Mensa Otabil - Exercise Self-Control (10/26/2025)
Welcome to day number 31 of our 40 days of power. We have nine more days to go; time is very short, and if you want to get on board, get on board. Let’s pray, let’s fast, let’s believe God, and let’s expect Him to do something great in our lives. Nine more days until the end.
We’ve been talking about exercising dominion, and we said earlier that to exercise dominion, we have to exercise dominion over our flesh. So, we go back to that theme again in First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 12. «All things are lawful to me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.» The ability to control ourselves is central to our ability to have dominion in other spheres of life. Because you know you live with yourself; you live with your body. If you can’t control yourself, what else can you control? Everything else is outside of you. The only thing that you have is yourself; the only thing I have is myself.
Our primary area of dominion is dominating our wrong desires. Sometimes, you know, we don’t know what is wrong and what is right, so the Bible gives us some clues as to how to determine what is wrong or what is right. First, you ask yourself: Is it lawful? Is it within the law? Is it acceptable? Paul says, «All things are lawful to me.» In other words, if it’s lawful, it’s fine. We can do what is lawful. You know, when you go to a nation, you find that there are laws — laws against traffic regulations and laws against this and that. However, there are other things that are considered lawful in a nation that are sinful before God.
So, a law may not incriminate you, but God can still say that although it is lawful, it is still sinful before me. The laws of God supersede the laws of every nation. So, is it lawful? Yes, if it’s lawful, we have some leeway, but that’s not all that we look at regarding the lawfulness of an action. The second thing is: Is it helpful? Paul says, «All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful.» There are some things I may have permission to do. You are an adult, and they will say if you are 18 years and above, you can watch whatever movie you want. Sometimes there’s parental guidance- this is for mature audiences. Yes, you’re mature; it’s lawful, but is it helpful?
It’s lawful for you to drink alcohol; is it helpful? So, don’t just look at the lawfulness of something, but look at its helpfulness. Does it help me to be the person God wants me to be? Does it help me to live a holy life, a righteous life? Does it help me to set a right example before my children and the people who look up to me? Because if it is lawful but it’s not helpful, then we have to evaluate it.
Then, the third thing Paul says we should look at is: Does it enslave me? Does it put me under bondage? Take something like gambling. It is lawful. Yes. Is it helpful? Well, you have to judge whether it’s helpful, but does it enslave me? It certainly does because it’s addictive. Over time, you want to stop it, but you can’t. The same with alcohol; you want to stop it, but you can’t. With drugs, you want to stop it, but you can’t.
It starts with: Is it lawful? Yes, it may be lawful. Is it helpful? It’s iffy. But does it enslave me? If it truly enslaves you and brings you to the point where it is destroying you, but you are not able to rule over it, then you realize that sin has had dominion over you. As Christians, we are not just looking at what is permissible under the laws of the nations we live under; we’re looking at whether what we’re doing is helpful to our Christian witness and whether we are eventually bound, held in captivity.
May the Lord help us to use our freedom rightly to His glory. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, thank You for the freedom I have in Christ. Help me to use this freedom to honor You. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.