One more thing needs to be said about self
control in matters of absolute self denial.
The issue is not about Christians reforming pagans. The tenor of the New Testament is one of warning to Christians about their own behavior.
I sometimes think God has allowed times
of full blown paganism to emerge so those pagans he intends to draw to himself will
become experientally aware of and frightened by their sin. That awareness ought to be sharpened as they see the character of self-denying followers of Christians who do good. When that happens they will be more apt seek him for the reasons he wants to be sought.
I also think there are many who have
“come to Jesus” for anything but the reasons he wants to be approached. That is unsettling. It is
not difficult to explain Christians who struggle with the embedded habit
patterns of their sin nature. It is very difficult to explain Christians who
believe trusting Christ should make those habit patterns disappear. Throughout the New
Testament it is Christians who are admonished to do battle with sin
issues in their own lives. Those warnings are moot if salvation means temptations vanish.
What is especially difficult to imagine
is professing Christians who think this call to an ongoing struggle is an unfair
imposition, a contradiction or, worse, legalism. A Christian is not a Christian because he "practices" self-denial. A Christian embraces self-denial because he is a Christian. Freedomism morphs God’s grace, tenderness and
patience into amoral sentiment rather than a call to war against embedded sin patterns.
But there is more involved in self denial than things specifically forbidden. The second arena of self control encompasses Jesus' command to love our neighbor and, especially, to love our brother:
a love which sometimes calls for things permitted to be set aside. 
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