Think on These Things

Proverbs 23:7 states, For as he thinks [saar – sets a price, values] within himself, so he is. The believer's thought life determines the quality of his relationship with God and his spiritual success in this life. Of all the things that one faces here on earth, his thoughts can make a difficult situation more manageable and a challenging situation more difficult. The basis of the believer's thought life is his perception of the role God plays in his life while still on the earth. Does he accept the sovereignty of God as not just about eternity, but includes his life on earth? Where does God's authority end and man's free will begin? Even King Nebuchadnezzar recognized (Daniel 4:35) the Lord's total control over heaven and earth, and all it contains: “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations [logismos – rationalizings] and every lofty thing [hupsoma – proud adversary] raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.                        2 Corinthians 10:3-5

When Lucifer was sentenced to occupy this earth apart from his original home in heaven, he became the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and began establishing his own world (the cosmos – the world system), beginning in the Garden of Eden, to oppose the Lord. His method of operation was/is to blind the minds of the unbelieving and to confuse the believer by getting him to question God's words, as he did with Adam and Eve. Central to this warfare is man's mind and his thinking and his method of drawing conclusions about truth. Jesus told us that in the devil there is no truth; he is the father of lies and does not stand in the truth (John 8:44). He intends to "murder" the truth by getting man to use his own mind apart from God and His Word. Instead of considering the Word of God as truth (John 17:17), he gets man to rationalize his conclusions about God and this world, opposing the Word of God through proud adversarial thoughts raised up against the knowledge of God. To consider every thought against the truth of God's Word, we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

Things Above

Therefore, if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind [phroneo – think, involving the will, affections, & conscience] on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.                    Colossians 3:1-3

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.                          2 Corinthians 4:18

The Apostle Paul understood the warfare of the mind like no other writer of Scripture. After getting saved, he needed to spend ten years before beginning his missionary trips to relearn the Old Testament Scriptures, all pointing to Jesus as Messiah. Without accepting this truth, he had been an expert of the old covenant and had elevated the Torah above God Himself, willing to kill anyone who opposed this position. After his reorientation, Paul recognized that he needed to focus his mind and attention on things above and not things of the earth. This meant that his priority had to be on things not seen, those which are eternal. When the believer recognizes Jesus as God and Lord, seated at the right hand of the Father, he can properly interpret everything that happens to him in this world from an eternal perspective.   

For those who are according to the flesh [sinful passions & desires] set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.                     Romans 8:5-8

When the believer in Christ is preoccupied with the natural, fleshly desires of his physical life, his thought life controls his will, affections, and conscience. It is a death sentence while on earth. On the other hand, making God's thoughts his highest priority means ascribing himself to God's life and peace. The fleshly mind will always be in opposition to and hostile toward God since it does not and cannot subject itself to God's purpose for his life. This mind cannot please God since it operates independently from faith in God (Hebrews 11:6). Paul wants every believer to understand that the real spiritual warfare is fought in his mind.

Treasures in Heaven 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure [thesaurus - the storehouse of the mind, where the thoughts, feelings or counsels are laid up] is, there your heart will be also.                                Matthew 6:19-21

Your word I have treasured [sapan - kept hidden in the heart or mind] in my heart, that I may not sin against You.                     Psalm 119:11

When David was chosen to be king of Israel, and Samuel was instructed to visit the house of Jesse in 1 Samuel 16, the Lord illustrated an important principle about the importance of the heart. In verse 7, But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” The heart is the immaterial part of man that determines his values and priorities. David had seven older brothers, some more outwardly impressive than David, but the Lord is looking at an individual’s priorities and value system. When the believer’s heart recognizes God’s word as having supreme value in his life, he is able to gain a great victory over the sin nature that desires to separate him from his God.

