For as He Thinks So Is He

I stopped our study on Daniel for the very reason that you begin all over next unit in Daniel in your Life Group time in Bible Studies for Life series.

I have spoken in subsections of text over my time here as we think about that Scripture.

Proverbs 23:7 “7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.”

It is so true, how we think affects everything about our being and everything about our relationship with Christ.

Think-74 x

Mind-141 x

heart-1038 x

Soul 413 x

Matthew 6:21 “21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Heart-Greek Kardia where we get the word Cardio or Cardiology. We know today that the heart pumps life into us but we know our brain is the central organ for our thoughts.

Listen to the various descriptions of heart definition is in Strong’s Concordance:

the heart

that organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the blood, and hence was regarded as the seat of physical life

denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life

the vigour and sense of physical life

the centre and seat of spiritual life

the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours

of the understanding, the faculty and seat of the intelligence

of the will and character

of the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good, or of the soul as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites, passions

of the middle or central or inmost part of anything, even though inanimate

Between the words Think, mind, heart, and soul the Bible references those words over 1,670 times.

Soul-psyche

the soul

the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)

the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life

the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body)

Mark 12:30 “30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.”

How we think affects every aspect of life. The source of correct thinking lies with the Lord.

That is why when we are in a bad place in life as it relates to our attitudes, the problem lies with our relationship to the Lord.

“Loving your neighbor as yourself” will never happen until its is sourced in our love for the Lord.

Why is that?

God is love.

Romans 12:2 “2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Why is this such an important series?

Our thinking affects every relationship we have.

God

Family

Marriage

Children-Parenting

Work

Church

Any relationship in general

Any relationship you have is totally affected by your thinking.

Furthermore, the broad paintbrush of such a subject affects any attitude you exhibit.

Worry

Greed

Hate

Prejudice

Covetousness

jealousy

dissension

envy

Or some positives:

Think about the Fruit of the Spirit in us:

love

joy

peace

longsuffering

kindness

goodness

faithfulness

gentleness

self control

And that same paintbrush of thinking affects our worship to the Lord.

All I wanted to do at this point is to reveal such a topic can go on for indefinite if so chosen.

The psalmist writes that when a heart is infected with wrong thinking, he refers to it as a double heart.

Psalms 12:2 “2 They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.”

So, where do we begin. If God is love and the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your mind, soul, heart and strength, let’s begin at the hub or origin or correct thinking.

We first time we read that command for the first time in the Bible is in

The Origin of our Thinking

Deuteronomy 6:5 “5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”

Heart-lebab Hebrew

inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding

inner part, midst

midst (of things)

heart (of man)

soul, heart (of man)

mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory

inclination, resolution, determination (of will)

conscience

heart (of moral character)

as seat of appetites

as seat of emotions and passions

as seat of courage

Soul-nepes Hebrew

soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion

that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man

living being

living being (with life in the blood)

the man himself, self, person or individual

seat of the appetites

seat of emotions and passions

activity of mind

dubious

activity of the will

dubious

activity of the character

dubious

Strength-Meod Hebrew

muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly

force, might

exceedingly, greatly, very (idioms showing magnitude or degree)

exceedingly

up to abundance, to a great degree, exceedingly

with muchness, muchness

Once the Lord is part of our lives, once He resides in us and our relationship with Him as it should be then we know the fruits of the Spirit will be a part of our lives, a part of our attitudes, a part of our thinking.

Free Will-Choice

Remember that our only effort is to choose Jesus and that is true. But we also choose to stay “in Christ.”

Obstacles in our Thinking

Paul helps us immensely in understanding of being “in Christ.”

What are the big separators of being “in Christ?” What will pull us away from our communion with Him? And, when our communion is broken, our spirit is broken in acting and thinking as He would have us think.

Romans 6:10-11 “10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Sin is a big separator of attitudes.

Romans 8:1 “1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Now, if we are “in Christ”, listen to a great promise.

Romans 8:38-39 “38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

So the question is tonight, how do we do that? How do we stay “in Christ?” How do we maintain that intimacy? How do we cultivate our communion with Christ?

Romans 15:17-20 “17 Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation,”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

If we are in Christ & we are a new creation, we want to exhibit the thinking and the actions of Christ.

What old actions must pass away that inhibits your best relationship in Christ?

In close marriage to 2 Corinthians 5:17 is 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 “18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”

Reconciled Katallaso

to change, exchange, as coins for others of equivalent value

to reconcile (those who are at variance)

return to favour with, be reconciled to one

to receive one into favour

I want us to get our theology correct here. Being In Christ, being a new creation in Christ began with a broken severed relationship with God. We had sinned against God.

I stated recently that all sins we commit are against God first and foremost.

Psalms 51:4 “4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.”

Why is that the case?

Everything and everyone has been created by God. Every human being is created in the image of God. We are all His creation. When you commit a sin against anyone you are ultimately sinning against God.

Now, we began in the right place as we reconciled with God. But, if it is within our being or another person is not dead, we are to make right the wrongs we have committed with others.

Now, let me share that you will find God’s peace and joy when you have attempted to right a wrong and the other party will not accept your actions. But, you will never find real peace until you have made your best effort to mind broken relationships.

I realize all too well there are people that are hard hearted and will not accept a single word you say or even speak to you. I get it.

But, you will never find peace until you have made the effort to heal a broken relationship. A personal contact if it is allowed. A letter, a call, a text or someway of reaching out to that person and letting them know you are thinking about them, you are sorry that our relationship is not what it should be, I want to work to bring healing, I want to be the one that takes action.

Dearly beloved, this in the back of our minds that intermittently will creep back and it is an intermittent pull down to your demeanor.

As a pastor I find myself around family gatherings quite often. Many times obviously around funeral planning, weddings, or times I am simply invited to participate.

I will ask many open ended questions and I will look to this one and that one and attempt to tie together the family connection, etc.

Invariably someone will share something about their upbringing, something about a brother or sister, something about a severed relationship and it can come up in no more than a few words to a paragraph of discussion and they share of the chasm in the relationship. It bothered them enough that they acknowledged it to me. I am not a priest yet something in their conscious, the Holy Spirit confronts their being and they confess the great divide.

Do you have a great divide that is tainting your thinking? Do you have a great divide that guards you and does not allow you to know true liberality and freedom in Christ?

We describe the anchors and the nooses we must get rid of in Christ. What weight are you carrying that you would be freed up if you would be proactive in seeking reconciliation?

Believe it or not, you can have a former spouse that you can not bring yourself to forgive for their actions? Your proactive approach could be a simple as communicating in some way that I have truly forgiven you. I hope God’s best for you. I hope you find happiness and health and prosperity. You attitudes may be dampened because you have never found real closure to past events.

The Operatives to Our Thinking

Philippians 2:5-7 “5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”

We render our thinking for the Lord’s thinking.

All we have to do is ask this question:

“What would Jesus do?”, “How would Jesus think in this matter?” “How would He respond to this circumstance?”

Where do you begin to think like Jesus?

-Read His Word. Exactly, but where specifically?

The Gospels. I would recommend beginning with John’s Gospel.

And why John?

What are the seven I am verses in the Bible? 1) "I am the Bread of Life" ...

2) "I am the Light of the World" ...

3) "I am the Door" ...

4) “I am the Good Shepherd" ...

5) "I am the Resurrection and the Life" ...

6) "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" ...

7) "I am the True Vine"

Romans 12:2 “2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Daily we must renew our minds. Sometimes I have to renew several times a day as to what I am facing.

Prayer gets our minds back stayed on Christ.

Accountability Partner

Colossians 3:1-11 “1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, …”