THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
“Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control’
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Kevin Pendergrass.
Welcome to the Gospel of Christ. This is the final lesson in our study of the fruit of the Spirit. Today we will be looking at faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Bible teaches that we must be faithful if we want to go to Heaven. “Faithfulness” refers to being loyal, trustworthy, and reliable. If someone is faithful, we know that we can always count on that person because he is trustworthy and loyal. The Bible teaches us that God is a faithful God (Deut. 7:9). We do not ever have to worry about God keeping His promises. God is faithful, and does not lie (Tit. 1:2). When Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, he said that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9). Because God is faithful, we are to be faithful. Since we are to imitate the Lord, and since He is faithful, then we must be faithful, too. In Paul’s writings he frequently wrote of Christians who were faithful. In Ephesians 1:1 we read, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus.” Whenever we talk about brothers and sisters in Christ, we have to realize that there is a difference in being “just a member” of the Lord’s church and being a “faithful member.” We must be faithful to the Lord. It is not enough just to begin the Christian walk. Rather, we must finish that walk, too. In Ephesians 6:21 Paul spoke of “Tychicus, a beloved brother.” Onesimus was one who was faithful (Col. 4:9). As we read of these, we need to ask ourselves, “Would we be considered faithful by Paul? Would I be considered as being faithful to the Lord?” In Revelation 2 we see letters being written to different congregations among the Lord’s people. One of those letters commanded faithfulness even unto death. Revelation 2:10 says,
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
In the original Greek, this carries the idea of being faithful even it means a person’s death. However, the principle and application remain the same. We must be faithful until the day we die.
Some Christians start out with the wonderful mentality of “I can’t wait to live my life for God,” but then at some point later they end up falling by the wayside. The idea of faithfulness refutes the false belief of once saved, always saved, which teaches that once a person has become a Christian, he cannot lose his salvation. Even if a person wanted to become unfaithful, he could not because once a person is saved, he is always saved. If a person obviously falls away, then it is assumed that such a person was never saved to begin with. But that is not what the Bible teaches. If Christians were “always saved,” then there would be no need for the Bible writers to exhort us to remain faithful. That would automatically happen. But numerous times throughout the Scriptures we are commanded to remain faithful to God. Paul said to the Christians in Corinth “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). We are to be “steadfast and immovable.” This implies that we can be moved away if we are not careful. The Bible teaches in 2 Corinthians 13:5 that we are to “examine ourselves” or test ourselves to make sure that we are in the faith so that we are not disqualified. A person cannot become disqualified unless he was in the race to begin with. A person cannot be disqualified from a football game if he is not playing in that game. We cannot be disqualified from Christianity if we never were Christians. We must be faithful, which refutes the idea of once saved, always saved.
Revelation 2:10 speaks about a crown of life. In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul also spoke about a crown of righteousness. A person receives those crowns at the end of the race once he has finished the race. Think about how foolish the idea of once saved, always saved is. Suppose a race is occurring in your home town, and you decide to run in the race. You register, and as soon as you sign up, they hand you a trophy. The trophy is not supposed to be for those who registered, but for those who finished the race. We must begin the race by becoming Christians. Then we must be sure to finish the race by being faithful to the Lord.
In what ways are we to be faithful? We are to be faithful to God in everything. But what are some specific ways in which we can be faithful? We must put God first. In Matthew 6:33 we are told, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” We are to seek first the Lord and His kingdom. This means that we put God and the church before our families, our jobs, entertainment, movies, or anything else. On our list of priorities, God must come first. We always have to put God first in everything we do. That is one way that we show God that we are faithful, trustworthy, and loyal. We also must put God first when it comes to worship. You may be thinking, “I always put God first; otherwise, I wouldn’t be worshiping Him.” But we can worship God in a way that does not put Him first. We can worship God in a way that can make us feel good or that can entertain us, yet does not worship God in the way He has told us to worship Him. In John 4:24 Jesus said, “God is a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” We may have the right intent. We may think we are doing OK. We may have great zeal. But our zeal must be tempered by knowledge. In Romans 10:1ff. Paul spoke of those who had a great zeal for God, but without proper knowledge. If we are faithful to God, we will worship Him the way He has commanded—in truth (Jn. 17:17). God always has commanded us to worship Him according to His standard. Our worship must be acceptable go God. In Genesis 4 we read the story of Cain and Abel, both of whom worshipped God. Both had the right intent. But one was accepted, and one was not. We must worship God according to the pattern He has given us.
