STANDING FIRM (5): BY RIGHT THINKING AND RIGHT LIVING

(Phil. 4:8-9)
December 9, 2018

Read Phil 4:8-9 – You are what you think more than you think. That’s a
Pastor Loren paraphrase of Prov 23:7 in NASB – “As [a man] thinks within
himself, so he is.” What we think defines who we really are – not how we
fake it with others, and not how we’d like to be, but who we really are. You
are what you think more than you think! That’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?

We are what we think. Critical spirits create sick souls and sick bodies.
Resentment shrivels us inside and out. Greed distorts reality and distracts us
higher things. Hatred diminishes us. Lustful thoughts create isolation and
destroy relationships. Unworthy thoughts lead to unworthy actions leading to
destructive consequences.

Worse yet, God knows my heart, not my façade! Heb 4:13 And no creature is
hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to
whom we must give account.” Positive change then begins with my thought
life. So Rom 12:2 commands: “be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
II Cor 10:5 advises: “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” What seems
a harmless, private indulgence of a rogue mind can lead to great pain and
destruction. The mind is that powerful. David knew that. First he looked, got
hooked, then he took. He saw; indulged his fantasy and fell. He didn’t lose his
salvation, but he paid a heavy price. He also learned. He writes in Psa
139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my
thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous way in me.” Problems start with
our thoughts – but so does victory! So we need God’s help to “take every
thought captive” – something this passage does – shows us how right thinking
leads to right living.

I. Right Thinking
A. What? – Paul lists 8 positive things to occupy our mind.

1. Things that are True – Lies kill. They come from Satan. Jn
8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s
desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the
truth, because there is no truth in him.” What was the lie back in the very
beginning? Two things. He convinced Eve that God was not good. Gen 3:1:
“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” “He’s
holding out on you, Eve. I know you like Him, but He is not good.” Lie # 1.
1
Then lie #2. God’s Word is not true, trustworthy. Gen 3:4: “You will not
surely die.” “I know what He said, but it’s not true!” So, the first two-part lie
– God is not good or He wouldn’t allow pain, for example. And God’s Word
is not true. He would never sentence forbid what feels good. Same lies today.

So, how do we fight those? How do we think on “whatever is true”? We start

with God’s Word. We must decide, do I believe God, or the Enemy? Jesus
prays in Jn 17:17, “Sanctify (grow them) in the truth; your word is truth.” A
growing Xn must be in the Word, so the Word can be in him. It’s the truth of
the Word that will reshape our minds. I Pet 2:2: “Like newborn infants, long
for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” The
more we know the Word, the more we see everything in light of truth. Is what
I’m hearing true in God’s eyes? Is this person teaching me truth or error? Is
this movie presenting truth or error? As God’s Word permeates our being, we
begin to see and evaluate everything in light of true truth. That’s the standard.

Talk show host Janet Parshall says, “I hear from Christians all the time who
see no problem in practicing a kind of spiritual a la carte -- a little Oprah
here, a little Twilight there, a dash of New Age, and a pinch of what makes
you happy and comfortable. Our "Americanized" Christianity so often bears
no resemblance to the lives we are called to live in Scripture.” The only
solution is to be actively, intentionally pursuing truth. Get truth above all.

2. Things that are Honorable – Noble things. The word is used

in I Tim 3 to describe elders and deacons. They are to be people of dignity –
not the stiff rigidness of an English butler, but someone who sees the best in
others – strives for the best in themselves and conducts themselves with
honor. Not flip. Not coarse. Not given to outbursts, but joyfully living as tho
God were present because. Would you think like that and live like that if you
knew God was with you because – He is! Think like that.

3. Things that are Just – This means to see things in light of

God’s character which is infinitely fair. Do we manipulate and take advantage,
or are we fair? Are we truthful in business dealings, or do we disguise reality
to make a sale? Kids, when your friends are mistreating a classmate who isn’t
as cool or as privileged, where is your heart? Do you covet being part of the
“in crowd”, or can you take the side of the abused? How do you think?

