Self-control should be a staple of your life. If you are truly a child of God, your life should be marked by self-control. If you are not able to control your actions and thoughts then you are not submitting them to the Lord.
Titus 2:11-12 makes it clear that your salvation brings with it training in godliness and in self-control. The same spirit that redeemed you from the consequences of your sinful heart will teach you to live a life of godliness. This does not mean that you will never sin again, but it does mean that you should live a life marked by holiness. Even in the midst of an ungodly culture, believers are able to live pure and upright before God.
Your self-control is just as important to believers and non-believers around you as it is to you. Self-control will lead you into a more intimate relationship with God. It will encourage other believers to pursue holiness and it will point the unbeliever to the grace of Jesus in your life. You were not saved from your sin in a vacuum or instantly swept up to heaven at the moment of your salvation. Your salvation is not about you. It’s about the glorification of the name of Jesus and it’s about Jesus being praised before all nations. A life saved by the grace of God is a life marked by self-control and holiness. It points others to Jesus. Does your life point others to Jesus?
Titus 2:1-10 teaches us that self-control will look different depending on who you are and your current stage of life. Regardless of your age or your responsibilities, however, self-control will always focus on a godliness that comes from a relationship with Jesus. This godliness is a testimony to the divine grace over your life. It’s a reminder of God’s continual forgiveness and his overwhelming mercy to those who once hated him.
Jesus gave Himself as a sacrifice to purify you for His own possession. The outward result of your salvation should be a self-controlled life of godliness, lived for Jesus and pointing to Jesus in the midst of an ungodly culture.
