By 9-29-13
1 Timothy 2:2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled…
Our next qualification for the pastor is self-control. Self-control is also a fruit that is to permeate the entire life of every Christian because it a fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5. A fruit of the Spirit is an evidence that the Spirit indwells an individual. It is an effect in which the Spirit produces. Self-control also comes in degrees, so the lay person in the congregation is assumed to have a lesser degree of self-control then the pastor.
Self-control (in a biblical sense) is the ability to control oneself according to the Word of God for the glory of God. This is what sets it apart from the non-christian athlete who has a great measure of (non-biblical) self-control. The athlete is self-controlled but not in a Spirit born way. The self-control in which the Spirit produces restrains the individual from walking the path of unrighteousness, and guides them on the path of righteousness; all for the glory of God and not for personal glory.
Remember that in Proverbs 25:28 we are told that a man without self-control is like a city broken into without walls. The walls around the ancient city were it’s protection from enemies. If the walls were down the entire city was left unprotected and vulnerable to defeat. So the person without self-control will soon become defeated because they have no border control.
Leading Family Devotions 