4. Things that are Pure – This is speaking of sexual purity in our

thought life. It’s so easy to think, “Hey, my little fantasy here doesn’t hurt
anyone. I got steamrolled today. I deserve a little innocent pleasure.” We’ve
2
all been down that road. Didn’t God gift us with sexuality? Yes, and it’s a
beautiful thing in the right context of marriage. But Jesus Himself spoke to the
danger of the thought life. Mt 5:27: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You
shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a
woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his
heart.” No one ever got caught up in sexual sin who didn’t think about it first.
So, we’re responsible to guard great treasure by not using it “out of bounds ” –
even in our thoughts! We must guard our minds against provocative influence.

5. Things that are lovely – That is, things that stimulate love
rather than revenge, criticism or resentment. Think higher than that. We’re
not thinking “things are lovely” when plotting how to bring someone down.,
get even with them or get the better of them in personal or business dealings.
But how we love to coddle those harsh feelings. We take perverse pleasure
from thinking how someone has hurt us, and how gratifying revenge will be.
To think on lovely things is to determine how to help, not sink someone.

6. Things that are commendable – Literally, “fair-speaking.”

Fair” sees the whole pix from all angles. When we hold a grudge – big or
small -- we see only the one worst aspect of another person. Our vision is
skewed! To think in loving terms is to see others as a whole -- as Christ sees
them, with a desire to serve and love. That’s commendable thinking.

7. Things that are excellent – Summary word was used in

classical Greek to describe any kind of excellence – the excellence of a tool, a
flawless animal, the courage of a soldier, superior performance. So Paul is
urging us to pursue excellence in our thought life leading to excellence in
conduct. Pastor Ken used say, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.”
We’ve become a society of settlers – not the pioneer kind, the lazy kind.
Good enough is good enough. Paul’s saying, “Don’t think like that. Pursue
excellence in everything.” I Cor 10:31: “So, whether you eat or drink, or
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Let excellence crown intentions.

A recent convert approached Martin Luther one time desperately wanting to

know how he could serve the Lord now he was a Xn. Luther asked, “What is
your work now?” “I’m a shoemaker.” Luther replied, “Then make the best
shoe you can and sell it at a fair price.” Think that way. Pursue excellence.

8. Things that are praiseworthy – This is a summary word best

described by inverting God’s command, “Whatever is untrue, dishonorable,
unjust, impure, unlovely, not commendable and not excellent, do not think
3
about these things.” Not those, but thoughts you’ll be glad to have revealed
before God one day. Have a praiseworthy, positive, loving thought life.

B. How?

Okay – so we get Paul’s 8-fold instruction. But how exactly do we do that?

Given that the human mind will always set itself on something, how do we
“take every thought captive”? We certainly start with prayer – asking God to
cleanse us body and soul and mind. But here are 2 practical ways to pursue a
Godly thought life. Good for all – and from young people on up! Take note.

1. Filter what gets through – Guard what gets in. Thoughts can
arise in the absence of outside influences. But most are prompted by external
stimulation. We’re responsible to filter what we see. Prov 4:23: “Keep your
heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Guard it. Keep
toxins out! Avoid evil influences. Garbage in, garbage out applies to minds
as well as computers! Taking “every thought captive” begins with controlling
the supply of “thought starters” that enter the mind in the first place.

A TV documentary featured 2 men, under 21, in prison for 1st degree murder.
One killed a sales clerk he’d never met – the other murdered his mother and
stepfather. Both expressed a direct link between their violent crimes and their
involvement in Satanic, cultic rites and worship. Both professed faith in Christ
after coming to prison, but when asked how they moved from middle-class,
normality to cultic extremes, both pointed to the same trigger – the same
catalyst – heavy metal music. I’m not here to condemn heavy metal music.
The violence of the words and the dark culture they promoted took those boys
places they never thought they would go. The rage they invited in stimulated
monstrous acts of violence. You are what you think more than you think.

So kids and parents, what are listening to? Is it uplifting or is it rebellious and
immoral? What are we opening our minds to in the TV and movies we watch,
the internet sites we visit, the music we listen to, the crowd we run with, the
literature we read, the radio programs we frequent. It’s all under our control.
Is the content excellent and praiseworthy or trivial, wasteful or sleazy?