What are some ways in which people today violate God’s laws regarding their worship of Him? Think about the use of mechanical instruments in worship to God. People say, “Well, David used instruments.” Yes, he did. In fact, he was commanded to use such instruments. But that was under the Old Law. We do not go by the Old Law. In fact, Galatians 5:4 teaches that if we seek to be justified by the Old Law, then we have fallen from God’s grace. We must go by the New Law, which provides us with authority to worship God. Under that law, we have been specifically commanded to sing with our voices and hearts (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), which does not authorized mechanical instruments. Someone might ask, “Where does the Bible say that we cannot worship with mechanical instruments?” That is the wrong question. The question is: “Where does the Bible authorize worship using mechanical instruments?” We must prove by the Scriptures the things we do (Eph. 5:10). We must open our Bibles and show that under the New Law worship via mechanical instruments is acceptable as God’s will. In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 we are commanded to “test all things, and hold fast to that which is good.” It is not enough to say, “But God did not specifically say it’s wrong.” There are many things that God has not specifically condemned. But has He authorized them? Think about the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11). We are to partake of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. God did not way that we cannot use hamburgers, cheese, Coca Cola, or Sprite. But God has specified what we are to use—unleavened bread and fruit of the vine. This eliminates all other types of food. In the same way, God has specifically commanded us to sing with our hearts and our voices, which eliminates mechanical instruments. We cannot add to or go beyond that which is written (1 Cor. 4:6). We must abide by God’s pattern of worship, and by the authority that God has given us.
What are some other ways in which we can be faithful? In our marriages, we are to be faithful. Ephesians 5 and 6 speak of how we are to love one another as husbands and wives. There can be no, “Well, the butterflies just went away.” We are talking about people who have a true love for one another. This is the type of love that says, “I seek my spouse’s best, and I have his or her best interests in mind. Even though he/she may not be doing everything possible for me, I am going to do everything I can for him/her.” Why? Because we are commanded to live faithfully before God—which means that we must love our spouses just as Christ loved the church. We also must rear our children correctly (Eph. 6: 1ff.). This is one way that we show the Lord we are faithful—by rearing our children in a way that is acceptable to Him. Think about how many parents today take their parents out of Bible class or church services in order to go to baseball practice or to football games. What are they teaching their children? They are teaching them that it is acceptable to miss Bible class or worship for sporting events, but they should never miss sporting events to go to Bible class or worship because that is too big a sacrifice. When we do that, we not only show God that we are not faithful, but we also are setting an incorrect pattern for our children to follow. If we do such things, ten years later we should not ask ourselves, “Why are my children no longer faithful?” It is because parents did not rear them correctly. We must be faithful to God, which means that we must be faithful in our marriages and in our families.
Another way in which we are to be faithful to God has to do with our morals. We must make sure that we are good, moral people. In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 we are taught that those who are immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God. We cannot be drunkards. We cannot partake in drinking parties. We cannot be “of the world.” We cannot use bad language. We cannot be an adulterer. We cannot be a fornicator. We must be clean, moral people. Revelation 21:8 teaches that those who are not will be lost in Hell for eternity.
We also must be faithful when it comes to giving to the church and to helping others. When we see a need, we must try to meet that need (Gal. 6:10; Jas. 1:27). We must be faithful in teaching others the truth (Eph. 4:15; Mt. 28:19-20). We must be faithful when it comes to being good stewards—not just of our money, but also of our time. In Matthew 25:14-30 we read the parable of the talents. We have to make sure that we are good stewards with the time, money, and talents that God has given us. We must use all of those things to the best of our abilities. There are many additional points we could make on being faithful to God. But the point is that we must remain faithful to the very end. We cannot give up and quit running the race. We must continue to be faithful.
Maybe you have fallen away. Perhaps you are a Christian, but you have fallen away. If you realize that you need to come back to the Lord, then you need to repent and do that so that you can once again walk in the light as God is in the light (1 Jn. 1:7-9).
Now let’s move on to gentleness, which means “power with reserve or mildness.” Sometimes the idea is that of being meek or mild. In Jude 20-23 Jude wrote,
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.”
