Restrain Yourself

This sermon, delivered at a church service, uses a vivid analogy of children in a gingerbread house to illustrate the balance between Christian liberty and the dangers of license. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 9:15-27, the speaker emphasizes the necessity of temperance—self-restraint—as a critical component of the Spirit’s fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) to prevent liberty from becoming destructive. Paul’s motives for restraint—glorying in God, necessity, responsibility, liberty, and winning souls—guide believers to use liberty carefully for God’s service. His methodology involves adapting to others without compromising biblical truth, as seen in his varied conduct among Jews, Gentiles, and the weak. Comparing the Christian life to a Greek athlete’s race, the sermon contrasts the fleeting, singular prize of an athlete with the eternal, shared prize of believers who practice self-control. Paul’s disciplined life—running openly, fighting purposefully, and subduing his body—serves as a model to avoid disapproval before God. The message urges believers to adapt to the lost without demanding conformity, using liberty to bring others to Christ, and challenges them to reflect on how temperance can enhance their witness.