Chapter 12 -- Holiness in Spirit

2 Cor. 7:1 “So then, dear friends, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

Imagine for a moment that a device has been invented that can read your thoughts, scan your mind, and display the activity on a screen for all to see. Some might say it’s already been invented: SOCIAL MEDIA!!! But in all seriousness, would that device not terrify you?

Here’s the sobering point: Jesus aims for purity of thought as much as purity of action. Doesn’t the Sermon on the Mount hit not just at the outward actions but the inward motivations and thoughts as well?

Just as we are learning to exercise self-control in the physical appetites of the flesh, so we must learn to control our thought life as well.

Consider Col.2:23 “Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.” Bridges says that there is a type of false righteousness that outwardly appears right while neglecting every manner of inward defilement.

The danger is that what we dwell on has a nasty habit of manifesting itself in our daily lives.

You’ve probably heard the old proverbial saying, “Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character.” It’s not biblical, but Prov.23:6-7a, which in the NASB reads, “Do not eat the bread of a selfish man, or desire his delicacies; for as he thinks (or reckons in his soul), so he is.”

So, Scripture encourages us:

Phil.2:5 “Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,” or “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” (ESV)

And, Phil.4:8 “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell (think deeply) on these things.”

Rom.12:2 “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Eph.4:23 “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,”

Holiness begins in our minds and ends in practical living. So, what we allow to enter our minds is critically important.

How well do we guard what we watch, listen to, and converse with others about?

How often do we evaluate the effect these things have on what we think about?

Is there any type of metric we can use to determine if it is good for us to “intake” or not? (see above — Phil.4:8)

The world will constantly try and persuade us to its side, and when we resist, we’ll be labeled as legalistic or old-fashioned (1 Pet.4:4 “They are surprised that you don’t join them in the same flood of wild living—and they slander you.”) Again, we return to something we’ve mentioned time and again: “What is acceptable in one generation becomes the norm in the next.” Let’s pause right here and just think culturally about this for a moment — how has the world, maybe the entertainment industry particularly, changed? What was the starting point? What has it devolved in to? What things today are we passively “letting go” not thinking about how it will affect the generation after us?

We have a tendency to create a false dichotomy of sins: what is unacceptable and what is not acceptable but also not to be worried about.

We probably do this subconsciously, but lying, stealing, adultery, murder, and gossip…we’re pretty sure these are bad and you shouldn’t do them. Now, how convinced or enticed, that’s up for debate, but everyone would say, “Sin! Just say no!” in some form or fashion. The point I’m getting at is you shouldn’t DO them.

There is this list that maybe tends to go unchecked. Hatred? Discord? Jealousy? Selfish ambition? These aren’t so much sins you do, they’re sins you THINK. And so seriously, when’s the last time we repented for something outside of lust in our thought life?

Envy. Pride. Bitterness. A critical spirit. Unforgiveness.

Isn’t envy what drove King Saul to madly pursue David trying to take his life? And until we find contentment in Christ, we’ll only see envy and jealousy expand and consume us.

What about bitterness? When we fail to trust God’s sovereignty in our lives, seeds of bitterness begin to grow. When we fail to remember that we’re all sinners in dire need of grace from God AND ONE ANOTHER, the seeds of bitterness grow.

Then there’s a spirit of retaliation which aligns closely with bitterness. It’s not that we always get revenge, but we far too often plan the course of action. And me, maybe I’m the only one that plays this mental game…and now I realize I have to go repent of it…but you play out the scenario in your mind of it all going down. It never actually happens anywhere other than your pretend fantasy, but you feel better because at least you got your revenge there. Well, consider:

Rom.12:19 “Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”

1 Pet.2:23 “when he was insulted, he did not insult in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten but entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.”

If we want to cleanse ourselves from a spirit of retaliation, learn to rest in God’s sovereignty and let Him repay what needs to be repaid.

Finally, what about a critical spirit? What about when the plank of pride cannot be removed because we’re in dire “need” of getting that speck out of someone else’s eye? What about when we adopt the attitude of the praying pharisee in Lk.18:11 “The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.”

All of these indwelling attitudes and thoughts are just as vile as sexual immorality, debauchery, idolatry…you name it. So we must work diligently to uproot these things from our though life. If we are called to think on the things that are good, we must first replace them with thoughts that are good. If we are to walk in what is right, we must learn to dwell on the things that are righteous.

How do we change the way we think?

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