Different situations call for different actions. When we talk about bearing the fruit of the Spirit, we must bear all of it. When it comes to gentleness, there will be times when, as an individual, I must make a decision to be a little gentler in one situation that I might need to be in a different situation. In Acts 8:20-22 we see Simon the sorcerer who had been converted to the truth. Yet he wanted to buy the power to be able to perform miracles and give the Holy Spirit to others. Peter therefore rebuked Simon, told him that his heart was not right, and said that he needed to repent because he no longer had “part or portion in this matter.” That was an aggressive rebuke. In Galatians 2:11-15 we also see aggressiveness when Paul rebuked Peter because Peter had played the part of a hypocrite. Peter ate with the Gentiles—as long as Christian Jews (who believed that males had to be circumcised) weren’t there. But when the Jews arrived, Peter abandoned his Gentile friends. Paul rebuked him for that. And it was a harsh rebuke. In 1 Timothy 5:20 the Bible says, “Those who are sinning, rebuke in the presence of all.” When someone is publicly teaching error, and we have an opportunity, we need to do the best we can to publicly expose that sin and show why it is wrong.
But there are other times when people will be easier to teach—like Apollos in Acts 18:24- 26. Apollos was a good, sincere man. But he was teaching the baptism of John instead of the baptism of the Lord (which is what we must teach by Christ’s authority; Mt. 28:19-20). Aquila and Priscilla had an opportunity to teach Apollos. They took him aside and explained to him “the way of truth more accurately.” Apollos was a person who wanted to do the right thing. He was willing to accept the truth. Perhaps a person is ignorant on certain issues, but is willing to do the right thing. We then can be gentler in teaching that person than we would a false teacher who has been teaching error for a while (or someone who continues in sin and does not want to change). Different situations can call for different amounts of aggressiveness or boldness. Every person’s boldness is different. Your boldness or gentleness may be different from my boldness or gentleness. But we must each be “as wise as serpents, but as harmless as doves” (Mt. 10:16). In Galatians 6:1-2 Paul spoke about restoring someone who had been overtaken by sin. This is not discussing someone who is continuing in sin (as Romans 6:1-2 discusses). This is someone who has almost been “caught off guard” by sin. How did Paul say that we are to deal with such a person? In Galatians 6:1-2 he wrote,
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
We are to “bear one another’s burdens.” In doing that, we “fulfill the law of Christ.” But how are we to restore a person? “In a spirit of gentleness” (power under control). In 1 Thessalonians 2:7 Paul told the Thessalonian Christians, “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children.” We should not use the same type of rebuke or aggressiveness with some people as we might with others because certain people are more willing to learn, or may have softer hearts. This follows the logic of the Scriptures. Hebrews 4:12 says that the Word of God is “a doubled-edged sword.” When we use the Word of God, it will prick a person’s heart. If someone has a very hard heart, it will require a little more pricking and a little more aggressiveness. But if someone has a soft heart, it is easier to prick that person’s heart because he is willing and able to hear the truth.
We must be very careful when it comes to accusing people of not being gentle enough. Perhaps someone has heard a preacher, and then says, “Well, he seems to be a decent-enough preacher, but at times he just doesn’t seem to be as gentle as he could be.” This is a very subjective thing. The critic may be basing on how gentle he is. Because we all have different personalities, and since we have all been reared differently, one person’s boldness may be different than someone else’s. One person’s zeal or energy may be different than someone else’s. I was talking to a friend the other day about a mutual friend, and I said, “I’m not sure if he is ever really happy.” Well, he is—but is expresses his happiness in a completely different way than I express my happiness. We must be careful not to accuse someone of not being gentle enough. If that person is doing what the Bible says, if he has the correct mentality, and if he is producing the correct actions, then we need to encourage him and applaud him for doing what the Bible says by taking a stand. We must be gentle as Christians, and we must handle each situation the best way we can.
