Second Epistle of Peter
SELF-CONTROL, ENDURANCE, GODLINESS
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:6 (KJV)
In this verse we have three more excellences brought before us. We have temperance or self-control, patience, and godliness. It is well to notice how the apostle links these virtues together. Each one is attached to the preceding one and all attached to faith. Without faith none of these things would be of any avail. Faith is the foundation on which the superstructure is built. To have a finished building we must have all the different parts of the superstructure. To have a well-rounded Christian character, we need every one of the excellences of verses 5-7.
"to knowledge temperance"
In present day usage temperance is usually linked with refraining from drinking intoxicating liquors. The original use of the word refers to self-control in any matter. Of course it is important that we use self-control in connection with intoxicating liquors. A self-controlled Christian will not be a drunkard, nor will he be a glutton. In fact, self-control forbids excesses of any kind. It will put a check on the tongue – no torrent of anger or rage. We will be able to govern our mirth and restrain our fears. All our fleshly lusts will be held in submission. In other words, we will have mastery over every evil inclination.
It is often necessary to use self-control in things which are not in themselves wrong. To have a nice home or garden surely is not wrong, yet we need to be on guard lest these things become overwhelming, hindering service for Christ. Some put so much time into such things that they have little time to fellowship with Christians, read the Bible, visit the sick, etc. Some let their secular employment bring them to penury spiritually. Automobiles are a necessity these days, but unless a Christian uses restraint a car can become a hindrance. The same is true with television, movies, fishing, hunting, etc. Bodily exercise is of some profit (1 Tim. 4:8) and we should not deny an indoor worker the privilege of some form of physical pastime. But even in this, self-control is needed. Ball games, golf, chess, tennis, etc., can be a hindrance to one spiritually. This world's pleasures can quickly drown one spiritually. Too many of us are "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:4).
We need also to restrain self in connection with food and clothing. Many people dig their own grave with their teeth. Some people are like birds of paradise. Their feathers are worth more than their carcasses. May our characters be better than our eating and clothing.
In 1 Corinthians 8:1 we read, "Knowledge puffeth up." There is a danger of even knowledge of the Word puffing us up, so we need self-control to stay humble. Sometimes the lust for knowledge may cause one to lose self-control. We see this with Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan tempted her with the tree of knowledge of good and evil. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat" (Gen. 3:6). Her lust for this knowledge caused the loss of self-control.
Solomon was a very wise man. Beyond a doubt, his books – Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon – show this. Yet love of many women caused him to fall into idolatry. With all his knowledge, sexually he lacked self-control. This has been the downfall of many in our time, too. Let us be careful not to fall into this pit. Solomon himself warns of this danger in Proverbs 5 and 7.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:25, "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." In this connection Paul is speaking of the runners in a race and how they train themselves for the great event. We all know how a good and devoted athlete in training refrains from smoking and drinking and other excesses. Also how he seeks to get the proper amount of sleep and exercise. The Christian is running a far more important race, and it is more important that we bring our body into subject (1 Cor. 9:27).
One of the greatest parts of self-control is the ability to say "no." First, we must say "no" to ourselves, to sinful thoughts and passions. Then Satan must hear it. He will do his utmost to hinder our testimony for Christ, but we must resolutely refuse to do his bidding. Perhaps the hardest thing is to say "no" to sinful companions or fellow workmen. A young Christian was harassed by fellow college students. One day they demanded that he drink whiskey with them, but he would not drink it. Finally they said, "If you won't drink it, we will at least make you smell it," and they poured whiskey over his head. This is only a small part of what he had to take that year, but he was resolute in his determination not to walk in their sinful ways. He had real self-control.
If we are to govern ourselves firmly we will need the help of a stronger hand than our own. We will only be able to rule ourselves as we allow Christ to control us. If we permit Him to be Lord over our lives, He will give us power by His Spirit to rule over ourselves. Of course, this impresses us with the importance of prayer. We must keep in touch with Him or we will utterly fail. In this regard, it is important to keep in mind the necessity of Bible reading and fellowship with the Lord's stalwart ones. But own determination to control self is also important to success.
"to temperance patience"
Out of temperance or self-control will naturally flow patience or endurance. If we lack self-control we will surely lack patience. Self-control will make us patient with others and cause us to bear trials triumphantly. Self-control will keep us from saying things which offend others, while patience will keep us from being offended when others say things unpleasant to us.
"Patience" here would perhaps be better translated "endurance." It has the sense of cheerfulness and hopefulness in it, too. One might endure something, but be more or less irritated because of it. It is not in this way that we are to endure, but calmly and cheerfully. It also has the sense of perseverance. Many things may arise to try our patience. Difficulty, pain, hardship, affliction, even insult may come our way. How will we behave under it? How to behave under persecution is the principle theme of 1 Peter. We must bear all these things with cheerful calmness. Waiting also demands patience. How hard it is to wait; it is much easier to go forward and to serve. "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him" (Ps. 37:7). We must patiently go forward in our service even though the time seems long and the opposition fierce. "Patience" as also been translated as "immovable sweetness mixed with inflexible persistence."
Patience is inseparably linked with faith. Faith is the root out of which all other excellences, including patience, grow. Faith knows we are in the hand of the Lord and that nothing happens apart from His will, so when trials come it is easy to wait for His deliverance. When one is laboring for the Lord, faith makes the servant patient, realizing that in due time the Lord will act. Faith has confidence in the wisdom, love, and power of God, and can abide His time. Actually, patience is nothing else but faith spun out. To lengthen patience we must strengthen faith.
