This training in godliness comes from the character of temperance and self-control. Paul says that we are “to train (or discipline) for godliness” (1 Tim. Instead of being wild, the disciple of Christ is disciplined in thought, word, and deed. The Christian, in contrast, is depicted as one who is sober-minded, chaste, modest, quick to listen, and slow to speak. 2:21), all of which convey unbridled passions and pleasures leading to destruction. The Scripture likens a person or a nation without temperance or self-control as a “city without walls” (Prov. The self-controlled nature of temperance comes from being Spirit-controlled in all things. 5:22–23) and ends that section by stating, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires,” so as to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. ![]() 5:18–21) versus the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. ![]() The Apostle Paul in Galatians 5 contrasts the sinful work of the flesh (Gal. The Greek word that can be translated “temperance” is often translated in more modern translations as “self-control” or “self-discipline” (1 Cor. Strong drink and drunkenness are in view when speaking about this subject, but it is surely not limited to this alone. Temperance today seems like something of a bygone era, associated with the “temperance movement” of the Prohibition and the outlawing of alcohol. This transformation takes place through the fruit of the Holy Spirit known as temperance. Sinners wrecked and ruined by the fall and their own sinfulness are brought into useful service for God and His kingdom. When thinking about the Christian life, broken is more apropos of the latter meaning than the former. A broken glass or bicycle is rendered useless, whereas a horse that is broken is made useful. The word broken has a very different, if not opposite, meaning when speaking of a glass or a bicycle than it does when applied to a horse.
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