Thinking by Faith
On Tuesday we studied how to change the way you think; now we will explore
faithful ways to bring your thinking in line with the word of God. The Bible tells
us many times that “the just shall live by faith”; believers do not think as
unbelievers think; we are told in Ephesians 4 to “put off the old man, and to put
on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”.
We have been justified by the blood of Jesus Christ and have been adopted into
the family of God. A child of God thinks by faith, not by fear, therefore they live
and walk by faith. Fear says, “God can’t help you”, but faith says “all things are
possible with God”. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all
things through Christ which strengthens me”. It takes some practice, and as you
meditate on this scripture, you will find yourself doing things that in the natural
you couldn’t do.
Fear doubts God’s word, but faith believes every word of God. Remember that
Jesus said “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God”. We have come to define faith by saying; faith is
believing the word of God and then acting upon it. Fear leads to certain defeat,
but faith leads to sure victory. Faith believes God’s promise, “I will never leave
you nor forsake you”, so that we may boldly say, “the Lord Yahweh is my helper;
I will not fear what can man do to me” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
We are told to examine ourselves, so let us examine what things we are thinking
about; we can set out mind, so the choice is ours. A child of God is to think
victorious over this world system (I John 5:4-5) “for whatsoever is born of God
overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our
faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the
Son of God”?
Believers are not to fall in love with the things of the world (I John 2:9-17) “he
that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.
He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is none occasion of
stumbling in him. But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in
darkness, and knows not where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his
eyes. I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His
name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from
the beginning, I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the
wicked one, I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I
have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from the
beginning, I have written to you young men, because you are strong, and the
word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he that does the will
of God abides for ever”.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-33 “therefore I say to you, take no thought for
your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what
you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold, the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather
into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than
they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? And
why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet, I say to you, that even Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the
grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith. Therefore take no thought saying,
what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows
that you have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God,
and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you”. As we put
the kingdom of God first place in our lives, thinking and doing the things that
God has showed us, and He will provide the things that we need.
The key reason we are not to be in love with the world, is because the devil, is
the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4) “in whom the god of this world has
blinded the minds of them which believe not, less the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them”. We must remember
that as I Peter 5:8 says “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour”. We are told not
to be ignorant of his devises (Ephesians 6:10-14) “finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle
not against flesh, and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places. Wherefore take to you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having
your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness”.
What we think about is either drawing us to God or to the devil (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”. Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks in
his heart, so is he”.
Training our thinking is an important aspect in our life, we are to think the way
that God says we are. We are warned not to draw back (Hebrews 10:38-39)
“now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no
pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition; but of them
that believe to the saving of the soul”.
David many times encouraged himself in the Lord, we can sign as David did in
Psalms 27:1-6 “the Lord Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord Yahweh is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the
wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they
stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not
fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing
have I desired of the Lord Yahweh, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord Yahweh, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the
Lord Yahweh, and to enquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall
hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall
set me up upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies
round about me; therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing,
yea, I will sing praises to the Lord Yahweh”. We are not to think that we are
alone, because God is with us, in fact, God lives in us and “you are of God, little
children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you, than he
that is in the world”(I John 4:4).
We are to think thoughts of love (I John 4:7-11) “beloved, let us love one
another; for love is of God, and every one that loves is born of God, and knows
God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested
the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if
God so loved us, we ought also to love one another”.
We need to think thoughts of forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7) “in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace”. And because we have been forgiven, we are to be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake
has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).
God loves us and He wants us to prosper and be in health even as our soul
prospers. Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 18, 2010
On Tuesday we studied how to change the way you think; now we will explore
faithful ways to bring your thinking in line with the word of God. The Bible tells
us many times that “the just shall live by faith”; believers do not think as
unbelievers think; we are told in Ephesians 4 to “put off the old man, and to put
on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”.
We have been justified by the blood of Jesus Christ and have been adopted into
the family of God. A child of God thinks by faith, not by fear, therefore they live
and walk by faith. Fear says, “God can’t help you”, but faith says “all things are
possible with God”. The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all
things through Christ which strengthens me”. It takes some practice, and as you
meditate on this scripture, you will find yourself doing things that in the natural
you couldn’t do.
Fear doubts God’s word, but faith believes every word of God. Remember that
Jesus said “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds
out of the mouth of God”. We have come to define faith by saying; faith is
believing the word of God and then acting upon it. Fear leads to certain defeat,
but faith leads to sure victory. Faith believes God’s promise, “I will never leave
you nor forsake you”, so that we may boldly say, “the Lord Yahweh is my helper;
I will not fear what can man do to me” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
We are told to examine ourselves, so let us examine what things we are thinking
about; we can set out mind, so the choice is ours. A child of God is to think
victorious over this world system (I John 5:4-5) “for whatsoever is born of God
overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our
faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the
Son of God”?
Believers are not to fall in love with the things of the world (I John 2:9-17) “he
that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.
He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is none occasion of
stumbling in him. But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in
darkness, and knows not where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his
eyes. I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His
name’s sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from
the beginning, I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the
wicked one, I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I
have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from the
beginning, I have written to you young men, because you are strong, and the
word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. Love not
the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh
and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the
world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof, but he that does the will
of God abides for ever”.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:25-33 “therefore I say to you, take no thought for
your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor yet for your body, what
you shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
Behold, the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather
into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than
they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature? And
why take you thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow;
they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet, I say to you, that even Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the
grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not
much more clothe you, O you of little faith. Therefore take no thought saying,
what shall we eat? Or, what shall we drink? Or, wherewithal shall we be clothed?
For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knows
that you have need of all these things. But seek you first the kingdom of God,
and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you”. As we put
the kingdom of God first place in our lives, thinking and doing the things that
God has showed us, and He will provide the things that we need.
The key reason we are not to be in love with the world, is because the devil, is
the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4) “in whom the god of this world has
blinded the minds of them which believe not, less the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine to them”. We must remember
that as I Peter 5:8 says “be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour”. We are told not
to be ignorant of his devises (Ephesians 6:10-14) “finally, my brethren, be
strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of
God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle
not against flesh, and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places. Wherefore take to you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to
withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having
your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness”.
What we think about is either drawing us to God or to the devil (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”. Proverbs 23:7 says “as a man thinks in
his heart, so is he”.
Training our thinking is an important aspect in our life, we are to think the way
that God says we are. We are warned not to draw back (Hebrews 10:38-39)
“now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, My soul shall have no
pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back to perdition; but of them
that believe to the saving of the soul”.
David many times encouraged himself in the Lord, we can sign as David did in
Psalms 27:1-6 “the Lord Yahweh is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord Yahweh is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the
wicked, even my enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they
stumbled and fell. Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not
fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. One thing
have I desired of the Lord Yahweh, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord Yahweh, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the
Lord Yahweh, and to enquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall
hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall
set me up upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies
round about me; therefore will I offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing,
yea, I will sing praises to the Lord Yahweh”. We are not to think that we are
alone, because God is with us, in fact, God lives in us and “you are of God, little
children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you, than he
that is in the world”(I John 4:4).
We are to think thoughts of love (I John 4:7-11) “beloved, let us love one
another; for love is of God, and every one that loves is born of God, and knows
God. He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. In this was manifested
the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the
world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but
that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if
God so loved us, we ought also to love one another”.
We need to think thoughts of forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7) “in whom we have
redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of
His grace”. And because we have been forgiven, we are to be kind to one
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake
has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).
God loves us and He wants us to prosper and be in health even as our soul
prospers. Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: June 18, 2010
