Defined: the avoidance of excesses or extremes, esp. in behavior. (Source)
Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 MKJV Do not be righteous overmuch, neither make yourself overwise; why destroy yourself? 17 Do not be very wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? 18 It is good that you should take hold of this; yea, also from this do not withdraw your hand; for he who fears God shall come forth from all of them.
1 Peter 4:3-4 WEL For in times gone by, it may have satisfied us to have done the will of the Gentiles [non-Christians], when we led a life of sexual promiscuity, evil desires, drunkenness, carousings, drinking parties, and depraved idolatries. 4 They think it strange in that you don’t rush into the same excessive, unrestrained actions, [and so] start cursing you.
God allows and blesses many desires like food, sleep, shelter, etc., but there are parameters defining what is allowed and what is excess.
Having the knowledge of what is moderate and what is not. Then having wisdom to apply it. We only get this from study, application, and testing (experience).
Examples:
B1 Alcohol
C1 Principle is not to be drunk:
C2 Too much alcohol is condemned: Ephesians 5:18 WEL Do not be drunk with wine, which is living without restraint [literally profligacy], instead be filled with the Spirit.
C3 As medicine: 1 Timothy 5:23 GW Stop drinking only water. Instead, drink a little wine for your stomach because you are frequently sick.
B2 Pleasure, wine, luxury (olive oil):
C1 Principle: Be happy, content, joyous, glad, food, etc.
C2 Loving those things and being overindulgent is condemned: Proverbs 21:17 NLT Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich.
C3 As rejoicing in God’s supply: Acts 14:17 NRSV yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good—giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.
B3 Sleep
C1 Principle: We need sleep
C2 Too much has consequences: Proverbs 6:9-11 NRSV How long will you lie there, O lazybones? When will you rise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want, like an armed warrior.
C3 Too little: Psalm 127:2 NLT It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
C4 Some sleep is good and needful: Jeremiah 31:26 NET Then they will say, 'Under these conditions I can enjoy sweet sleep when I wake up and look around.'"
Principles
B1 Self-control
C1 A character trait we must have. May God teach and help us.
C2 A character trait we must teach our children.
C3 Some examples:
D1 Proverbs 29:11 NRSV A fool gives full vent to anger, but the wise quietly holds it back.
D2 Galatians 5:22-23 NRSV By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
D3 2 Peter 1:5-8 NIV For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
B2 The one thing we must not use moderation: Revelation 3:15-16 EMTV I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 Therefore, since you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth.
Questions:
B1 How would you respond to someone who is argumentative and in your face?
B2 How would you deal with these: hunger, work, road rage, difficult government employee, sickness?
B3 What principle can we learn from these verses:
C1 Romans 14:21 ESV It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.
C2 1 Peter 4:9 NRSV Be hospitable to one another without complaining.
C3 1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Note: a few comments on Ecclesiastes 7:16-18
B1 over righteous. A list of how to be over righteous from BI-OT:
C1 It sometimes reveals itself in doctrinal fastidiousness.
C2 It reveals itself in morbid introspectiveness.
C3 It reveals itself in an exacting conscientiousness.
C4 This strained piety not rarely reveals itself in the inordinate culture of some special virtue.
C5 It reveals itself in striving after impracticable standards of character.
B2 Lange writes on this passage: Clearly a warning against that strictly exact, but hypocritical and external righteousness of those predecessors of the Pharisees to whom the preceding verse referred
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