Encouragement

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Add Temperance to Faith

2 Pet 1:5-6
And 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;
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Our life is that of faith and the just always lives by faith. To make our faith strong to support our fight of faith, there are building blocks to use to build it up. The bible says ...

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb 11:1

In other words, faith is reliance on the Word of promise from God which cannot lie or change and Holding on to the truthfulness of God's Word and constancy in such profession.

In fact, faith is your response to the Word of God. And this is what will build us up when we attend to it.

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Act 20:32

Faith is a spiritual force and it always acts in concert with all other spiritual force to work. Faith has its work, without it faith is dead being alone.

Apostle Peter admonishes us to Add ...epichoregeo..gk, meaning ...to furnish besides, ...fully supply, ...aid, ...contribute, ...add, ...minister, to your faith.

In other words, contribute and fully supply to your faith to hold on to God's Word of promise. I mean Grow your faith and make it strong.

Faith is not transferable but it must arise out of each person's heart. Therefore give all diligence to add to your faith. Furnish besides to your faith because faith has its work to be strong.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Heb 11:6

One is admonished to add to his/her faith, Temperance ...egkrateia..gk, meaning ...self-control, ...continence, ...temperance.

Temperance is described as ...Moderation of the natural appetites and passions, ...patience; ...calmness; ...sedateness.

That is having or possessing a control on your desires, passions and what the fleshy nature wills and desires

And 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. 1 Cor 9:25

In other words,
...temperance in eating and drinking;
...temperance in the indulgence of joy or mirth;
...sometimes abstinence, in respect to using intoxicating liquors.

Continence is described as,
...The voluntary control of urination and defecation.
...Moderation or self-restraint, especially in sexual activity;
...abstinence.

The Word as communicated to us by Apostle Peter admonishes us that, just as we voluntarily control urination and defecation, we should exercise the same control on our life of faith. To possess such controls we should add continence, temperance and calmness to our faith.

Temperance is a fruit of the spirit that must bear from any one born of the spirit to help us live a spirit filled lives.

Temperance is one virtue or character that will make or unmake us from our heavenward march. For Jesus not to describe us as workers of iniquity, the quality of temperance must be good according to the Word of God as Apostle Paul discussed with governor Felix.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. Acts 24:25

Why did Felix trembled?

We need to be Continent so that we do not defile the temple of God which we are. Without temperance, we will become incontinent and unrestrianed in our walk of faith life. We will defile ourselves with adultery, fonication and filthy communication. The bible says ...

Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Exo 20:13-15

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 1 Cor 6:18

Temperance will help us to abstain from fleshy desires that war against the spirit. It will help us flee carnality and embrass spirituality which is life and peace.

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Rom 8:6-8

Therefore be encouraged to add or minister temperance to your Faith giving all diligence to do so.


Be blessed

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