To Control Your Conduct, Control Your Thoughts – Part One
Romans 7: 22 – 25
Jesus “…works in you both to will and to do His good pleasure” (Philippians 2: 13).
The dynamic living Lord Jesus spiritually indwells the believer. Two of the many functions He performs are to motivate and enable a person to do what is right.
He is responsible for the IN-WORKING we for the OUTWORKING. Somewhere between the in-working and the outworking there is often a breakdown. Romans 7: 19 speaks embarrassingly for most of us: “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.”
Is that a painful description of you? None can answer “yes,” with pride. Well, then if there is no pride let there be no contentment in continuing a herky-jerky, on-again-off-again lifestyle.
Christianity isn’t intended to be a series of ups and downs. It is to be a succession of ins and outs. Jesus works in us that His will might be worked out by us.
Two full-time college students majoring in music were discussing their part time jobs. One said, “I work in the opera at night. The pay is good even for my bit role as a spear carrier.”
The second, knowing of his fellow students’ long day and heavy schedule said, “How do you stay awake so late at night?”
“Simple, the guy behind me carries a spear also.”
We need to develop the mind-set of a person with a motivating spear carrier behind him if we are to avoid doing what we should not and instead doing what we should. To do this a certain mind-set is essential.
Before medical science had progressed to know better it was believed that conscious thoughts came from the heart. Knowing the heart pumped blood it was thought of as being the point of origin for thoughts which were believed to be carried from the heart to the brain by the blood. Figuratively, this language was used by Jesus who said, “Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…” (Matthew 15:19).
If we are going to do what we should and avoid what we should not do we must preempt improper thoughts. Don’t program your mind with secret improper thoughts and expect your conduct to be proper. We need to learn mental discipline. A technique for doing this is noted in II Corinthians 10: 5.
“…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” It is called discipline. If you want to discipline your conduct, discipline your thoughts.
If God Be for Us… And He Is! Part Four
Romans 8:31
Romans 8:35 asks the question: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Following is one of the strongest passages proving the eternal security of the believer, that is, once you are saved you are kept.
The “Who” is a personal pronoun referring to Satan. He is the counter universal super power. If He can’t separate us no one can. Observe the inventory of tyrants that try to separate us.
Tribulation. This is a reference to the many common problems we face. It translates a word meaning “to be squeezed or thrashed” from without.
Distress. This is a compound word meaning “to be caught in a narrow place” or “to be hemmed-in with no way out.” It speaks of being trapped by oppressive circumstances.
Persecution. This refers to physical or mental suffering inflicted by others.
Famine. Emphatically NO!
Nakedness. Not even a non-designer label wardrobe.
Peril. Any number of threatening dangers can’t.
Sword. A reference to war. Not even it can separate us.
In all these things “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (8:37).
This was no abstract theory. This was a statement coming from a man who had experienced all of these things. Out of his personal crucible of crisis he reached this conclusion.
The list goes on and whatever the extreme in all these things we are more than conquerors.
In life or death we are MORE than conquerors.
In things present and things future we are MORE than conquerors.
Whether heights or depths, whatever dimension or space or time, we are more than conquerors.
“We are more than conquerors,” we are B – I – G winners, super-conquerors.
“I am persuaded” (8:38), I have reached a fixed conviction about which there is no doubt. This persuasion came from and comes from experiencing God in all circumstances.
Have you been doubting instead of being persuaded of God’s love? You can undergo a change. Three steps are involved.
The first level is knowledge. This is easy to change. You have been afforded Biblical insight in this passage that is enough to change your knowledge level.
Second is attitude. This is tougher to change. It is knowledge that is emotionally charged. Now you know something and you feel very strongly about it positively or negatively.
The third level is behavior. You have to do something. You have to overcome an old way of thinking or habit. “To separate” is an aorist infinitive meaning no one at any one moment in time is able to separate us from the love of God for even an instant, much less for eternity. The believer is secure in Jesus. That is true today and every day.
If God Be for Us… And He Is! Part Three
Romans 8:31
If God be for us who can possibly succeed against us? Who can prevail against God?
The little word “If” does not imply any doubt about God being for us. In the Greek the if is first class meaning “If, and it is so.” Literally, it means “since” or “because.”
Notice your support team.
The Father is so obviously for you He gave His Son (8:32).
The Son is so very much for you He intercedes (8:34).
The Holy Spirit is so strongly for us He helps our weaknesses (8:26).
And together they work all things together for our good (8:28).
“For us” speaks of substitutionary atonement. He died on our behalf. There was a spiritual crisis facing mankind and God the Father didn’t hesitate to send His Son to resolve it.
God the Father loved us enough when we were His enemies that He gave us His Son. Now that we are His children by spiritual adoption He will “freely give us all things” (8:32c).
What He did on the cross He did for His enemies. What He does for us now He does for His friends.
