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Published November 1, 2005 |
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What is on your mind?
Does it edify the people of God?
Is it encouraging you?
Think On These Things
Phil. 4:5-9
Let your moderation be known
unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6)
Be careful for
nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God.
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.
The word moderation is a difficult word to
translate into English. It is translated by others
as gentleness,
forbearance, reasonableness, consideration,
agreeableness, courtesy, patience, and softness.
There is a
tendency to say that either forbearance or
gentleness is the better translation. William
Barclay says that the word has the idea of justice
in it, but that the meaning goes beyond and claims
that there is something better than justice—a
gracious gentleness.
The last thing we must do is criticize, condemn,
censor, neglect, and ignore unbelievers. But we need
to reach out to the world with the gospel and treat
them with a loving gentleness. We must be gentle,
having absolutely nothing to do with harshness. Too
many of us are harsh and critical or neglectful and
withdrawn. Too many of us are wrapped in the cloak
of religion having nothing to do with reaching out
to the lost. The desperate need of the hour is for
us to reach out with the gospel in a spirit of love
and gentleness.
Ephesians 4:2
With all lowliness and
meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another
in love.
1 Thes. 2:7
But we were gentle among you,
even as a nurse cherisheth her children.
The word think means to
consider, reflect,
reason, and ponder.
The idea is that
of focusing our thoughts until they shape our
behavior. The truth is:
- What we think is what we become.
- Where we have kept our minds is where we are.
- Our thoughts shape our behavior.
- What we do is what we think.
William Barclay says, "...it is a law of life
that, if a man thinks of something often enough and
long enough, he will come to the stage when he
cannot stop thinking about it. His thoughts will be
quite literally in a groove out of which he cannot
jerk them"
Romans 12:2
And be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is
that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ephesians 4:23-24
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that
ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.
Col. 3:10
And have put on the
new man which is renewed in knowledge after the
image of him that created him.
Once a person has been converted to Christ and
becomes a new man, he is to focus his thoughts upon
the good things of life and upon God. He is to give
his mind to positive thinking. In fact, he is to
think only positive thoughts. The believer is never
to allow an immoral, fleshly, worldly, selfish,
sinful or evil thought to enter his mind. There is
never to be a negative thought whatsoever in the
mind of the believer. Sinful and negative thoughts
disrupt and destroy peace. For this reason, the
believer is to struggle to conquer his mind and
thoughts. He is to exert every cell of energy
possible to captivate and control every thought.
What we think is so important that God tells us what
we are to think.
The charge is to think and practice positive
thinking.
- Whatsoever
things are true
real and genuine.
Many things in the world seems to be true, but
they are not; they are false and deceptive, an
illusion, and a counterfeit. They seem to offer
peace, but what they offer is a deceptive, a
counterfeit peace—only escapism. We are to keep
our minds upon things that are true, and we are to
live lives that are true to both men and God. When
our thoughts and lives are centered upon true
things, peace comes to the human heart.
-
Whatsoever
things are honest
honorable,
worthy, revered, highly respected, and noble.
Barclay says:
"The word really describes that which has the
dignity of holiness upon it. There are things in
this world which are flippant and cheap, things
which are attractive to the light-minded; but it
is on the things which are grave and serious and
dignified that the Christian will set his mind"
-
Whatsoever
things are just
right and
righteous behavior.
It has to do
with right behavior toward man and God.
The believer is to keep his thoughts upon his
duty toward men and God—upon doing what is right
toward both. Man is to be a responsible being
while on earth. He is responsible for the earth
and his fellow human beings, and he is to be held
accountable by God for both. Therefore, he is not
to focus his thoughts upon comfort and selfish
pleasures and pursuits. He is to focus his
thoughts upon the things that are just and
righteous. He owes his thoughts and mind to the
world and to his fellow men and especially to God.
He owes whatever contribution he can make to the
world and to God. A mind filled with just and
righteous thoughts will know peace.
-
Whatsoever
things are pure
morally
clean, spotless, stainless, chaste, undefiled,
free from moral pollution, filth, dirt, and
impurities.
The believer’s mind and thoughts are to be
pure—every thought.
-
Whatsover
things are lovely
pleasing,
winsome, kind, gracious; things that excite love
and kindness.
The believer’s thoughts are not to be thoughts
of unkindness and meanness, grumbling and
murmuring, criticism and reaction. The believer’s
thoughts are to be focused upon things that are
lovely—that build people up, not tear them down.
-
Whatsoever
things are of good report
reputable,
hightoned, worthy things; things of the highest
quality.
The believer is to think only upon worthy
things. He is not to fill his mind with junk; he
is not to listen to bad reports, no matter how
juicy they may seem. Neither is he to fill his
mind with junk, whether through rumor, radio,
television, music, off-colored jokes, or by
whatever source. His thoughts are to be focused
only upon worthy things—only upon that which is of
good report.
-
If
there be any virtue
{excellence}
and if there
be any praise
{in any thought},
think on these things."
Positive
thinking is the answer to peace for the Christian
believer.
Col. 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all
wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Psalm 119:9
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by
taking heed thereto according to thy word.
Psalm 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine
heart, that I might not sin against thee.
Psalm 119:105
Thy word
is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Paul lived as a testimony before the Philippians.
Therefore, they could follow his example because he
kept his thoughts and life upon the very virtues of
positive thinking.
Phil. 3:17
Brethren be followers together
of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for
an ensample.
2
Thes. 3:7 For yourselves know how ye
ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves
disorderly among you.
2 Tim. 1:13
Hold fast the form of sound
words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and
love which is in Christ Jesus.
2 Tim. 3:10
But thou hast fully
known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith,
longsuffering, charity, patience.
Those things...do.
The believer is expected to control and
discipline his mind. He is to struggle against all
sinful and negative thoughts, and fight to think
only positive thoughts.
The result of positive thinking: the God
of peace shall be with the believer.
Romans 8:5
For they that are after the
flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that
are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in
perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.
The mind affects the
heart. That is why the devil troubles the mind so
many times. He knows that if he can keep something
on your mind he can hinder you from doing what you
need to do for God. When you come to church and
things are on your mind it affects your worship.
During the preaching it affects your comprehension
and your response. When the altar call is given it
affects the way you pray. In the world it affects
your witnessing. This is why the Apostle encouraged
the church to think on good things. These things
remind us of God and His blessings to usward.
My prayer is that we would
keep our minds pure and think only of the things
that edify the church and glorify God.
In His Service,
Pastor Donald Pierce |
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Scripture References |
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Philippians 4:5-9
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Ephesians 4:2
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I Thes.
2:7
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Romans
12:2
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Ephesians 4:23-24
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Colossians 3:10
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Colossians 3:16
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Psalms
119:9,11,105
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Philippians 3:17
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II Thes.
3:7
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II
Timothy 1:13
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II
Timothy 3:10
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Romans
8:5
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Isaiah
26:3
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