Kent Hughes says, “The best way to protect your body from adulterous
actions is to protect your mind from lustful and adulterous thoughts. The
reason is obvious. Adultery is always committed in the mind before it is
committed physically. [Ask David, right?] When you feed your mind with
pornographic magazines, suggestive videos and TV programs, soap operas,
4
and R-rated movies, you are feeding your imagination powerful suggestions
that eventually will weaken your moral resolve when you are confronted
with sexual temptation. The same is true of all temptation. One wise man
observed, "When will meets imagination, put your money on imagination."
Thus Job 31:1: “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze
at a virgin?” Job knew – Garbage in, garbage out! Gal 6:7: “Do not be
deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
That’s true in every realm, not just our sexuality. So make covenant with the
gateway to your mind – your eyes and ears – nothing in but the best.

2. Flush the garbage quickly – Guard what you can, but no

filter is perfect. Society is geared to appeal to the worst in human tendencies –
so sales pitches regularly target our greed, lasciviousness, selfishness, and
worse. The hair product add assures you that “you’re worth it,” Burger King
entices, “have it your way.” Harley advertises, American by birth; rebel by
choice as if that’s a good thing. DeBeer promises “a diamond is forever.”
Clairol suggestively asks, “Does she, or doesn’t she?” Tantalizing sexual
images are used to sell everything from hamburgers to luxury cars. It’s on the
TV; on the internet, on the magazines at the checkout, and on the billboards.
All you’ve guarded against gets through in a flash. Now what?

Now we must be rigorous in flushing it out. Temptation is no sin but coddling

it is. The first look is not on you, but the second and third – that is on you. It
wasn’t the first look that got David – it was every one after that. At the fork
in the road, he took the wrong direction. Instead of hitting “Delete”, he hit
“Play.” Rather than send his lustful thoughts packing, he took them in,
entertained them, and turned them into reality.

Charley Waters a safety for Dallas in Tom Landry’s early years, got burned
for 3 touchdown passes one day and Landry “ate me up in the film session.”
But when the lights came on, Landry said, “Charlie had a tough game
yesterday, so he’s pretty much to blame for us losing. But you know what? If
I had 45 buys that tried as hard as he did, we wouldn’t lose another game.”
Waters said, “He had my heart from that point forward.” So, Beloved, it’s
not our will power that will flush out evil. It’s knowing how much we are
loved that will flush it out. We need a new dose every day to renew our mind
and expel evil. Right thinking about Jesus is what gets the garbage out.

II. Right Living

5
Now, right thinking is not an end in itself. Remember Rom 12:2: “Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
The point of a renewed mind is a transformed life. Same point Paul makes in
Phil 4. Having told us how to think, “9 What you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be
with you.” In other words – what you learned and accepted from me as God’s
revelation – and the way you’ve seen it work out in my life – go live like that!
He’s like a basketball coach saying, “Okay, I’ve told you how to shoot
straight. I’ve shown you the technique. Now, go do it. You won’t be very
good at the start, but the more you practice, the better you’ll get. Got for it!”
It’s true that we can’t live the Xn life on our own. It must be Christ living in
us. But there is also an element of personal commitment. Like Heb 5:14: “But
solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment
trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” You learn to sew
by doing. You learn to play ball by doing. And you learn holiness – by doing.

A pastor named Smith had an office in the same complex as a doctor named
Smith. They also shared a receptionist. So when people called in to ask for
Dr. Smith she would ask, “Do you want to talk to the one who preaches or
the one who practices?” That dichotomy may be all right in an office, but not
among us. We must practice what we preach. Renewed minds lead to
transformed lives – little by little by little.

Conc – So we stand firm and win over anxiety by right prayer, right thinking
and right living. How are you doing? You are what you think more than you
think. Think little of a small God and worry and spiritual failure will dominate
your life. Think great thoughts about a great God and you are on your way.

Giacomo Meyerbeer and Gioachino Rossini were rival composers in 19th

century Germany who had a cordial dislike for each other. One day Rossini
was complaining that he was in very low spirits, bored and melancholy.
Meyerbeer commiserated: “You listen to too much of your own music.” Same
with us. Anxiety, conflict, spiritual failure – why? Too much of our own
music and that of a fallen world. Our challenge is to think of things that are
true, honorable, pure, lovely and excellent. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is
he!” You are what you think more than you think. So mind your mind. Let’s
pray.