, excess), a life poured out and wasted — and the Spirit. A person is a container; the only question is what fills him. Be filled with the Spirit, and the excess has no room.)
5.Titus 2:11-12For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
THE GRACE OF GOD TEACHING US --> DENYING UNGODLINESS AND WORLDLY LUSTS + LIVE SOBERLY, RIGHTEOUSLY, AND GODLY.
6.2 Peter 1:5-6And 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;
GIVING ALL DILIGENCE --> ADD TO KNOWLEDGE TEMPERANCE + TO TEMPERANCE PATIENCE.
(My personal thoughts — notice the ladder: temperance is ADDED — with all diligence — to knowledge, and patience is built on temperance. What you found as fruit you must now add as a step; the walk goes up as it goes on.)
7.Titus 2:2That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.
A LOVER OF GOOD MEN + SOBER, JUST, HOLY, TEMPERATE.
(My personal thoughts — see the tag under temperate here, G1468: egkrates, the strong-within person, the very root of egkrateia. The elder who stands before the flock must be someone who rules himself; and the older men too — sober, serious, temperate. The walk is for every age, and it does not end with youth.)
9.Genesis 4:7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
SLOW TO ANGER = BETTER THAN THE MIGHTY + HE THAT RULETH HIS SPIRIT THAN HE THAT TAKETH A CITY.
(My personal thoughts — set the two words for rule together. To Cain it was said of sin, you shall RULE over it — mashal (H4910, to rule) — the first command about temperance in the whole book, spoken at a door where desire waited. And the proverb crowns the same word: the one who rules his spirit is BETTER than the one who takes a city. The world counts the one who takes the city as the mighty man; God counts the one who rules his spirit as mightier.)
11.Proverbs 25:16Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.
(My personal thoughts — the daily walk of temperance goes mostly through a small gate: the mouth — and the gate works two ways. Food goes in: even with honey, a good and sweet thing, the word says, eat only as much as is SUFFICIENT — day (H1767, sufficient), enough. Words go out: be quick to hear, SLOW to speak, slow to anger. Rule the gate, and you have ruled much of the walk. Walk like this, and you are ready to run.)
3. RUNNING THE RACE — YIELD IT LIKE A SOLDIER IN GOD'S ARMY
(My personal thoughts — now the walk becomes a race, and the race a war. Notice a hidden thing in one place: I therefore so RUN, Paul says, and in the same breath, so I FIGHT — the runner and the fighter are one person. And see where his blows land: not on another person — I keep my body UNDER, hupopiazo (G5299, to keep under), which Strong's translates as to strike beneath the eye. The first enemy of the temperate person is his own flesh; and the surrender of that flesh to God is the soldier's whole duty.)
1.1 Corinthians 9:24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
THEY WHICH RUN IN A RACE RUN ALL + SO RUN, THAT YE MAY OBTAIN.
2.1 Corinthians 9:25And 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.
SO RUN, NOT AS UNCERTAINLY + SO FIGHT I, NOT AS ONE THAT BEATETH THE AIR.
4.1 Corinthians 9:27But 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.
(My personal thoughts — bring it into subjection is doulagogeo (G1396), to lead as a servant. The body is a good servant and a bad master; the runner makes it serve. And notice WHY: so that, after preaching to others, he himself is not disqualified. The race is lost nowhere sooner than in a person's own unruly body.)
5.2 Timothy 2:3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
IF A MAN STRIVE FOR MASTERIES --> HE IS NOT CROWNED, EXCEPT HE STRIVE LAWFULLY.
(My personal thoughts — strive for masteries is athleo (G118), to compete as in the games; and the crown depends on one word: LAWFULLY. The soldier does not go entangled; the competitor does not go off course. Temperance is keeping the whole course under rule — everything in order, so the crown is not lost in the running.)
8.2 Timothy 2:22Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
AS STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS --> ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS, WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL.
10.Romans 6:13Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
THE WEAPONS OF OUR WARFARE ARE NOT CARNAL --> MIGHTY THROUGH GOD TO THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONG HOLDS.
12.2 Corinthians 10:5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
CASTING DOWN IMAGINATIONS + BRINGING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.
