NU THANG 3

New Thinking.

 

Bruce Chant

generation-j

16/08/2002

 

Have you noticed that people when they are in their cars think that that are in a room where no one can see them? They will sing along to the radio like they are in the shower – of course no one sees them in the shower but the car has windows.

 

I’ve seen people in there cars picking winners from their nasal passages like they were contractors for BHP or Hamersley Iron. It’s amazing – they think for some reason I’m in my car and no-one can see me so it’s cool to pick the old pipes clear (and in some cases dispose of the remnants, how shall we put it… bio-organically.

 

It’s interesting that people will do things when they think no one can see or no one will know about that they would never do if they knew people could see…

 

We all have one area that we keep locked and sealed away that we think no-one will ever know about. It’s a scandal. It’s frightening. It’s dangerous. It’s your mind and what you think about.

 

Actually God sees what we think about – He knows.

 

2 Corinthians 5:17  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

 

We are changed creation because of the Love God has for us – the old is gone and in its place is a new spirit, a new life, a new start and a new way to live. This Is Good!

 

New Creations have a new way of thinking. Our thinking reflects who we are.

 

Proverbs 23:7 “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he….”

 

You are a product of your thoughts.

Very simple – what you think about will come out in your actions and you will end up being a product of those actions.  In every conceivable scenario, the Word of God tells us our thoughts, what is going on in our mind, will effect what sort of person we become. Incredible.

 

Think about what you think about every day…

Does that scare you? Does it shock you? Does it slap you around the face?

 

We believe that what happens in our minds is our business and we can do and act in the right way but still think about what we like in our mind. But there is a problem with that – if we believe our thoughts and our thought life are not affecting our lives we are fools:

 

HUMAN THOUGHTS ARE FUTILE

Psalm 94:11 “The Lord knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile.”

 

Does anyone not have bad thoughts about other people, about what you’d really like to say to them, or do to them or do with them? Course not. We all do. Does that make it right or ok? Of course not – it makes us see we are sinners.

 

HUMAN THOUGHTS ARE EVIL

Genesis 6:5 “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually.”

 

Matthew 15:19 “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all other sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.”

People say humans’ have created much good. Yes. But the problem remains. The heart is the problem. It’s an enemy of God. It’s sick and needs forgiveness.

 

Doing more HUMAN thinking is not the answer – we aren’t good in ourselves to fix the problem.
Doing more of the same will not get us out of this mess the same way drinking alcohol is not what the alcoholic needs.

 

EVIL THOUGHTS ARE ATTRACTIVE

Matthew 9:4 “Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain (to welcome, to accommodate) evil thoughts in your hearts?”

 

Because of this we have a problem – if we have a natural inbuilt inclination toward that which is sinful and destructive – something’s got to give or else we will wind up living like our worst nightmare.

 

Where do a lot of people go wrong in life? Where do they stuff up? It starts in their thinking.

 

Do you think you are ugly?

Do you think you are useless?

Do you think you are never going to be anything?

Do you think no one could ever love you?

Do you think you will never get there?

-- because all these things that you are thinking about will affect your actions and what and who you become.

 

Have you ever met anyone who isn’t really really pretty or handsome but just exudes beauty? I believe that gets down to there thinking – that they have revelation that they are God’s hand crafted creation of beauty. They believe it and they think it and they live it. 

 

So how do we get there? We need to renew our minds:

 

The Solution

 

Romans 12:1-3
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual[1] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

Don’t conform to the thinking of the world – be transformed. Don’t accept it – reject the thinking that traps you and binds you.

 

Don’t be fooled into thinking you know what is good and of God and worth thinking about – test it and see does it measure up to God’s word, given to us as pure and unchanging.

 

Renew your mind and change, transform, be a new creation.

 

Philippians 4:8

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

 

1.      True:

Use God’s Word as a guide – it is not man inspired, it is from God.

Genuine; real; not deviating

 

2.      Honest/Honourable/noble:

Marked by or displaying integrity; upright:

Not deceptive or fraudulent; genuine:

 

3.      Right/Just:

Consistent with what is morally right;. Don’t dwell upon your opinion – check the Word and meditate upon it. If you have a dilemma in your mind – ask God and search the Word for the answer.

 

4.      Lovely/Pure:

Full of love; loving; Inspiring love or affection; appealing to the emotions as well as the eye.

 

5.      Admirable/of Good Report:

Wonderful; marvelous; surprising; excellent; delightful;

 

6.      Excellent/Of any Virtue:

Of the highest or finest quality; exceptionally good.

Eg

 

7.      Worthy of Praise:

Meriting praise; highly commendable.

Eg something you could do that would result in praise…

 

Think about these things – input them and you will bear the fruit of them as new creations.

 

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