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Legalism vs. Temperance — 5 Comments

  1. You mentioned about premarital sex. That's a big one nowadays (even in a church.) Speaking of calling sin by its name, when did we coin this term, "premarital sex" instead of the biblical term for it, which is fornication? If you go to dictionary.com and you type fornication, it defines it clearly as, "sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons." In Galatians 5:19-21, the so-called "premarital sex" or the right term of "fornication" is categorized under the same sins as witchcraft, hatred, drunkenness, jealousy, and even murder and says men and women who practice it “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

    This generation shouldn’t wonder why God is not blessing us nor our relationships nor our marriages for that matter -since we’re consummating our relationships before marriage. I understand it’s not easy when the enemy is constantly bombarding us with sexually-charged images in the media. I rather avoid media and make it to heaven than go to hell while getting entertained by the media (Matthew 5:30.)

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  2. In the text quoted from 2 Peter 1:3-8, we see the order given to the experience of those who will partake of the Divine Nature. It begins with faith, and there at the 4th "step" is Temperance. This self-control is the result of faith, virtue and knowledge...and nothing that follows it can be achieved without it. Without this moderation that comes from faith, there can be no patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness or Charity, which seems to be the goal of this whole experience. (I like "charity" over "love" because love can be shown in many ways for many reasons, and usually because of a perceived benefit to the one who loves, where charity is appropriate at all times, in all places and with all people. Charity is simply responding to a need it can fill. There is no other requirement to show charity. You can demonstrate charity to someone you don't even like, much less "love".)

    Temperance is often the road-block for most who fail to show patience, Godliness, brotherly kindness and Charity towards their fellow man.

    True temperance can't be legalism because it can only come by faith and will lead to the experience that follows it, and the love(Charity) that results is self-sacrificing, which no one could rightly call legalism.

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    • Thank you Robert. You've put the entire thought into context by reminding us that temperance is a step on the way to all of those better things that God has promised us if we do His will.
      Thank you for reading and sharing your wise perspective.

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  3. I like "dog story". That is very deep and provocative. That explains a lot of why is free will so important to God.

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  4. Such a good article on an important topic! So true that it is not so much about doing or not doing as loving or not loving. Anything that God asks us not to do is for our own good! He also gives us all the power we need to resist our selfish appetites. Meanwhile when we focus on Him and His love, we are changed to be like Him. Our every motive comes from that focus of Love, and our actions start reflecting that heart connection with God!

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