Patience and hope are closely linked together. Romans 8:25: "But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." The stronger the hope in our soon deliverance by the Lord, the easier it will be to be patient under the trial. We read in James 5:7, "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord." As we hope for His soon coming and the realization that then all will be made right, pati6nce is made easy. In the light of this soon coming, let us patiently endure all difficulties without grumbling or complaining.
Patience is a splendid virtue, but one not easily acquired. In Romans 5:3 we read, "Tribulation worketh patience." We can never learn to be patient, or to endure trial and difficulty, until trials come our way. As trials exercise us and cause us to turn to the Lord for help, we learn patience. The most patient souls are usually those who have had many and severe trials. We read in James 5:11 of the patience of Job. Whoever had more tribulation than he? Have you an irritable impatient nature? It is well to pray to the Lord for patience, but do not be dismayed if He sends tribulation in order to produce patience. The price you may have to pay may be great, but the results will be worth it. As we read James 1:3, 4, we conclude that the Lord considers patience as one of the topmost graces.
A great part of patience is endurance or perseverance in the things of the Lord. Many start something but soon get weary and quit. We can all learn a great lesson from a story told of Columbus. They sailed many days; all his crew was disheartened and urged him to turn around and go back. But he insisted on going further. All he would say was "Sail on, sail on, sail on." His perseverance certainly paid off.
As children most of us heard the fable of "The Hare and the Tortoise." They decided to have a race one day. The hare bounded off to a flying start, leaving the tortoise far behind. He laughed to think of the unevenness of the race. After running some distance, he thought, I will rest awhile and let the tortoise catch up a bit. He fell asleep and while he was lying there, the tortoise passed him. Later the hare awoke and wondered where the tortoise was; but decided to hurry and win the race. To his consternation, he was just in time to see the tortoise cross the finish line ahead of him. The persistent plodder won over the fleet, but spasmodic one. "Let us run with patience [endurance] the race that is set before us" (Heb. 12:1).
If we would win the victor's crown, we must let nothing hinder us in running this race. In Hebrews 12:1-3, Christ is given to us as one who patiently endured the cross and so has won the victory. He is now "set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Heb. 12:2).
Patience is not laziness or unconcern. Neither is it indifference to sin or troubles in the world. It is concerned about error, and sorrow, and wickedness, etc. A patient soul is concerned about all these things, but they do not cause him to sour, or get discouraged, or to give up. He calmly endures all these evil things for Christ's sake.
Patience is a great virtue in the eyes of the Lord, but it is not highly appreciated by men. It is mostly a quiet characteristic and so unnoticed and underestimated. If you are looking for the applause of men do not desire patience for they will not praise it. However, if you are looking for the approval of the Lord, nothing will please Him more than to see you have it.
"to patience godliness"
The next grace mentioned after patience is "godliness." The more patient a Christian is the more godly he will become. Verse 3 tells us that the Lord has "given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness." We are to do our utmost to develop this virtue along with the others.
"Godliness" is usually thought of as "God-likeness," but perhaps it is rather "piety" or "reverence toward the Lord." One who is godly delights in, and has real communion with the Lord. He also is filled with reverential trust, or what the Old Testament so often calls "the fear of the Lord." Godliness is really an inward virtue, but it manifests itself outwardly by a life of service, and a desire to be Christ-like. This veneration of the Lord leads to worship and obedience. A godly person loves the Lord and loves His Word, and desires to live a life well-pleasing to Him. He is filled with awe at the thought of the greatness, majesty, and power of God, and makes living for Him his main occupation. To sum it all up, a godly person is a friend and a follower of God. Like Enoch, he is one who walks with God (Gen. 5:24).
Godliness is more than formal worship. Some may attend public worship of the church and profess to love it and the Lord, but may demonstrate they know little or nothing of godliness, and some may not even be saved. A godly person will love the public meetings of the church. He delights in singing, he loves to hear the gospel preached, and the Word of God expounded. He will be found at all the Lord's Day meetings and the mid-week prayer meeting too; but he will also manifest an adoration of the Lord and obedience to Him at all other times. His godliness is more than just a form (2 Tim. 3:5), as it may be with some today. Probably we have all met some who could talk much about their congregation and preacher, but were completely mum when it came to talking about the Lord Jesus Christ. Sometimes the life too, of such, is far from what it should be. A church member who swears and drinks to excess and cheats on his wife may be religious, but certainly not godly. By such actions, a person denies the power of godliness (2 Tim. 3:5).
Malachi 3:16, 17 is a lovely portion. It speaks of those who "feared the Lord." This is practically the same as "godliness" in our verse. "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." These who feared the Lord "thought upon his name." In other words, they did nothing without thinking of the Lord and His will. It also says they "spake often one to another." They loved the Lord and consequently their conversation, not only in public meetings, but wherever they met, was about the Lord. True godliness will show itself everywhere all the time. How did this fearing Him affect the Lord? First of all, He listened to and heard their conversation, and the book of remembrance tells us that He would never forget it. The 17th verse tells three precious things; first "they shall be mine;" then, they would be like jewels in His crown when He comes, and lastly they would be spared as a man spares his own son. Truly great things await those who fear the Lord. Let us answer this question squarely, "Am I a godly Christian? Is my main purpose in life to please Him?"
If we desire to see a true picture of godliness, all we need do is look at the Lord Jesus. He never had His own interests at heart, but always those of His Father. He could truthfully say, "I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29). In John 8:28 He says, "I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things." And it was not only in speaking, but in doing, that He manifested godliness. His pure, kind, and lovely character all demonstrated godliness. If we are to be godly, we must be Christ-like. It has been said, "Godliness is Christ made manifest in the lives of His people".
