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Replacing Our Thoughts With God's Thoughts
July 08, 2012
Since man's imagination is evil, we must learn to replace our thoughts with those of God. We must meditate upon His ways and commandments, learning of Him and doing those things that we learn. From the heart comes words to our lips and actions in our lives. Guard what we put into our hearts. If we fill our hearts with the words of Jesus, which is the word of God, we will know the love of God and will return that love to Him, and to our fellow man. We will know as we are known.
Bernie Parsons
Replacing Our Thoughts With God’s Thoughts
by
Bernie Parsons
Presented to Load church of Christ on 07-08-2012
Presented to Globe church of Christ on 07-15-2012
We
have recently investigated man’s wisdom versus God’s wisdom, showing that
man’s so-called “wisdom” is foolishness to God. We saw that man, left to his
own imagination, invents to himself false gods, engages in vile behavior,
and replaces God’s rules with his own.
Today, let us take a look at how to subject our own thinking to the superior
thinking of God.
John 5:36 "But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which
the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness
of me, that the Father hath sent me.
37
And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye
have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.
38
And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye
believe not.
39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they
are they which testify of me.
40
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."
Jesus said to read the scriptures that include the Law of Moses and the
prophets, because the truth is contained in them. The apostle Paul reminds
us that we have the mind of Christ.
1
Corinthians 2:16 "For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."
In
order to replace our imagination with the truth of God’s word, we must
become familiar with His word. Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy the following:
2
Timothy 2:14 "Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before
the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the
subverting of the hearers.
15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16
But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more
ungodliness.
17
And their word will eat as doth a canker:"
In
order for good to be seen in our lives, we need to think on good things.
Philippians 4:"7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things
are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen
in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you."
We
must fill our minds with God’s teachings. Under the Law of Moses, God told
Joshua:
“Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but
thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
And here is what David said in:
“Psalms 1:1 "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the
scornful.
2
But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate
day and night.
3
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth
forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and
whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
Psalms 119:15 "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy
ways.
16
I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."
Psalms 119:17 "Deal bountifully with thy servant, that I may live, and keep
thy word.
18
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
19
I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me.
20
My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all
times."
His
son, Solomon, also spoke of this:
Proverbs 1:7 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools
despise wisdom and instruction.
8
My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy
mother:
9
For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy
neck."
It
is important that the parents teach their children the ways and the
commandmentsof the Lord. Paul reminded the early believers of this eternal
law of God.
Ephesians 6:1 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2
Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3
That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
4
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
Deuteronomy 11:18 "Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart
and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be
as frontlets between your eyes.
19
And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in
thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and
when thou risest up.
20
And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy
gates:"
Not
only that, they were told to teach their children and their grandchildren.
Deuteronomy 4:9 "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently,
lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart
from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy
sons' sons;
10
Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when
the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them
hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall
live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children."
Meditating upon God’s ways and commandments is something that should begin
in childhood and continue throughout a person’s life. It is important that
we dwell upon them, because what begins in the heart manifests in our lives.
What is in our heart, is on our lips.
Matthew 12:35 "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.
36
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall
give account thereof in the day of judgment.
37
For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be
condemned."
What is in the heart is manifested in actions.
Matthew 15:18 "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth
from the heart; and they defile the man.
19
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries,
fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20
These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands
defileth not a man."
What you treasure in life also signals what is in your heart.
Matthew 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and
rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust
doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."
Let
us think upon God, His ways, and His commandments; let us treasure them in
our hearts; and let us express them in our lives.
2
Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the
power may be of God, and not of us."