Good Fruit

So, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.                Matthew 7:17-20

"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless [worthless] word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words, you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."                        Matthew 12:33-37

The two passages above from Matthew are direct quotes from Jesus, addressing the implications of a healthy thought life and the effects of a condemned thought life. In both cases, He was using the example of good trees and bad trees to address the Pharisees in particular and the implications of an evil heart in general. Those implications include the words spoken and the accounting attached to those words on the day of judgment. Jesus was condemning the Jewish leadership of His day, to be fulfilled in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Man's words directly reflect the condition of his heart, which is defined by his value system and his thought life.

Test the Spirits

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.                     1 John 4:1 

“Only in the cities of these peoples that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes. “But you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the Lord your God.                       Deuteronomy 20:16-18

In Deuteronomy 20, the Lord instructed the people to eliminate (not leave alive) any of the pagan tribes that were occupying the promised land. To many, this would be considered unkind in the least, and downright severely judgmental. Yet, He was teaching an incredibly important principle that the Jewish people needed to embrace. He was warning them of the evil spirits and false prophets that occupy this world, and the subtleties of recognizing not only their existence but also their impact on the holy life of the believer. History shows they did not heed these warnings and constantly dealt with the effects of introducing foreign idols into their culture. The believer does have some control over his environment through the associations he allows to influence and impact his world. Jesus taught in Matthew 5:29-30, If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

Solomon’s Fall

In that night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” Solomon said to God, “You have dealt with my father David with great lovingkindness, and have made me king in his place. “Now, O Lord God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you.       2 Chronicles 1:7-12 

Now the weight of gold which came in to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold.                                 1 Kings 10:14

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the sons of Israel, “You shall not associate with them, nor shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.” Solomon held fast to these in love. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.                  1 Kings 11:1-3

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.                             Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Early in his life, Solomon had a heart for God. In 2 Chronicles 1, God asked him what gift he wanted from God in order to govern the people.  Instead of asking for riches or wealth or honor for himself, he asked God for wisdom and knowledge in order to be a godly judge and properly manage the people and all of their grievances. As a result, God gave Solomon not only wisdom and knowledge, but also untold riches. Some scholars suggest that he may have been the richest man in human history. 

The problem came when Solomon allowed his riches to change his heart. It is interesting to note that 1 Kings 10:4 tells us that he received 666 talents of gold in one year. Six is God’s number for man (created on the 6^th day), and 666 is the number of the mark of the beast in Revelation 13:18, suggesting Solomon became too preoccupied with the things of man. This power even affected his attitude toward women, resulting in his acquisition of 700 wives and 300 concubines, further infecting his heart with idolatry.

The story ends well. At the end of his life, Solomon wrote Ecclesiastes and concluded his search for pleasure and fulfillment with this: fear God and keep His commandments.

Meditation 

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates [hagah – ponders] day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.                      Psalm 1:1-3

I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways. I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word.                       Psalm 119:15-16

Even though princes sit and talk against me, Your servant meditates on Your statutes. Your testimonies also are my delight; they are my counselors.                     Psalm 119:23-24

“I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.”                   Job 23:12

O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation.                          Psalm 119:97-99

The Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament are filled with references to the importance of meditation on God’s Word. The very first psalm, a Psalm of David, expresses the blessings of a man who does not associate himself in any meaningful way with ungodly people, but contrasts this by emphasizing the importance of meditation on God’s instructions, His Word, day and night. According to verse 3, it is the avenue into the deeper spiritual life. When the Word of God becomes the believer's high priority and meditation, it changes his mind and life. It is the source of great counsel, wisdom, insight, and creates delight in his heart.

Put Together in the Mind

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on [logizomai – put together in the mind] these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.                                Philippians 4:8-9

Paul wants every believer to train their thoughts on particular matters, those that glorify God. These include those that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and of good repute. The Greek word logizomai implies establishing a place to dwell, not just to visit. Centering thoughts on God's mind does not happen by accident; it is purposeful because it is the object of intense warfare. It is the place where the believer experiences the presence of the God of peace.