Controlling our thoughts

One of the ways Christ distinguished between His teachings and those found in the law of Moses was to first state what the law of Moses taught and then say “but I say unto you…”  One such statement can be found in Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Our Lord first quoted from Exodus 20:14, which clearly taught that it was unlawful to commit adultery. Then Jesus took it further by saying that even looking at a woman with lust is a sin. Is our Savior actually saying that we ought to control our thoughts? Yes. This reminds me of Paul’s words to the Corinthian brethren when he told them what love does not do – it “thinks no evil” (I Cor. 13:5).

Godly people work very hard to discipline their minds. This is accomplished by meditating on things which are proper. The Philippian saints were told, “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,” (Phil. 4:8).

Yet we all recognize the difficulty in controlling our thoughts all the time. This is much easier said than done. What guidance has the Lord offered to help us with this? Read on for a few things we can use.

Do not meditate on ungodliness

Garbage in, garbage out. It is hard to avoid impure thoughts if we only dwell on impure things. If we do not control what we watch and listen to, we will surely become worldly-minded. This was precisely the state of the world prior to the flood. God described mankind like this: “…every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” (Gen. 6:5). Children are not born with a dirty, corrupt mind – it is developed by constant exposure to evil. I realize that we cannot leave this world and that evil is everywhere. However, inviting evil into our lives is a recipe for an evil mind.

Learn to walk away

This is where our last point left off. Gossip, dirty jokes and other inappropriate conversations will stop much sooner if people refuse to listen (Eph. 5:4). Even if we cannot stop them at the source, God’s children can the leave the conversation, change the channel or walk out of a movie. Again, the goal is to keep our mind from being filled with impure thoughts. There is a reason brethren were told that evil company corrupts good habits (I Cor. 15:33). One such good habit that can be corrupted is a holy mind.

Remember who we are to think like

The goal of every saint is to be different from the world. Those who succeed in not being conformed to this world are those who renew their minds (Rom. 12:2). This is done by imitating Christ. When it comes to thinking right, Paul put it best: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” (Phil. 4:4). The more time we spend familiarizing ourselves with the Savior, the more we begin to understand He spoke words that promoted godly thinking.

We all need to ask ourselves what we are allowing to influence our thinking.  Let’s face it, if we are going to control our thoughts, we need to control what we think about!

                                                                                      Chuck

Consequences of standing for nothing

Recently I heard a lyric to a song on the radio that goes, “If you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything.” This line immediately made me think of what the apostle Paul told the brethren at Ephesus: “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness by which they lie in wait to deceive,” (Eph. 4:14).

Nobody in their right mind wants to be deceived, especially regarding Biblical teaching. The sad reality is that many people are being deceived though, and we need to everything we can to stop it. How can we prevent it from happening? And how can we determine if we are being deceived? The Lord has provided many aids, but we will just focus on the ones Paul mentioned in Ephesians.

First: Grow up

The first thing the apostle told the saints was to “be not children”. God’s people need to grow up, meaning they need to increase their faith (II Pet. 3:18). Even though Christians are always God’s children, this text it is talking about maturity. Those who never get grounded in Him will remain a “babe” in the faith and will struggle to discern good and evil (Heb. 5:13-14). The goal of every convert ought to be to desire the spiritual milk as a babe and then progress to the spiritual meat as soon as possible (Heb. 5:12).

Second: Do not believe everything you hear

The Ephesians’ church was told to not be carried away with every wind of doctrine. It is one thing to be trusting, but we should not take this too far. God’s people are commanded to test the spirits to see whether they are of God (I John 4:1). Our faith should not change or become unstable every time we hear someone make a claim – we are supposed to be rooted in the doctrine of Christ (II John 9). Many teachings sound Biblical but lack scriptural support. Phrases like “baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace” or “cleanliness is next to godliness” and “accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and you will be saved” might sound like the doctrine of Christ, but they are not.

Third: Remember that religious teachers are just men

Paul also instructed the Ephesians’ brethren to not to be tossed about by the trickery and cunning craftiness of men. Many people elevate the words of religious teachers and even follow them blindly. Those who claim to be teachers of God’s word must be held to that standards it contains (I Pet. 4:11). The mere fact that Paul told these brethren to not fall for their teachings is proof that the claims of religious teachers should be verified with God’s word and challenged when wrong. Even the apostle Peter was rebuked for his sinful behavior (Gal. 2:11). False teachers will desire to be elevated, but it can only happen if we allow it.

Forth: Know that you can have victory

The mere fact that these brethren were given instructions about what they should not allow is evidence these things can be prevented. As Jesus pointed out, we can know the truth, and the truth will set us free (John 8:32). We must use this truth! If someone is teaching error, we can correct them (Acts 18:26-28). If this person does not change what they teach, we can walk away from him (Matt. 10:14). Remember, we can resist even the devil himself (James 4:7).  Let us all heed these words and not be children who are carried about with every wind of doctrine.

                                                                                      Chuck

What pleases God?