(My personal thoughts — notice the tags: the instruments of righteousness in Romans and the weapons of our warfare in Corinthians are ONE Greek word — G3696 under both, hoplon, armor, weapons. Surrender your body parts to God, and your body parts ARE his weapons. And the war is fought inside first: arguments torn down, and EVERY THOUGHT taken captive — the temperate person takes his own thoughts captive before he ever meets an enemy outside.)
13.Proverbs 25:28He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
HE THAT HATH NO RULE OVER HIS OWN SPIRIT = A CITY THAT IS BROKEN DOWN, AND WITHOUT WALLS.
(My personal thoughts — and here stands the soldier's warning: the person without rule is not compared to a fallen soldier, but to a fallen CITY — broken down, and without walls. No enemy needs to capture him; he lies open already. Guard your walls, and stay alert.)
14.Hebrews 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT + RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US.
(My personal thoughts — the runner lays aside every WEIGHT — ogkos (G3591, weight), a mass carried. Not every weight is a sin; but every weight does slow you down. The soldier carries no more than the war requires, and the runner no more than the race. Lay it down, and run with patience; the finish line is ahead of you.)
4. THE FINISH LINE — THE DOER OF HIS WILL, AND THE WORD, ABIDETH FOR EVER
(My personal thoughts — every race has an end, and this end is not a wall; it is a crown. Hear Paul at the finish line: the fight fought, the course finished, the faith kept. And notice what the end proves about temperance: the world passes away, and its CRAVINGS with it — every desire a person served is passing away along with the world that produced it — but the one who does the will of God lasts forever. The temperate person let go of what passes away, and kept what lasts.)
1.Philippians 3:13-14Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
I HAVE FOUGHT A GOOD FIGHT + I HAVE FINISHED MY COURSE + I HAVE KEPT THE FAITH.
3.2 Timothy 4:8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
A CROWN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS + NOT TO ME ONLY, BUT UNTO ALL THEM ALSO THAT LOVE HIS APPEARING.
(My personal thoughts — the crown is not for one runner only. Not to me only, Paul says, but to ALL those also who love his appearing. And it is a crown that CANNOT DECAY — those who ran for crowns that decay were temperate in all things; how much more those who run for this one.)
4.Hebrews 12:2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
LOOKING UNTO JESUS = THE AUTHOR AND FINISHER OF OUR FAITH --> HE ENDURED THE CROSS.
5.James 1:12Blessed is the man that endurethtemptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
HE THAT SHALL ENDURE UNTO THE END --> THE SAME SHALL BE SAVED.
7.1 John 2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
THE WORLD PASSETH AWAY, AND THE LUST THEREOF --> HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF GOD ABIDETH FOR EVER.
(My personal thoughts — now see the tag, G3306, and notice it well: the word translated LASTS here is the very same word translated ABIDE in the vine — abide in me — and the very same word translated ENDURES in the word of the Lord endures forever. The branch remains in the vine; the one who does his will lasts forever; and the word remains with them both. What the craving promised, it could not keep, because the craving itself passes away with the world; what the vine produces, remains.)
9.1 Peter 1:24For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
THE GRASS WITHERETH, THE FLOWER FADETH + THE WORD OF OUR GOD SHALL STAND FOR EVER.
(My personal thoughts — set Peter next to Isaiah, and hear one voice: the grass withers, the flower fades, and all flesh — with every appetite it has — is that grass; but the word of our God will stand forever. The flesh the temperate person refused to serve was withering even while it cried to be served. The word he walked by still stands when the grass is gone.)
MOUTH OF TWO
1 Thessalonians 5:6Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT --> YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL WALKETH ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR.
1 Peter 1:13Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
IN THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES SHALL EVERY WORD BE ESTABLISHED.
(My personal thoughts — hear the two speakers, and notice the mirror in the tags: Paul says, let us WATCH and be SOBER — gregoreo, nepho; Peter says, be SOBER, be VIGILANT — nepho, gregoreo. The same two words, one speaker answering the other, reversed like a face answering a face. And Peter sets the sobriety at the finish line: be sober, and hope TO THE END. By the testimony of two witnesses the matter is settled: the temperate person is a waking person, sober until the coming of his Lord.)
THE SHADOW AND THE FULFILLMENT
12.Daniel 1:8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
THEY THAT ARE CHRIST'S HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH THE AFFECTIONS AND LUSTS.