Have you ever been falsely accused? Hurts, doesn’t it? Some people even condemn us and that is painful. However, our emotional equilibrium is maintained if we realize the only one with the authority to condemn us has forgiven us. Note verse 34: “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
Christ is depicted as being seated at the right hand of the Father. There is a new PC translation of the Bible out that removes all reference to the “right hand of God” for fear of offending left handed people. In doing so they miss a very important truth. In the Sanhedrin, the Supreme Court of Jesus’ day, two priests sat, one sat on each side of the High Priest. The one on the left wrote bills of condemnation. The one on the right wrote bills of acquittal. Jesus is depicted as being the one Who forgives. However, Jesus’ work on the cross condemns those who reject Him. It is He Who condemns.
When life is entrusted to Him for time and eternity it is kept for eternity and in time.
If we are to have trouble there must be a reason. The Philips Translation of James 1: 2, 3 in part explains: “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends! Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance.”
Check your score card for that.
If God Be for Us… And He Is! Part Two
Romans 8: 31
God’s Word gives reason for being encouraged.
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
“Hey,” comes the response, “I can give you a long list.”
Observe virtually any secular entertainment program and you will see a philosophy that opposes virtually every Christian virtue.
Listen to an interview on MTV with Queen Latifah as she is asked about the sin of pride. “Pride is a sin?” she responds, “I wasn’t aware of that.”
Former actress Kirstie Alley adds, “Some idiot must have made that up.”
Pride, the original sin of Satan, is considered the standard for today. Scripture says, “The Lord detests the proud of heart” (Proverbs 16: 5).
The text does not imply there will not be personal opposition in life. A better understanding is gained from a modern translation which renders it: “If God be for us what does it matter who may be against us?” (Norlie Translation) Thus, those in Christ are depicted as being in a no lose position. It does not imply we won’t be opposed, resented, disliked, or even attacked. We will, but if everything is alright between us and the Lord what does it matter who opposes us?
Living proof of this was enacted by five Baptist missionaries in Tanzania as they knelt, praying, and holding hands. Their kidnappers delayed their execution arguing whether to shoot them together or separately. One of the missionaries, David Moreland said, “I thought I was holding my wife’s hand for the last time.”
Ten-year-old Joanna Giddens said, “I wasn’t scared…because I knew that with God everything would be alright.”
Sandra Harrington said Romans 8: 31 kept running through her head: “Nothing can separate us from the love of God — not even death.”
Upon hearing their prayers the kidnappers decided to drug them and leave them rather than kill them. They awoke 18 hours later to the sound of a rescue plane. Harrington said, “We could be dead — and God would be great, but He intervened, and I am very grateful to Him.”
Even when the opposition pulls the trigger God is still great. Even when we are faced with formidable opposition we can’t be separated from the love of God.
If they could apply God’s word in such dire circumstances you, by relying on God and His Word and find peace and gain power to carry on. Why not do it?
There is no exemption from problems and no immunity from challenges for the believer. Even they have a part of life.
“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you” (I Peter 5: 10). “After” we have suffered a while, the ultimate is glory.
If God Be for Us… And He Is! Part One
Romans 8: 31
Jesus is someone with whom everyone can relate.
Descriptively the prophet Isaiah spoke of Him: “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:3).
Yet, He was so winsome that little children flocked to Him.
He was so joyous His detractors accused Him of being drunk.
He was so optimistic and insightful that masses gathered to hear Him speak.
In your highs and in your lows Jesus is able to deal with the diverse issues of your life. There are those who are personally celebrating the fact life is good and their cup is running over. Conversely there are those who feel like even though they have asked God to fill their cup, instead someone has come along and eaten their lunch. In between are the masses alternating between these two moods. Regardless of where you are presently on the scale you have been at virtually every other point and likely will continue to slide up and down the scale. Therefore it is expedient to store up spiritual resources to equip you for every phase of life.
Life inflicts about the same setbacks and tragedies on Christians and non-believers, optimists as on pessimists. No one has more reason for optimism than a Christian. We have reason to bounce back from setbacks as a result of two things. One is a resource of biblical principles which when applied give reason for optimism. The other is lessons learned from our practical experiences. The text noted above comes out of the experiences of the penman.
Recently my wife and I went fishing for silver salmon on the Kenai River in Alaska. It is a scenic setting. One bank was the home of fishing bears, the other was roamed by caribou. Seals bobbed up and down in the water looking for lunch. Boats were anchored all along the way as people awaited a big catch. There is a sonar device in the river that counts the thousands of fish going up-stream. Suddenly I saw something amazing. It was a fish going downstream. Then I realized this one was dead. The obvious lesson is that any dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to fight its way up-stream.
Persons alive in Jesus often go upstream against the current of popular opinion, but they are going the right direction.
The Christian life is more than a frolic; it’s a fight. It is not a playground; it is a battleground.
Reassuringly God’s Word encourages us with great truths such as: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
If you are a person of faith the text noted above assures you God is very busy in all things to bring the good from them. Relax in His grace and unconditional love.