There is true joy when we do something for someone and know that they are really going to like it. This is why parents want to be around when they give their child a gift. The same is true when you see soldiers come home early to surprise their loved one – to see their reaction. Knowing that someone is going to be really pleased is what makes it a joy to give to others. Here is a list of things the Bible says will please the Father:

1. Walking by faith (Heb. 11:6).

2. Not being a man-pleaser (Gal. 1:10).

3. Preaching the gospel (I Cor. 21).

4. Having Jesus reconcile man to the Father (Col. 1:19-20).

5. Singing praises to God (Heb. 13:15-16).

6. By obeying our parents (Col. 3:20).

7. Keeping His commandments (I John 3:22).

8. Being in the Spirit rather than in the flesh (Rom. 8:8-9).

9. Having all members in the body of Christ/the church (I Cor. 12:18).

10. The body we gain at the resurrection (I Cor. 15:38).

Again, we should enjoy doing these things because we know they please God the Father. We should not assume that God is pleased because we like something. It is the other way around – we should find joy in things that we know please Him. The question for all of us is this – are we pleasing the Father?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Chuck

Can a woman wear make-up?

This question was sent in by someone taking our Bible study course. It is based upon the text of I Timothy 2:9-10: “in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.”

The first thing we notice is that Paul is not forbidding women from managing their appearances. To do so would be to contradict what Peter wrote: “Do not let your adornment be merely outward – arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel…” (I Pet. 3:3). In both texts, the writers stress that the woman is to be known for her inward beauty, not just her external appearance. Thus, both writers instruct women to dress modestly and not wear anything that would attract men in an ungodly manner.

Notice how the braiding of hair was equated to wearing expensive apparel or wearing jewelry. All of these things can be done to incite the attraction of men and overemphasize outward beauty. Paul stressed that women should be adorned in goods works, which is to say that they should be known and remembered for these deeds. Peter spoke similarly and said that a woman’s adornment should not merely be physical. Ultimately, physical appearance becomes a matter of the heart. Appearances can be managed, but this must not become our highest calling.

We also must remember that everything is relative. Neither writer condemned specific styles but instead wisely gave us general principles. When we are dressing to impress and draw attention, we are indicating that we have a heart problem (Matt. 5:8; Luke 12:34).

Just as the Bible states there is an attire of a harlot and warns against dressing that way (Prov. 7:10), we can also know how to dress properly. Make-up is a component of this – it can be done properly or improperly. Let’s be mindful of the principles being set forth in the word of God.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Chuck

Okay, how do we do that?

We all know how easy it is to tell someone to do something. The hard part is the knowing how to give instructions. If a person does not know how to do something, then it is a waste of time to instruct them to do so. Though some might not recognize it, God’s people always have enough information when He commands them.

Consider this command that James writes: “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you,” (James 4:8). On the surface, it sounds great that God will draw near to us. How do we draw near to God though? Based on what James wrote, knowing how to draw near to God is critical! Without this, He will never draw near to us.  Fortunately, the Bible contains instructs us about many ways we can draw near to God. If we do the things found in this list, God WILL draw near to us!

Pray. This has to be one of the most obvious ways to draw closer to God. Christians are admonished to pray continually (I Thess. 5:17).  To get close to someone, you must communicate with them. This is as true of our earthly relationships as it is with our Heavenly Father. James stated that the prayers of a righteous man can avail much (5:16) – a close relationship with God is obviously one of those things.

Studying the word of God. Listening to what the Father has revealed will aid in developing that close bond.  When you have the word of God abiding in you, you are strong (I John 2:14). Those who do not take the time to listen to God are clearly not feeding on His word, and the word is what gives strength (Acts 20:28).

Staying away from sin.  Those who walk in the light have fellowship with the Father (I John 1:3-7). When one is in sin, they are going away from the Father, not drawing nearer. Pleasing our God and obeying Him will strengthen the relationship (Heb. 11:6).

Worshipping.  When saints gather to glorify their God, they are naturally strengthening their bond with the Creator (Acts 2:46-47). God recognizes genuine worship that uses both the lips and heart (Matt. 15:7-9).

Telling others about God.  When a person tells others how much they love their spouse, it strengthens the marriage. Similarly, Christians who tells others about their Heavenly Father are drawing near to Him (Acts 7). The Son of God indicated this as expressed in His prayer to the Father (John 17).

Developing one’s talents. When children of God use their talents, they are positive examples to those around them. The goal is let our own lights shine and inspire the lost (Matt. 5:13-16). By growing, we become more useful to our Father (II Pet. 3:18).

Being faithful to the end. Those who fight the good fight of faith know that they will be with the Father for eternity (II Tim. 4:6-8). After writing that God will draw near to us if we draw near to Him, James wrote the following instruction: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). Clearly, fostering a relationship with God requires deliberate action.

Being with other Christians. Spending time around others who are in fellowship with God will encourage us and help us grow even closer to the Father (I John 1:7). Remember, fellow saints are members of the same spiritual body (Gal. 3:27).

    We are told to draw near unto God because God will draw near unto us. Are you preventing God from drawing near to you? Let us do our part and trust that God WILL do His!

                                                                                            Chuck