Self-Control is exactly what we need. To follow your feelings leads you to do wrong and then striving to justify that it is okay because it felt good.
A review of expectations by GOD and our problem.
We start with having only one rule, don’t eat of the tree in the middle of the garden. We failed. Is The ALMIGHTY expecting to much of us? Just the opposite, we demand to little of ourselves. We don’t really try. We are caught up in: Me; I feel; I want; I need; I; I; I. Is this the right thing to do? Is there a reason I should expect more of myself?
Let us go back to the beginning and see if we can learn something there. “Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground,” there is something different here. With everything that was created we have Genesis 1 – “And God said:” Here “GOD formed man”, HE did not speak him into existence, HE formed him. There is something really special going on here. The rest of the universe was spoken in to existence, but not US!
Let us continue Genesis 2:7 . . . . “and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” So GOD breaths air? Is that not where our assumptions lead us to believe? Maybe there is something more here than what meets the eye. This thing placed in the dirt was the SPIRIT OF THE ALMIGHTY, not a lot, as it does not take a lot to have a soul, even “a living soul”. How do we know this is true? How should we know that we have the Spirit of GOD in us?
Time for Genesis 6:3 And the LORD said: ‘My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.’
Isaiah 42:5 Thus saith God the LORD, He that created the heavens, and stretched them forth, He that spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:
Okay, HIS breath is HIS SPIRIT, and your soul. Why is this important to know?
[Side Note {The truth of a matter is know on the witness of two or more – My paraphrase of the law.} Even this has two witnesses.
Deuteronomy 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is to die be put to death; at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth; at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall a matter be established.
Lest you think that this is untrue, before we are given this Law we are shown THE LORD performing the LAW. I take you to “Genesis 18:2 and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed down to the earth . . . . 20 And the LORD said: ‘Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and, verily, their sin is exceeding grievous. 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.’ 22 And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.” –Synopsis of this insert: Three men(Angels) appear at Abraham’s door, later when they leave Abraham accompanies them part way on their journey. The LORD tells him what is going on, and at least 2 of the three go down with maybe the last standing before Abraham, maybe not. This is unclear. What is clear, is that TWO went down so the LORD world have witnesses of the evidence. — Even the LORD keeps the Law.]
Leviticus 11:44 For I am the LORD your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy; neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of swarming thing that moveth upon the earth.
Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.
Here we have: “be ye holy; for I am Holy”. The LORD has the expectation that we(You and I and everyone else) can be HOLY, because the source of your soul is HOLY.
How do we get there, Holy I mean?
This is pointed out in many ways and in various styles in the Writings of Moses(Torah) -First Five Books. The lay out the Law contract is between Exodus 20 and Exodus 24.
We should start with Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine;. . . .
How about a short answer, mine. Self-control, meaning that Non-of-this is about what feels good to you, that is what gets us in trouble. When you know the Laws and Teachings then you can decide “If I do this am I right or Wrong” this is judging yourself first. Before long you will know what to do without needing to concentrate on the question each time. It is still better to judge yourself continuously or you will stumble and fall. As did Moses, King David, King Solomon(Wisest of Men) and so on and so on. It is THE ALMIGHTY’S LAWS AND TEACHINGS that you need to know, that is HIS CONTRACTS(Covenants) that HE holds us to. The great part is that they are not so many nor too hard to do.
Lastly, what will you get from knowing the Torah(Five Books of Moses)?
1) Who is GOD!
2) What are you to do about it!
3) How you are to treat those near you(family, friends, community. . . .)!
4) How are you to treat those not near you!
5) Your responsibility to protect everyone from what you do!
If every person you ever meet behaved according to this, there really would be heaven on earth. They don’t but for your own soul you must do this.
Questions?
Shalom,
Yaakov