PLEASING GOD WELL IN D PRIVACY OF OUR THOUGHTS

PLEASING GOD WELL IN THE PRIVACY OF OUR THOUGHTS

PLEASING GOD WELL IN THE PRIVACY OF OUR THOUGHTS

Welcome back, friends. I’m speaking on: Pleasing God well in the Privacy if our thoughts.

PLEASING GOD WELL IN THE PRIVACY OF OUR THOUGHTS

And we are going to read Philippians 4, a familiar passage: verse 8. There, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says,

Philippians 4:8

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 [or think] on these things.

PRAYER

Father, we’ve come again. We pray that the entrance of Your Word that usually gives light would give light to all my friends in radioland…in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

 

We please God, not only in our public lives, but also in our private lives. The two times God the Father testified of the Son from heaven, first was with regards to His private live; the second, with regard to His public life. The first one was at His baptism. Before ever Jesus did anything, any work, publicly, the Father said, “You are my beloveth Son; in You I am well pleased.” His private life. He had not preached; He had not performed any miracle. Towards the end of His Ministry on earth, at the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father showed up again, and He said, “This is my beloveth Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him – Or, listen to Him.”

God is interested in our lives that please Him, not only publicly, but more especially privately. So, I want to speak to us in this area of our private lives, and particularly, the privacy of our thoughts. Many Christians are ignorant of the great impact thought make in the life of a Christian. By way of illustration, you know that what your hands cannot reach, your ears can; and what your hands and ears cannot reach, your eyes can; and what your hands, your ears and your eyes cannot reach, your thoughts can. Thoughts do not know any limitations. They are messengers without borders. Embarrassment or shame and fear of punishment can restrict certain actions, but not thoughts; for thoughts defy detections from human standpoint. This is the reason sins of thought are most dangerous and deadly. Yet, this is the primary place God expects us to please Him. The scripture addressed the issue of our thoughts or content of our heart severally. Here are a few of them:

In 1 Samuel 16:6-7

So it was, when they came, that he [that is, the prophet of God] he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

 

Proverbs 4:23

Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.

Proverbs 23:7a

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.

As a man thinks in his heart so is he.

Mark 7:20

20 And He [Jesus] said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

One more scripture:

Acts 1:24

And they prayed and said [that’s, when they were about to choose a replacement for Judas]…they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen.

The God who knows the heart of all!

Let us spend the rest of our time on the text we read: Philippians 4:8. For your information, Paul is not teaching the power of positive thinking in this text. You can make that application. Some people teach that we should deny reality or the truth in the name of thinking or talking positively – a teaching that is borrowed for Christian Science and the late Norman Vincent Peale. Instead what Paul is teaching us here is that we should pay attention to the content of our thought life. The content of our thought life should be veered towards the great truths of God’s Word. Do you want to please God well in the area where it matters the most? Your thoughts: think or meditate on these things Paul says:

  1. Whatever things are true

God is the absolute standard for truth – that which corresponds to reality, that’s truth. His unchanging Word is the revelation of truth. Jesus says also that He is the truth. Those who know God through Christ must order their lives by the Word of God: the truth, not feelings or whatever works. It is not everything that works that is biblical. Moses struck the rock twice against God’s command, and it worked. That is in Numbers 20. Today, many Christians say, “If it works, then that must be the truth.” – Not necessarily.

 

  1. Whatever things are noble or honorable

– This means something that inspires awe or reverence. This quality is demanded of the elders, the deacons – indeed all Christians: If you look at 1 Timothy 2:2; 3:4, 11. The question we need to ask is, is your heart, is my heart, so full of perpetual jokes that will never you never take life seriously. Whatever is noble, whatever is honorable – something that inspires awe or reverence.  I know of a servant of God who behaves as though God had called him to be a clown. There’s a place for clean jokes – but life is not a perpetual joke.

 

  • Whatever things are just or right

The bible described God and the Lord Jesus Christ as just or righteous; and we are called upon to be just or righteous. We must therefore exclude from our thoughts anything that is unjust, that is unrighteous, that is wicked.

 

  1. Whatever things are pure

Our thoughts must center on moral purity. This means that we should guard our eyes because whatever enters through the eyes gate filters into and settles in the chambers of our hearts or our thoughts. A servant of God once said, “What the ear lets in the mind works over, and our tongue gives out. The scourge of pornography today is a good reminder that we should guard our thoughts. Whatever things are pure!

 

  1. Whatever things are lovely

This word means, that which is pleasing or agreeable: that which is attractive. Nothing or nobody is as lovely or as attractive as Jesus. Let us keep Him on our minds all the time.

 

  1. Whatever things are of good report or repute

This is a principle of love. 1 Corinthians 13:7. This principle of love that believes the best about a brother or a sister until proven otherwise refuse to think evil of any body, except you have been given a reason to do so. And even then, God is still in the business of changing people.

 

  • Whatever is vitreous or excellent

Moral excellence is implied: A quality of God that Peter says should also be added to our faith, in 2 Peter 1:3 & 5. We should always think of the moral excellence of Jesus, longing to be like Him.

 

And finally.

  • Whatever is praiseworthy

It implies what is praiseworthy in God and in people. This means that we shall fix our minds on the great and gracious things God has done. And the gracious things He has done in people. A negative and critical spirit is not well pleasing to God.

 

Friend, if pleasing God is unattractive to you try pleasing men. God wants us to please Him in our thoughts. So guard your thoughts. Whatever is contrary to these things we have discussed, as soon as they filter into your mind, into your thoughts, reject them – throw them out.

 

PRAYER

Thank You, Father, for Your Word today. Blessed be Your Name. May You, dear Lord, strengthen our thoughts. Help us to resist all thoughts that You would never admit – all thoughts that You would never sanction…in Jesus’ Name. Amen!

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