The Virtue of Restraint or Temperance

So we journey on to our next virtue on the list of many. The virtue of Restraint or Temperance.

I don't know about you but I am beginning to get a fresh look at all the aspects the bible talks about. The things that were written so long ago still apply right here in the 21st Century. How amazing is our God that would inspire a book written by so many different authors but be completely relevant in all generations. Praise you God! You are so great!

Ok, back to the topic at hand. The virtue of Restraint or Temperance, what do they mean? Well, here are the word definitions of each.

Restraint - control of emotions or impulses. Self control, self discipline or self-denial

Temperance- moderation, self restraint in conduct, expression and indulgence of the appetites. Moderation or abstinence from alcoholic liquors

Restraint and temperance are something we have to exercise. Not by our own human power of course but by the help of the Spirit within. They apply to our everyday actions in life that with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to gain control of. Some types of behaviors we need to avoid others we must gain balance in.

Job 30:11 - because He has loosed my bowstrings and afflicted me, they have cast off restraint before me.

God had allowed great suffering and affliction to come into Job's life. Those around him thought because God had allowed such a thing, they no longer needed to restrain there own impulses to be cruel and to mock. Although God allowed Satan to sift Job like wheat, did not give others the free reign to lower there own virtues.

From what they could see with all the affliction befallen on Job, I assume, they believed that he had been disobedient to God in some way. They took the liberty and decided they had a right to let go and not exhibit restraint. Don't we often do the same, judge others without really knowing and decide we have a right to step over the line. Maybe in a word we say to them or a word gossiped about them.

What we can learn from this situation is that things are not always what they seem and we have no right to make judgment or break our own virtue. As this shows us, Job was not disobedient, nor had he sinned even though others thought so. Those that mocked were the ones disobedient and ended up sinning by not having restraint.

Other scriptures in the bible also talk about restraint. Let’s look and see what they have to teach us.

Hosea 4:2 - By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed.

Proverbs 10:19 - In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

Psalm 119:101 - I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep your word.

So what do we see here? We see that breaking all restraint by swearing, lying, killing, stealing and committing adultery is not a good thing. By the phrase, with bloodshed upon bloodshed, I would take this to mean its never ending. One thing leads to another and another, which leads nowhere but into a pit of sin.

Also we see that restraining our lips is wise and keeping our feet from every evil way helps us keep the word of God. The tongue is like a fire we are told in scripture. When we speak, much sin can come from such a small part of our body. These two scriptures show us that we must watch our spoken word and where we take ourselves so we do not sin. We must be restrained in where we go, what we say, what we allow ourselves to hear and also see. If we do not exhibit self control in these areas we are likely to walk ourselves straight into sin. When we exercise restraint, we are reacting to the temptation by either abstaining or denying it. Either way the temptation is thwarted.

In a time like ours where there is so much choice, we must be extra diligent in the exercise of restraint or temperance. Self indulgent advertisement is everywhere, bidding us - Go ahead, have it your way. Sexual images assault us from every direction. We live in a self absorbed, self indulgent, self gratifying society. If we are going to be successful at walking in obedience to the word of God and living a righteous holy life, we must become intentional at the virtue of restraint and temperance. It will take our concerted effort to abstain from all the temptation around us.

We must eradicate the things in our life that tempt us to be self absorbed, self indulgent people and abide in the Lord. If we are to be victors over sin, we have to incorporate God into all the areas of our lives and begin to follow Him instead of lead ourselves.

For practical purposes, here are some types of behaviors that involve restraint:

*being thrifty or frugal (restraint is needed in spending our money)
*using temperance (restraint in what we eat or drink)
*having sexual morality or chastity (restraint in the area of sex)
*having modesty (restraint with respect to dress, behavior and speech)
*being politeness or having courtesy (refraining from discourteous words or actions)
*having honesty and integrity (refusing to yield to temptation to lie, cheat or steal)

I Peter 2:11 - Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.

Peter sums it all up for us. If we want our soul to be at peace and to maintain closeness with Christ, he begs us to abstain from the things our flesh lusts after. When we rely on Gods power to help us to use restraint our soul will not be at war but at peace.

Tomorrow we will move to the next virtue Courage or Fortitude. Hope to see you then, it's just getting good!

The Virtue of Justice

Today as promised, we will explore the virtue of Justice.

We often think of justice only as the verdict determined in a court of law. If you search the scriptures, you will see that God is concerned and attributes justice to the individual also.

We will learn today that justice concerns the individual and a virtue that would be of value to instill in our own lives. It is the description of acting justly with others that we need to concern ourselves with. Almost every issue we would consider as ethical comes under the notion of justice. So if we are to be ethical in our actions, we must begin to act justly with those around us.

As an individual, to have justice, we must moderate between selfishness and selflessness. We must render each and all what is due to them.

