God’s Heart for Your Thought Life

March 22, 2015

With over 50,000 thoughts racing through your mind each day, your thought life truly determines your real life. As a man thinks, so is he. If you don’t know how to guard your emotions and mind with the peace of God, your thoughts can easily become your worst enemy. However, with the mind of Christ your thoughts can be the very thing that bring you peace and joy because they are from the Holy Spirit, Colossians 3:1-2. Today, learn God’s heart for your thought life!

SERIES TEXT

Ephesians 3:16-20, “16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

TERMS

DUALISM: The belief that the “mind” and “body” are not the same. Furthermore, the brain and it’s usage of the five senses (touch, taste, smell, hear, and see) is separate from the soul. Christians by definition are dualist because dualism is the opposite of materialism, which teaches that man is only a material and physical being, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
SOUL: The human soul is the spiritual mind, will, and emotions that makes a person unique from their physical body, Genesis 2:7. Jesus taught in Matthew 10:28 that when your body dies, your soul (the real you) will live on either in heaven or in hell. Then he taught in John 5:28-29 at Judgement Day everyone gets a new eternal body, either for damnation in the lake of fire or to rule with Him upon the New Earth.
THOUGHTS: The way in which the mind communicates with itself, the body, and the spiritual world. Thoughts lead to actions and emotions because the mind interacts with the brain and body just like a automobile driver operates a car. The driver is not the car, but the car is an extension of the driver’s actions. The average person has around 50,000 thoughts per day.
THE SPIRITUAL MIND: Since the mind, which resides in man’s soul, is a spiritual substance (non-physical) both God and the devil, which are also spirits, can speak to the human mind. Therefore, the mind is like a radio receiver, which can hear thoughts from the Holy Spirit or temptation from the devil and his demons. Thus, our mind can receive thoughts from the following three different sources:
- Itself
- God
- The Devil and His Demons
MIND OF CHRIST: The thoughts of God given to man through the Holy Spirit to the mind, 1 Corinthians 2:16.
BATTLE FOR THE MIND: The spiritual place where the will of man fights for the mind of Christ against the temptation of the devil (2 Corinthians 4:4) and the desires of the physical body, Romans 8:6. The soul is not passive, thus each person’s will determines what their mind will think and act on.

Philippians 4:4-9, “4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

Paul’s Guide to a Healthy Thought Life

Always Rejoice in the Lord, v. 4.
Be Gentle, v. 5.
Don’t Be Anxious, v. 6.
Always Pray with Thanksgiving, v. 6.
Let the Peace of God Guard Your Heart (Emotions) and Mind, v. 7.
Only Think about Excellent and Praiseworthy Things, v. 8.
Put Into Practice the Faith of Your Leaders, v. 9.