What is the heart condition of sinful humanity? The clearest description of what the heart is like is found in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” That is why the totally depraved heart is bent on breaking God’s Law, and not able to control its lustful desires for sinful and immoral things. This is clearly seen in Romans 1:26-32, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”

Surely the above is a description of incontinent human beings who are not only without any self-control but also totally out of control; they sin against God and against their fellow human beings and enjoy doing so.

Types of Incontinency

The incontinent man shows his utter lack of self-control in his speech and in his deeds.

Verbal Incontinence

The incontinent man is unable to control his speech. In James 3:5-8, we are warned about our tongue—how destructive it can be if uncontrolled. “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” Someone has said, “A tongue six inches long can kill a man six feet tall.”

There are people who just cannot control their tongue; they speak without any regard for truth or charity. And that is because their thoughts and feelings are controlled by sin and Satan. That is why James went on to say, “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be” (Jas 3:9-10). Those who speak with wild abandon and unbridled fury without any charity and without any truth show themselves to be without Christ as James says, “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh” (Jas 3:11-12).

Jesus denounced the unbelieving Jews who had maliciously accused Him of performing all His good works by the power of Satan with these words of rebuke and warning, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matt 12:34-37).

Only the Holy Spirit can tame the tongue. It is only the Spirit-indwelt and Spirit-filled Christian who is able to control the tongue. Wisdom dictates that we should be careful with our words: “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few” (Eccl 5:2). “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (Jas 1:19).

Carnal Incontinence

The incontinent man is unable to suppress his carnal desires. The sinful man is naturally attracted to the carnal pleasures of life—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Like metal to magnet, he finds himself unable to resist the lure of power, money and sex. In no time, he gets hooked and addicted to the sins of the flesh which will bring about his downfall and destruction. The newspapers and tabloids find no lack of material reporting on the fall of politicians, tycoons, sports and movie stars when they find themselves trapped by their carnal incontinence or addiction. O the many who have fallen into the four proverbial Chinese sins of womanising, gambling, drinking, and smoking! The two new temples of materialism in Sentosa and Marina Bay where money is god and greed is good will only make our bad moral situation worse. Many more lives will be destroyed, and families broken up. Crime rates will climb, and the quality of life will plunge.

What the Bible says is so true, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:10). What then should the Christian do in light of all this? The man of God “must flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Tim 6:11-12). Be in control. Be disciplined not to allow your sinful nature to get the better of you.

The Christian who is in control or who is controlled by the Spirit and Word of Christ is someone described in 1 John 2:14-17, “I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Let us not love the world which is governed by Satan, and the sinful pleasures of the world that are offered by him. Satan and this world will one day be destroyed, but all who are ruled by Christ and His Word will be saved and have eternal life.

There is only one cure for incontinence and it can only come from the Physician of physicians who is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. His powerful name brings forgiveness, and His blood cleanses us from all sin. He sanctifies us by His Word and His Spirit. What must we do to get this cure? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). “[I]f thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom 10:9-10). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). If you have yet to believe in Jesus Christ, will you accept Him as your Saviour today? Only He can save you from the curse of incontinence!