The Fruit of Self-Control: The Witness of Being Set Apart
by Daniel Burton
Athletes hone their bodies into high functioning machines that can do a great deal of spectacular feats and strength and agility. This result does not come without a price. There are plenty of seasons where they skip perfectly good functions, foods, and events for the sake of crafting their skill and ability and shaping their bodies. It takes an enormous amount of self-control to produce the results and the world takes notice of their ability. We all strive to be like them, however, without self-control, we will never approach the results that they do. This should be how the members of the church, specifically the elders and those mature in the faith should present themselves. When outsiders see the church, there should be a notable difference that demonstrates the effects of a change and redeemed life. Furthermore, when people new to the faith see those who are further in their walk, the person of Jesus Christ should be clear and evident in the lives of the elders. This means there will be plenty of things that Christians do and do not that serve as a witness to our faith. There will be places we frequent and places we abstain from that will show the world that Jesus Christ has rescued us from death. Our self-control to obey the law roots itself in the first purpose of the law, which was to separate believers from non-believers. In doing so, we train to obtain a prize beyond that which athlete can obtain.
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Holiness As Set Apart
We seek the prize of communion and oneness with our Heavenlg Father. Through Jesus Christ, with the Homy Spirit within us, we have the ability to approach the throne of God with confidence. Yet, we must not forget that we pursue a Holy God. 
As we stand before Him, every secret will be made known before the King (cf. Ecclesiastes 12:14). Grace will cover a multitude of sins but that does not mean we should max out the gift of grace. Grace gives us the ability to pursue holiness by removing the chains of sin that condemn us to die. Those of the world will ultimately fall to the carnal cravings but those whom the Spirit inhabits will be marked by their pursuit of God expressed by their righteousness and holiness, choosing to be different than the world around them.
Holiness means we are set apart for something greater than ourselves. Our very presence represents the other-worldliness of the Great High King of Heaven. Holiness can not be obtained without self-control and self-control stems from the Holy Spirit pouring out of us. Our flesh seeks to gratify our carnal desires through immediate gratification. Self-control puts the flesh to death and stands firm in pursuit of the Holy, the set apart, so that we might one day stand in its midsts. As followers of Christ who have faith in His saving work, we should look different than the world around us by allowing the Holy Spirit to work deep within our soul and give us the strength to resist temptation.
The Witness of What We Do And Don’t
Abstaining, even from things that may not even be bad, remains a hallmark of self-control and self-discipline. It roots itself in the assumption that even our very action proclaim our values, our worldview, and what we hold dear. If the mark of holiness is to be set apart from the rest of the world then our actions should reflect that same holiness. 
Throughout school, some of the most impactful people in my life never said a word to me. Instead their faith displayed itself through what the did and, more importantly, what they abstained from. They never swore, didn’t attend parties, drink and so on. Furthermore, everyone knew why; their faith. Having been raised in church but being nonetheless scared of publicly proclaiming my faith, their self-control spoke volumes for what they believed. Sometimes, the strongest message we can give the world is our dedication to abstain from sin and pursue God in eery area of our lives.
Grace covers all sins and God will not withhold His forgiveness from His people. Yet, that does not mean sin has become not sinful. As the Spirit stirs within the heart of man, a holiness is produced that sets us apart from the world through self-control. Our actions and our inactions will speak to the goodness and holiness of a God who rescues mankind from the depths of our depravity. When the world sees what we do and what we do not do, they will ideally grow closer to the Risen Lord or at the very least, question the difference they see. We serve the God who transforms the very heart of man and heals the souls. Self-control puts the fullness of the Gospel on display for all the see.
For more in this series, check out The Fruit of the Spirit
