Change Your Thinking

Philippians 4:8-9 “ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.  The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

Bad luck or spiritual attack, the home computer is down again. But no problem, it’s with the (IT) Information Technology repair guy now, and the backup laptop is working fine. Continuing with Pastor JJ’s Sunday Sermon series notes, we come to his message on the Philippians passage above.

The word “Holy” means to be “set apart” by God, for God’s purposes and for His glory. The child of God lives out of a different reality and has a deeper purpose that we are called to than this world. So, despite our circumstances, we always live as a “citizen of heaven”, and that is our true home. We do not slap on the label of “Christian” and continue to live as if this is our home, because Jesus is our King and we are “Ambassadors of Christ” (2 Corintians 5:20). When the Devil tempted Adam & Eve with the big lie that led to the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, telling them in Genesis 3:4-5 " Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”, Satan perverted the thinking from “a good God to be obeyed in love”, to “a jealous God that lies to keep good things from us”. This deception marinated our original earthly parents minds toward the focus of the things of this world, instead of the things of God; the love of the world (carnally-minded), not the love of God (spiritually-minded). And lie continues to deceive the world today.

1 John 2:15-16 “ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

Do we, the church, act like the pagan world around us, doing what others in secular society do?  They do so because being further from God is all they know in the free exercise of licentious passions, doing what is “right’ in their own eyes. They are living life rejecting the reality of Devine judgment and everlasting punishment. But the people of God are not to do that which we were not created to do, or think on those sinful things. Sin is a crime against God and His wrath is the wages earned. A just, holy, & righteous God must punish sin. Do we do it our way or God’s way? God’s way should be ours too.

Romans 1:18-23 & 25 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,  because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man. Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Romans 8:5-9 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

 

We were born with trust. Made to love God and focus on His perfect way and purpose in our lives. Where do we put our trust? We need to live according to truth in the Word of God (John 17:17), walking in the Spirit and not fullfilling the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16), looking to Christ (Hebrews 12:2), and fix our thoughts Jesus (Hebrews 3:1).

2 Corinthians 10:5 “ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

We can redeem this world to glorify God. God uses us, His children, to move the hearts and minds of others to a “saving’ knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. We are not chained to this lawless world system. We live and think like our Lord Jesus. God can use you and I to bring light to the world and glory to Him. Take your thoughts captive for God. That which is true, the noble, the just, the pure, the lovely, the good report, the virtuous and praiseworthy, meditate on these things.  If your mind is on the things of this world, change your thinking. 

Revelation 7:12 “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!”

In Christ, Brian