(My personal thoughts — the shadow is a child in a foreign king's house. Daniel PURPOSED in his heart — suwm (H7760), to set: he set it on his heart before the food was set in front of him — and he would not defile himself with the king's portion. The reality is the Son in the wilderness, hungry, with the tempter telling him to command bread to appear; and he answered not with his hunger but with the word: It is written. The shadow refused a king's table by a decision of the heart; the reality overcame by every word out of the mouth of God; and those who belong to him have crucified the flesh with its passions and cravings — his victory has become their way.)
CLOSING
1 Corinthians 10:13There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
GOD IS FAITHFUL --> WITH THE TEMPTATION ALSO MAKE A WAY TO ESCAPE, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO BEAR IT.
1 Thessalonians 5:23-24And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
THE VERY GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY + SPIRIT AND SOUL AND BODY PRESERVED BLAMELESS --> FAITHFUL IS HE THAT CALLETH YOU, WHO ALSO WILL DO IT.
(My personal thoughts — now gather the whole way home. First the crawling: temperance is fruit, found on the vine, drawn as milk from the word — look for it like silver. Then the walking: walk in the Spirit, and the craving is not carried out; rule your spirit; guard the gate of your mouth; eat only what is enough. Then the race and the war: temperate in ALL things; the body kept under control; the body parts offered as weapons of righteousness; every thought taken captive. Then the finish line: the world passes away, and its cravings with it, but the one who does his will lasts forever, and the crown cannot decay. And the keeping is not yours alone: God is FAITHFUL — with the temptation, a way to escape; and may the God of peace himself make you holy COMPLETELY — see the tag, G3651: Strong's says whole to the end — spirit and soul and BODY kept blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is the one who calls you, who also WILL DO IT. Walk on.)
GREEK KEYWORDS
These are the keywords for this study. Tap any dotted word in the verses above to see its meaning here.
1. Galatians 5:22-23 — The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is:
a) no condemnation
b) no commandment
c) no law
2. 1 Corinthians 9:25 — And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate:
a) in the race
b) in all things
c) in this present world
3. Proverbs 16:32 — He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than:
a) he that taketh a city
b) the mighty
c) a city that is broken down
4. 1 Peter 5:8 — Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion:
a) entangleth himself with the affairs of this life
b) warreth against the soul
c) walketh about, seeking whom he may devour
5. Daniel 1:8 — Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with:
a) the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine
b) the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life
c) the affairs of this life
6. 1 John 2:17 — And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God:
a) shall receive the crown of life
b) abideth for ever
c) shall be saved
7. 1 Corinthians 9:27 — But I keep under my body, and:
a) yield it as an instrument of righteousness
b) lay aside every weight
c) bring it into subjection
ANSWER KEY: 1-c, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c, 5-a, 6-b, 7-c
HOW THIS STUDY BRANCHES
--> How the shadow brings light: a child in the king's house purposed in his heart, and would not defile himself with the king's meat, nor with the wine (Daniel 1:8) — set him beside the Nazarite that separates himself from wine and strong drink (Numbers 6:2-3), and beside be not drunk with wine... but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), ready for its own study.
--> How the new covenant expounds it: to Cain it was said, sin lies at the door... you will rule over him (Genesis 4:7); to us it is said, sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14) — what was commanded at the door is now worked by grace.
--> How the words matter: watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:6) and Be sober, be vigilant (1 Peter 5:8) stand upon the same two Greek words (G1127, G3525), the one mouth answering the other; and the instruments of Romans 6:13 and the weapons of 2 Corinthians 10:4 are one word (G3696) — the yielded members are the armour.
--> How it reaches to eternity: they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible (1 Corinthians 9:25) — and the world passes away, and its lust: but he who does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:17).
--> Rabbit trail: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour (1 Thessalonians 4:4) opens onto the vessel for honor, sanctified, and fit for the master's use (2 Timothy 2:21) — search it out.
--> Possible revelation: the word rendered abide in the vine (John 15:4, G3306) is the word rendered abideth for ever (1 John 2:17) and endureth for ever (1 Peter 1:25) — temperance is fruit, fruit grows on the branch that abides, and the abiding branch abides with the word, for ever.