First, let’s look at the definition of both justice and just:

Justice - the quality of being righteous, rectitude, impartiality, fairness. The quality of being right or correct

Just - right or fair, equitable, impartial (a just decision), righteous, upright (a just man)

Genesis 6:9 - This is the genealogy of Noah, Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

Matthew 1:19 - Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

In these two scriptures, we see two men considered great by God described as just men. Noah walked with God and was perfect in his generations. Joseph when he found out Mary was with child was described as just and did not want to make a public example of her. Obviously, from the description here, being just in your actions is something God would attribute as being good.

So what else does the good book have to say about this virtue? How do we apply it to our lives?

Hosea 12:6 - So you, by the help of your God, return; observe mercy and justice, and wait on your God continually.

Proverbs 4:18 - But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

Proverbs 11:1 - Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.

Proverbs 20:15 - It is a joy for the just to do justice, but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity.

Isaiah 26:7 - The way of the just is uprightness, O Most Upright, you weigh the path of the just.

Habakkuk 2:4 - Behold the proud, his soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith.

Psalm 37:16 - He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

We are told that we are to observe both mercy and justice and wait on the Lord continually. Therefore, these two are greatly intertwined. When we take the path of just living we are like the shining sun and a delight. Verses dishonesty which is an abomination to God. It shows us that taking this path will bring us joy unlike those who do iniquity who reap destruction.

Our way will be upright and our path weighed by God. The just is also compared to the proud, the just being connected with living by faith and the proud shown as a soul that is not upright. Justice is spoken of as a light like the noonday which would show clearly the path connected to righteousness.

God himself is written about in the scriptures as being just. In Zechariah 9:9 it says He is just and having salvation. 1 John 1:9 tells us if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The God we serve has all good virtues in Him. He is fully just in all circumstances and with all individuals. He is righteous, upright, fair and right in all things. We can rest in the assurance that all things He does are fair and good toward all mankind. But as we see in Zechariah 9:9 and 1 John 1:9, we have a responsibility also. We must accept the gift of salvation that was offered through Jesus Christ, confess our sin and turn from it. In that we then receive the mercy of God.

Micah 6:8 - He has shown you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah tells us that God has shown us the way to go and what is good for us. To accept His son as Lord and master. The Lord requires from us to do justly in our actions, to love mercy and walk humbly abiding in the Spirit with our God.

So as a recap, we can apply justice to our life by:

*Being honest and turning away from things that are deceitful
*Showing mercy and kindness to others
*Living a life of faith through the Spirit
*Walking humbly with God and avoiding prideful living
*Dealing with others in an upright and fair manner
*Avoiding wicked things that lead to temptation of sin

Come back tomorrow.... We will talk about the virtue of Restraint or Temperance.

See you then!

The Virtue of Prudence

Lets look today at the first of many virtues that make up living a morally excellent life. Although, we must keep in mind that all things are lead by the spirit, it is of great benefit to see what God would say about these qualities and how we could apply them to our lives.

Philippians 4:8 says My brothers, your thoughts should be wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous or worthy of praise.

The agenda for today is the virtue of Prudence.

Prudence is not a word we really use today, so what exactly does it mean. Prudence is the quality of a person making them capable of exercising sound judgment in practical matters. They are cautious or discreet in conduct, circumspect and not rash. It is the quality of managing things carefully. Also it is often associated with wisdom, insight and knowledge.

2Chronicles 2:12 - Hiram also said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, for He has given King David a wise son, endowed with prudence and understanding, who will build a temple for the Lord and a royal house for himself.

In this scripture King Hiram is talking about Solomon the son of King David having the quality of prudence (sound judgment) and understanding. This meaning to be good qualities for a person being used by God to build the Lords temple. He attributes Solomon’s sound judgment and understanding to God and considers him a blessing for God and also his father. Using sound judgment and understanding, Solomon would be used by God to build the temple for the Lord.

I could expound a bit about the practical application for prudence but let’s look straight at scripture first:

Proverbs 8:12 - I wisdom, dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge and discretion.

Proverbs 12:16 - A fool's wrath is known at once, but a prudent man covers shame.

Proverbs 12:23 - A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaim foolishness.

Proverbs 14:8 - The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is deceit.

Proverbs 14:15 - The simple believes every word, but the prudent consider well his steps.

Proverbs 15:5 - A fool despises his father’s instructions, but he who receives correction is prudent.

Proverbs 16:21 - The wise in heart will be called prudent, and sweetness of the lips increases learning.

Proverbs 18:15 - The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 19:14 - Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

Proverbs 22:3 - A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.

Through these scriptures in Proverbs we are told several things.

First, wisdom dwells with sound judgment. Wisdom and knowledge are two different things. Wisdom comes from God and dwells in the heart while knowledge comes from man and dwells in the head. It is the wisdom of the heart that we as Christians are to acquire. We can have all the knowledge the bible has to offer but with out the transference to the heart wisdom is nowhere to be found. We are wise when we have sound heart judgment and understanding of Gods ways. Wisdom of the heart urges us to apply what we know and become changed.

Next we are told these things about a prudent man. He man covers shame, he doesn't let his anger rage for others to see. He is not boastful of his knowledge. He understands and knows his way in life. He considers his steps and where he is going before acting. He takes correction from authority. He seeks and acquires knowledge about the things he needs to know to make a sound judgment. He or she is a gift from the Lord as a spouse. He does not play with evil but knows to turn away from it.


