As the year-end festivities commence soon, it would be good for us to be reminded of an important Christian virtue called temperance. Temperance means self-control, particularly with regard to one’s passions and desires. The Greek word used here in 2 Peter 1:6 is engkrateia which literally means "inner strength" The verb form of this word is used in 1 Corinthians 9:24,25 in the context of running a race – "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things."

Temperance has been recognised as a good quality even by non-Christians since ancient times. Most of the ancient Greek philosophers regarded it as a cardinal virtue. There was however, one particular branch of Greek philosophy that denied the need of temperance at all. They were called Hedonists, and believed that life is meant to be enjoyed to the full. And they espoused qualities that were the very opposite of temperance: drunkenness, gluttony, indulgence of the flesh and all its lusts.

But what is the result of living a hedonistic life, a life without temperance? Anarchy! We live today in an increasingly anarchistic society, because of the growing permissiveness in the world today and the prevailing emphasis on freedom of expression, and on "doing your own thing." Relaxed censorship and increasing violence and immorality in the mass media are all evidences of this trend. Because of this, temperance is lacking today. People tend to overindulge their passions and appetites, and when there are no limits imposed on them they really overdo it.

In our own country, many are already caught up in the pursuit of a life of endless pleasure and partying. Shopping malls, amusement parks, karaoke lounges and most places of entertainment do not lack the usual crowds of young people. Children without parental supervision would experiment secretly or even openly with pornography and fornication. As this intemperate lifestyle becomes accepted as the norm, Christians are faced with strong influences to conform to it. Sometimes it is hard to resist the impulses of the flesh.

For the Christian, temperance includes two things: Firstly it means that one must abstain completely from the pursuit of any form of pleasure that is known to be harmful to the body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Therefore smoking and consuming intoxicating drinks are sinful pleasures. We should abstain completely from alcohol even if it is just on special occasions. Social drinking is often the first step toward addiction. Even if one is able to drink without getting drunk or addicted, the Christian who drinks risks stumbling others who may follow his example and end up in bondage to alcoholism.

We must also keep away from any pleasure that involves breaking any of God’s commandments. One sinful pleasure that does this is gambling, which violates the tenth commandment – "Thou shalt not covet." Gambling is a social evil that has ruined many lives and even whole families. But because of the profitable revenues it brings, it is a growing trend. Passengers on certain SIA flights are already able to indulge in in-flight gambling. With the two Integrated Resorts to be completed and running in a few short years, facilities for gambling will surely increase. We must stay away from such facilities. Why? Because our weak human nature tends to succumb to temptation and come under its powerful effects.

The most sought after pleasure in this world is sexual pleasure. This is a gift from God, but one that can only be legitimately enjoyed within the confines of marriage. That is what it was designed for. Therefore any sexual pleasure derived outside of marriage is outside of God’s will, and adultery, fornication, pre-marital sexual relations, prostitution, homosexual and other immoral relations must all be regarded as sinful pleasures. Keep yourself far away from them as well as from the mental fantasies that lead to them. 2 Timothy 2:22 tells us, "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

All that we have seen thus far is only the first meaning of temperance. The second thing that temperance means is exercising control and moderation in the pursuit of any pleasure that is not sinful and that is perfectly legitimate for Christians to enjoy. Anything that is good becomes bad when done in excess.

There are many legitimate pleasures and comforts like sleeping, eating and watching television. There are also various kinds of hobbies, like surfing the Internet (provided one avoids immoral websites), playing games, reading, body-building, painting, sports, and going window shopping. There is nothing morally wrong in any of these things. But if we pursue them so avidly to the extent that our relationship with God suffers and our responsibilities are neglected, then something is definitely wrong.

1 Timothy 6:17 tells us that God gives us richly all things to enjoy. But we must certainly not go overboard in enjoying them. How? By cultivating the important virtue of temperance. Firmly regulate the time you spend in such pleasures, and then discipline yourself to stop doing them when it is time to stop, despite the craving to seek more enjoyment.

For some people, the motivation for cultivating temperance is that it helps to strengthen one’s character and ability to cope with life’s frustrations. In an experiment conducted at a preschool on the Stanford University campus in the 1960s, children were told that they could have a single treat, such as a marshmallow, right now. However, if they would wait while the experimenter ran an errand, they could have two marshmallows. Some preschoolers grabbed the marshmallow immediately, but others were able to wait what, for them, must have seemed an endless 20 minutes. To sustain themselves in their struggle, they covered their eyes so they wouldn’t see the temptation, rested their heads on their arms, talked to themselves, sang, and even tried to sleep. These children got the two-marshmallow reward.

The interesting part of this experiment came in the follow-up. The children who as 4-year-olds had been able to wait for the two marshmallows were, as adolescents, still able to delay gratification in pursuing their goals. They were more socially competent and self-assertive, and better able to cope with life’s frustrations. In contrast, the children who grabbed the one marshmallow were, as adolescents, more likely to be stubborn, indecisive, and stressed.

While this may be an attractive motivation for cultivating temperance, we who belong to Christ have an even greater motivation for doing so – to become fruitful Christians for our Lord! This is given in 2 Peter 1:5-8 – "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; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Here the apostle Peter likens Christian virtues (including temperance) to the fruits produced by a fruitful tree. According to Galatians 5:22,23, temperance is part of the fruit of the Spirit: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." It is the answer to the sins of "drunkenness and revellings" mentioned in the list of the works of the flesh in vv. 19-21.

The way to produce the fruit of the Spirit is to walk in the Spirit, as the apostle Paul says in Galatians 5:16 – "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Walking in the Spirit is a spiritual exercise that we must carry out continually and repeatedly. In Ephesians 5:18 it is described as being "filled with the Spirit." It means allowing our lives to be directed, controlled and moved by the Spirit of God who indwells all believers. When we walk in the Spirit, He will grant us moral courage to overcome the irresistible urge to indulge in sinful or harmful pleasures. He will also empower us with spiritual strength to exercise moderation and not go to excesses in enjoying the legitimate pleasures that God has given to us.

Unfortunately all of us, and even the best of Christians, have a tendency to lapse in this walk. We sometimes ignore the Holy Spirit’s control, and we direct our own lives. This causes us to fall into sin. Because of this, our commitment to walk in the Spirit must be renewed often. Some of us may need to renew this commitment daily, while others may need to do it several times a day.

We praise and thank the Lord that the load test for the Beulah land was duly completed last week and our structural engineer had given the green light to proceed with the bore piling. Do continue to pray for good weather, safety, and the Lord’s continuous provision for the project. Glory to His name!