Self-control. God is not given to excess but always remains in control of Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ exercises mastery over Himself, always performing the will of God. The Spirit of God teaches self-control to the faithful saint. Apart from self-control there can be no walk in God.

The individual who loses his self-control in the area of lust, or drunkenness, or covetousness, or wrath, may be a follower of Christ; but when he loses his self-control he will reveal in his personality the image of Satan.

The spiritual life is not one of excesses. Christ has given us all good things to enjoy. Our age is one of excesses. People think it is strange we do not abandon ourselves to the flesh as they do. We practice all things in moderation.

Neither are we excessive in our religious practices. We always are ready to receive good things from the hand of God, not being excessively intent on abusing the flesh. There is a balance that must be maintained, or the worshiper becomes occupied with practices not productive of the true image of God.

The balanced Christian life usually requires many years for its maturing. Excesses in any direction, whether in the realm of the flesh or the domain of spirits, prevent the full expression of the image of God. It is well to remember it was God who created the material realm, and He pronounced it "very good."

Satan and his followers abhor the restrictions of moderation. Their way is to practice what seems pleasurable at the moment without regard for the fitness of the action or the consequences of it. If food is good, food ought to be eaten until the spirit of gluttony is satiated. If acquiring money is good, money ought to be acquired until there is ten times what is necessary for the conduct of life. If sexual love is good, it ought to be exploited in every conceivable perversion. This is the image of Satan.

The fruit of the Spirit is the image of God. The opposite of these nine traits is the image of Satan.

There are other aspects of the image of God, such as His wisdom, His knowledge, His sense of justice, His courage, His majesty, His ability to wage war, His capacity for work, and so forth. These also are to be developed in the human personality according to our unique calling in the Kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is the common moral image of all who are an integral part of God.

We have stated previously that the ambition of modern man to achieve great things in the world is a self-imposed burden. The acquisition of wealth or status or fame or power is not necessary for a successful life. A successful life is one in which the image of God is created. If the image of God is not created during our pilgrimage in the world, the full benefit of salvation did not come to us.

It is important for the believer to keep in mind that the present world and all its ways are passing away. But the image of God that is being created in us by the Spirit of God is eternal. We are being made the eternal servants of God. This is all that matters in life.

If we receive the necessary transformation of character we have succeeded in the only truly important aspect of our existence; for the image of God is the foundation on which every other dimension of our inheritance is based.

To be continued.