To be a prudent person, we must know and seek Gods truth. We must seek the knowledge given to us from the bible and ask God to transport it from our head to our heart so we can be changed by it.

To put prudence into practical use we must keep in mind these three aspects:

* We must consider our past experience with any given situation. How did things turn out? Are there things to be done again or avoided that were learned from past situations like this one?

*We must keep an open mind and be receptive to Godly advice or counsel. Always seek and heed the wise counsel of those that are older, more experienced and more knowledgeable.

*Once you have a clear vision of a situation, know your goals, understand any consequences of the actions you might take, consider any special circumstances or obstacles that you may need to overcome. Whether they are external and internal obstacles, such as temptations, injustice or fear, to name just a few, they must be considered.

Although we are to abide in and be lead by the Holy Spirit that lives within us, we are still required to feed ourselves with the knowledge of the word of God. Prudence is just one of the many virtues God word reveals we should acquire.

Tomorrow we move on to the virtue of Justice. Stay tuned!

The Seven Cardinal Virtues

The first stop on our journey of exploration concerning virtues is "The Seven Cardinal Virtues". This list of virtues was initially derived from Plato.

Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived approximately 400 before Christ. Plato himself was a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. He was considered to be one of the great thinkers of his time.

Among the seven cardinal virtues were four which were considered "cardinal", a term which comes from the Latin word cardo meaning hinge. The cardinal virtues are called this because they are the hinge upon which the door of a moral life swings.

The other three virtues are considered theological virtues. They are called this because the object of the virtue is the divine being (Theos). The other four virtues at their extreme have vices and are only virtues when they are kept in between the extremes. For these three virtues, faith, hope and love, when God is the object of them, there is no vice in having an unlimited amount.

The Seven Cardinal Virtues: (taken from Wikipedia)

Prudence - proper judgment of reasons for action with regard to appropriateness in a context.

Justice - proper judgment regarding individual human interests and rights.

Restraint or Temperance - practicing self-control, abstention and moderation.

Courage or Fortitude - forbearance, endurance and ability to confront fear and uncertainty or intimidation.

Faith - steadfastness in belief

Hope - expectation of good

Love or Charity - selfless, unconditional and voluntary loving-kindness

I will stop with this today... Tomorrow we will begin to consider each virtue, what they mean to us and how we can practically apply them to our daily life.

Please leave a comment and tell me what these mean to you and how they have worked or changed your own life.

An Exploration of Virtue

I'd like to take you on a journey. A journey to more closely resemble Christ through our virtue. Let’s begin an exploration of the virtue we should all be striving for in our lives.

I'm not sure how many days this quest will take, so be prepared to go the distance. You might need to fill up a back pack with food and water, in case you need to replenish along the way. How ever long it takes though, be assured, with God, every adventure is full of excitement.

So what in the world is virtue anyway?

According to our trusty Webster’s dictionary, virtue is described as:
1-general moral excellence; right action and thinking; goodness or morality.
2-a specific moral quality regarded as good and meritorious.

Moral excellence. Not exactly something high on the priority list of most folks these days, wouldn't you say? Despite the direction of society, God hasn't changed and neither have his expectations of us. We are to live a life of right action, right thinking, and morality, filled with goodness that comes from the Spirit that lives within us.

With all that we have to combat in today’s society, we are still called to the same moral aptitude that was required when Christ walked the earth. Today we hear things like: "If it feels good I should be able to do it", "speaking against gay rights is discrimination" or "everyone does it so we should accept it". These things do make it more difficult to stay committed to virtue, but not impossible. God is looking for those of us who will stand firm in our convictions and stick to the word of God unchanged. But in that, we don't have to go it alone. He promises to be there with us as we stand unmoved and society continues to lose its moral standards.

Where do we begin? Let’s start with the second definition of virtue, the specific moral qualities regarded as good and meritorious. We begin to seek after and grow within us the qualities regarded by God as good and of merit to us. Not an easy task when your sin nature is fighting against it but possible by the power we have been given. The Holy Spirit is what gives us the power to grow and change the qualities within.

Through abiding in Christ and staying in communion with the Spirit, He develops, with our cooperation, virtuous qualities in us. We receive the very qualities possessed by Christ Himself.

John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

Abiding in Christ is the only way we can truly bear fruit. The virtues of moral excellence, I believe would be considered fruit in our life. As we work out of our virtues, we can then touch the lives of others.

But there is more than just abiding in the Spirit needed. We must begin to study and absorb the word of God. It needs to become part of who we are. The only way it can do that is to consistently dowse ourselves in its living water. Read it, study it, memorize it and meditate on it. We must eat it, drink it, live it and know it. Eventually when we do this, we will breathe it, like its air to us.

It will be the change force used by the spirit to mold our likeness. Then people will need to take a second look when they are around us. Thinking, "wait a minute, did I just see Jesus?"

Stay tuned..... Tomorrow we continue our journey! Let's explore a little more together.