How then do we gain control of our self?

First, and most importantly, we must recognize that Christ has commanded us to do this.

Second, we must press into God's Presence that we may obtain grace and mercy to help us in our pursuit of self-control.

Third, we must assess our own personality. Are we being led about by the passions and appetites of our flesh, soul, and carnal mind, or are we controlling our behavior by our will and the Spirit of God? If we are being led about by the spirit of the world, the lusts of our flesh, and our self-will and personal desires and ambition, then we need to come before God in desperation and confess our sins. We are to denounce and renounce every aspect of our personality that is out of control. We must denounce and renounce our unscriptural behavior. We are to bring every bit of strength we have to the rejection of our worldly, sinful, self-willed thoughts, words, and deeds.

Fourth, we must be praying and reading God's Word each day.

Fifth, we must assemble on a regular basis with fervent saints, as we have opportunity.

Sixth, we must give, serve, and do all else that goes along with wholesome Christian living.

We are in a battle today. The conflict of the ages is upon us. We must—we absolutely must!—gain control of ourselves. Otherwise we will lose our soul, Christian or not!

As we keep Christ's commandments, including adding self-control to our faith, Christ begins to be formed in us. Christ will never be formed in us until we keep His commandments. If we do not keep His commandments we do not love Him no matter what our mouth claims.

As Christ is formed in us, the living Jesus Christ who is at the right hand of the Father, and the Father Himself, come and make Their eternal abode in the new creation, Christ, who has been formed in us.

When we are filled with all the fullness of God, then we will keep the eternal moral law of God by nature, the new Divine Nature that has been formed and is dwelling in us.

So we see that the commandments of Christ and His Apostles are scaffolding that serve until the building is completed.

Let no person think he or she can bypass the scaffolding. It cannot be done. The commandments of Christ and His Apostles are enjoined on the natural man, the adamic nature. If we are not willing to place our body on the altar of God as a living sacrifice, making it do what the Bible commands, then we never will grow in Christ. We never will attain the stature of the fullness of Christ.

If we do not follow the Holy Spirit as He brings us to maturity we can forget about being raised in the first resurrection, the resurrection of the royal priesthood. I do not say we will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Rather we will be judged fairly according to the decisions we have made in the present life, the good and the bad we have done. We shall receive both the good and the bad at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

But to those who have ears to hear, God is looking for victorious saints who will be eligible and competent to return with our Lord and establish the Kingdom of God on the earth.

To attain such eligibility and competence we absolutely must live in the Spirit of God until we bear the fruit of self-control.

To be continued.