Now let’s move to the last point—self-control. As Christians, we must have self-control. Too many people today do not exhibit self-control. It appears as if some people think we do not even have the power to exhibit self-control. In 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul said that Christians should be “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Paul is teaching us that we can have the power to choose what we are going to do. We are not born sinners. Some people teach that we are born sinners, and that there is nothing we can do. Some people even teach that if you are born a certain way, then you have no choice. But we do have choices. The Bible teaches that we are not born sinners. We are born innocent. Deuteronomy 1:39 and Isaiah 7:16 both teach that we have a choice, and that when we are young we are innocent. Isaiah 7:16 talks about a time before a young child “knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.” There comes a time when each person is accountable for his or her actions. But that is not the case right after we are born. Babies are not accountable for their actions. Rather, they are born in a safe condition. Ezekiel 18:20 teaches that we do not bear the guilt or sins of our parents, as some have taught. The Bible teaches that is not the case. There may be consequences that people have to bear because of certain situations (or parents). But no one must bear the sin itself. We must have self-control over our actions. We have the power to change. This is one of the most beautiful things about Christianity. It is something that we get to choose. Christianity is not a religion where we are going to go around beating people up if they do not do what we say. We are not going to kill them if they do not do what we say. The choice is theirs; it is up to them to make. It always has been an individual’s choice as to whether or not he wants to the right thing. Joshua 24:15 says,
“If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
If you want to serve another god or yourself, that is your choice. However, as Christians we will try to convert you. But in the end, it is up to you. We are going to tell you the consequences, according to the Scriptures, if you choose not to have self-control and if you choose to do your own thing because you will have to suffer the consequence of having Hell as your eternal home. We do not want that, and we know that you do not want that. This is why we will do everything we can to convert you to the Gospel and to the truth. You can have self-control. You can choose what is right for you. People make excuses by saying, “I just can’t do this. This is too much that God has laid upon me.” God is not going to give you more than what you can handle. I heard someone say once, “If God is giving you a lot of trials, you need to thank Him for the blessing, and you need to think of yourself as very faithful because God knows that you can handle more than some others can.” That’s right. God will not allow you to go through more than what you can handle. In Romans 12:1-2 we see how we are to have control over our thoughts.
“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. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
We are not to be conformed to this world. Rather, we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We have the power to make a day great or to make a day terrible—depending on your mindset. That is why we must have a spiritual mindset, and realize that we can have self-control over our minds and bodies. No one can make us feel any way without our consent. In Philippians 4:6-9 we read,
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 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. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Someone might say, “I think bad things all the time.” Well, quit doing that. People say, “That is easier said than done.” That may be true. But we still have the power to start thinking more positive thoughts instead of negative thoughts. We control what goes into our minds. If we do these types of things, then “the God of peace” will be with us. My question is: Do you have self-control?
If you are not a Christian, you may exhibit some of these characteristics, but you are not bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Before you can bear that fruit, you must become a member of the church (or body) of Christ (Eph. 4:4; 1:22-23; Rom. 16:16). How do you do that? A person cannot join the church. Rather, the Lord must add you to the one church (Acts 2: 47). He adds only those who are saved. You must hear, believe, repent of past sins, confess Jesus as Lord, and be baptized in water for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 22:16). We are told in 1 Peter 3:21 that baptism “does also now save us.” If you have not obeyed the Gospel, we pray today that you will obey the truth.
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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“Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control”
1. According to the material presented in this lesson, what is a good definition of “faithfulness”?
2. According to the material presented in this lesson, what is a good definition of “gentleness”?
3. In Deuteronomy 7:9, how is God described?
4. What important point did the apostle Peter make in 1 Peter 1:15 that relates to every Christian’s efforts to exhibit faithfulness in his/her life?
5. What type of faithfulness does Revelation 2:10 enjoin upon each and every Christian?
6. In 1 Corinthians 15:58, what did the apostle Paul command Christians to do—and for what reason?
7. According to Paul’s comments in 2 Timothy 4:8, what reward awaits every Christian who remains faithful to God?
8. In what way does 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 admonish Christians to be faithful to God?
9. In what way does Matthew 25:14-30 (the parable of the talents) admonish Christians to be faithful?
10. While passages such as Jude 20-23 urge Christians to be gentle, how, according to passages like 1 Timothy 5:20, should Christians react toward sin in their midst?
11. How, according to Galatians 6:1-2, should Christians react to those in their number who are involved in sin?
12. According to 1 Thessalonians 2:7, what kind of attitude did Paul express toward the Christians in Thessalonica?
13. What important point about human freedom is taught in passages such as Deuteronomy 1:39, Joshua 24:15, and Isaiah 7:16?
14. What important point about human freedom and accountability is taught in Ezekiel 18:20?
15. In Acts 18:24-26, how did Aquila and Priscilla handle an error in teaching made by a Christian by the name of Apollos?
16. What does Romans 12:1-2 urge all Christians to do?
17. What does 2 Corinthians 10:5 have to do with Christians exhibiting self-control?
18. What part in a Christian’s self-control does a passage like Philippians 4:6-9 play?
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