Sermon Notes 28 December

Boundaries Built by God — Protected by the Spirit
Pastor Ryan Perry Sermon 28 December 2025

FRUIT THAT LASTS Sermon Series
WEEK 9 — SELF-CONTROL & HOLINESS

Verses: Genesis 1:26–27;  2:16–17; 3:5; Proverbs 25:28; James 1:22 Romans 7:15, 23–24; 8:1, 5–6, 13; Philippians 2:5–8; Hebrews 10:2

Today’s Big Idea
Holiness is the life God gives by identity.
Self-control is the protection that keeps that life from being lost.

Outline
1. Holiness Answers the Question of Identity

• Holiness is not behavior first, it is belonging.
• We were created to bear God’s image and represent His character.
• Identity comes before obedience.

Holiness is not something we work to become.
Holiness is who we are because God made us His.

2. God’s Boundaries Protect a Sacred Calling

• The Garden was sacred space.
• Humanity was placed there as royal priests to serve and to guard.
• Boundaries were not punishment; they were protection.

3. The Real Temptation Was Control

• The serpent did not tempt with fruit but with definition.
• Knowledge without trust leads to disobedience.
• Authority is never seized it is entrusted through surrender.

4. Self-Control Is About Governance, Not Willpower

• Knowledge alone does not govern the heart.
• Self-control is choosing which voice rules when desires conflict.
• What governs the mind governs the life.

Self-control is not self-mastery.
Self-control is surrender.

5. Victory Comes by the Spirit, Not Grit

• Romans 7 names the struggle.
• Romans 8 reveals the solution.
• Life is preserved not by control, but by trust.

6. Jesus Shows the Way of True Authority

• Adam grasped; Jesus surrendered.
• Adam asserted his will; Jesus trusted the Father’s will.
• The cross reveals that life comes through surrender 

Living It Out This Week

• Ask: What voice governs me when obedience costs something?
• Practice surrender before pressure arrives.
• Invite Christian community to guard your identity.
• Remember: holiness is lived together, not alone.

Key Truths to Remember

• Holiness is identity, not performance
• The Spirit is the power that sustains obedience
• Community strengthens what self-control protects
• The world rewards self-preservation
• Christ gives life through surrender

Prayer
Lord, teach us to trust You when obedience is costly. Guard our hearts, govern our minds, and form us into a holy people who reflect Your character. Amen.