Changing the Way You Think
Many people believe that the way they think is based on their personalities,
and are unchangeable, the Bible does say in Proverb 23:7 “as a man thinks,
so is he”. But we have to remember that we are a new creature, II Corinthians
5:17-18 says “therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old
things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. And all things are
of God, who has reconciled us to Himself, by Jesus Christ, and has given to us
the ministry of reconciliation”. After being born again, we have the
responsibility to line up our thinking to the word of God. We are no longer
sinners after accepting Jesus and our ways should no longer be the ways of
the world.
Philippians 2:5 says “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”.
We have the choice, the Bible would not tell us to do anything that we couldn’t
do. We have to believe what God says about us. I Corinthians 2:16 says “we
have the mind of Christ”.
Romans 12:1-2 says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be
you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.
Changing the way you think has to be based on the word of God. Jesus
answered the devil when being tempted in the wilderness, saying “man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of
God” (Matthew 4:4).
Proverbs 4:20-27 tells us the importance of how we think; it says “My son,
attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from
your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that
find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for
out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a forward mouth, and
perverse lips put far from you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids
look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be
established. Turn not to the right hand nor the left; remove your foot from evil”.
Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father,
but by Me” (John 14:6). And in II Corinthians 10:3-5 says “for though we walk
in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ”. Jesus Christ is the word of God and we are to make every thing line
up to the word of God.
This is similar to what James says in James 1:22-25 “but be you doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer
of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a
glass. For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what
manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and
continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deed”. We are to look into the scriptures and
adjust our thinking accordingly. This is not a basic salvation issue, but without
doing it, you cannot live in the victory that have been predestinated for you.
The Bible says as in Roman 8:5:17 “for if by one man’s offence (Adam’s),
death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and
of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ”. We are
supposed to reign in life, remember that God gave us dominion over the works
of His hands; in II Corinthians 2:14 it says “now thanks be to God, which always
causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge
by us in every place”.
The Bible tells us to “set your mind on things above” in II Corinthians 4:18 it
says “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal”; and in (Colossians 3:1-17) it says “if you then be
risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the
right hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on
the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in
glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry. For which things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the
children of disobedience. In the which you also walked some time, when you
lived in them. But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another,
seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds. And have put on the
new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created
him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,
Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on
therefore, as elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ
forgave you, so also do you. And above all these things put on charity, which
is the bond of perfect-ness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to
the which also you are called in one body, and be you thankful. 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. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father”.
To set your mind means to place it where you want it. Just like you set your
thermostat on the temperature that you desire, and your air conditioner
continues to run until it reaches that temperature. We can set our minds on the
things of God. Isaiah 26:3-4 says “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust you in the Lord
Yahweh for ever; for in the Lord Yahweh is everlasting strength”.
The Bible gives us good advice of what we should think on (Philippians 4:6-9)
which says “be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer ad supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of
God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. 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. Those
things, which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in
me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you”. We are to look not at the
things of the world, but as the word of God declares.
The Bible also gives us good advice when we don’t have wisdom to know what
to do (James 1:2-8) “my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers
temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let
patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men
liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the
wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of
the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”.
The devil will give you thoughts, but Jesus said “ take no thought saying”; when
you say it, you have accepted it. Remember that we are to cast down vain
imaginations and bring them under the authority of Jesus.
Paul prayed for the Ephesians church “that He would grant you, according to
the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner
man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you, being rooted and
grounded in love. May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height. And to know the love of Christ
which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:16-20). We have
to consider what we are asking and thinking about?
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 15, 2010
Many people believe that the way they think is based on their personalities,
and are unchangeable, the Bible does say in Proverb 23:7 “as a man thinks,
so is he”. But we have to remember that we are a new creature, II Corinthians
5:17-18 says “therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old
things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. And all things are
of God, who has reconciled us to Himself, by Jesus Christ, and has given to us
the ministry of reconciliation”. After being born again, we have the
responsibility to line up our thinking to the word of God. We are no longer
sinners after accepting Jesus and our ways should no longer be the ways of
the world.
Philippians 2:5 says “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”.
We have the choice, the Bible would not tell us to do anything that we couldn’t
do. We have to believe what God says about us. I Corinthians 2:16 says “we
have the mind of Christ”.
Romans 12:1-2 says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of
God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God,
which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be
you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”.
Changing the way you think has to be based on the word of God. Jesus
answered the devil when being tempted in the wilderness, saying “man shall
not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of
God” (Matthew 4:4).
Proverbs 4:20-27 tells us the importance of how we think; it says “My son,
attend to my words, incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from
your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those that
find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all diligence, for
out of it are the issues of life. Put away from you a forward mouth, and
perverse lips put far from you. Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids
look straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be
established. Turn not to the right hand nor the left; remove your foot from evil”.
Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father,
but by Me” (John 14:6). And in II Corinthians 10:3-5 says “for though we walk
in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ”. Jesus Christ is the word of God and we are to make every thing line
up to the word of God.
This is similar to what James says in James 1:22-25 “but be you doers of the
word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer
of the word, and not a doer, he is like to a man beholding his natural face in a
glass. For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what
manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and
continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deed”. We are to look into the scriptures and
adjust our thinking accordingly. This is not a basic salvation issue, but without
doing it, you cannot live in the victory that have been predestinated for you.
The Bible says as in Roman 8:5:17 “for if by one man’s offence (Adam’s),
death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and
of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ”. We are
supposed to reign in life, remember that God gave us dominion over the works
of His hands; in II Corinthians 2:14 it says “now thanks be to God, which always
causes us to triumph in Christ, and makes manifest the savor of His knowledge
by us in every place”.
The Bible tells us to “set your mind on things above” in II Corinthians 4:18 it
says “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which
are not seen are eternal”; and in (Colossians 3:1-17) it says “if you then be
risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the
right hand of God. Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on
the earth. For you are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in
glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication,
uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness,
which is idolatry. For which things’ sake the wrath of God comes on the
children of disobedience. In the which you also walked some time, when you
lived in them. But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another,
seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds. And have put on the
new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that created
him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision,
Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on
therefore, as elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies kindness,
humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Forbearing one another, and
forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ
forgave you, so also do you. And above all these things put on charity, which
is the bond of perfect-ness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to
the which also you are called in one body, and be you thankful. 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. And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father”.
To set your mind means to place it where you want it. Just like you set your
thermostat on the temperature that you desire, and your air conditioner
continues to run until it reaches that temperature. We can set our minds on the
things of God. Isaiah 26:3-4 says “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose
mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Trust you in the Lord
Yahweh for ever; for in the Lord Yahweh is everlasting strength”.
The Bible gives us good advice of what we should think on (Philippians 4:6-9)
which says “be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer ad supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of
God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. 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. Those
things, which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in
me, do; and the God of peace shall be with you”. We are to look not at the
things of the world, but as the word of God declares.
The Bible also gives us good advice when we don’t have wisdom to know what
to do (James 1:2-8) “my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers
temptations. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. But let
patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men
liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith,
nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the
wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of
the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways”.
The devil will give you thoughts, but Jesus said “ take no thought saying”; when
you say it, you have accepted it. Remember that we are to cast down vain
imaginations and bring them under the authority of Jesus.
Paul prayed for the Ephesians church “that He would grant you, according to
the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner
man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you, being rooted and
grounded in love. May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height. And to know the love of Christ
which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or
think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:16-20). We have
to consider what we are asking and thinking about?
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 15, 2010
