Matthew 15:18. The Bible says that self-control starts with the heart. Matthew 15:18-20 says, "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man...". We can come up with all types of excuses why we do bad things, but it all comes down to what is inside of us. If heart our is not right, evil thoughts will proceed out of it. If we do not have self-control, our evil thoughts and ideas will manifest into evil acts. Self-control starts with our heart. The only way we are going to get our heart right is to develop a relationship with God. God is the source of goodness and love. Only through Him can our heart become good. Only through God can we achieve self-control over the evil things in our heart.

MATTHEW 15 BIBLE SCRIPTURE Matthew 15:18 "Those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."

Proverbs 4:23. The Bible says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life" (Proverbs 4:23). We may see our circumstances or even our own natural abilities as our biggest problems, but it is really our heart where problems start and end. If we strive daily to keep our heart in check, bad thoughts and actions will cease from materializing in our lives. If we focus our hearts on God, the source of all goodness and love, we will keep our heart under self-control.

PROVERBS 4 BIBLE SCRIPTURE Proverbs 4:23, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life"

1 Timothy 2:15. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:15, “... continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety”. This is the Christian way to have self-control. We must live by faith, love (charity) always, and be holy. By doing this we will have self-control (sobriety). This is the way that God desires for us to live, and He gives us the means to have self-control. Faith begins with us accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Love, agape love (having unmerited favor toward all people), comes from us following the example of Jesus Christ. Holiness follows as we are “set aside” for God's purpose and we are no longer led by our selfish desires. We put God above ourselves. Putting God above our fleshly desires is where we fully exercise our faith, our love, and our holiness. That is the self-control that the Bible teaches us.

1 TIMOTHY BIBLE SCRIPTURE 1 Timothy 2:15, “Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.”