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Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – Programming Our Minds

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Charles Stanley

Colossians 3:15-17

The mind is the control tower of life. Decisions determine actions, which in turn affect the immediate and distant future. The person each of us will be 20 years from now is impacted by how we think today. If we want our future self to be pleasing to the Lord, then we must begin at once to program our mind with godly thoughts.

In Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23, Paul tells believers to reject worldly thinking and renew the mind. We have been given the capacity to think as Jesus does—if we submit to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. The believer should seek the things of God as an act of submission. This means opening our minds only to biblically sound attitudes and philosophies. It’s important that we protect ourselves from the world’s self-serving mindset, because we are to be God’s servants.

A second way to submit is by sifting our thoughts through the Word and will of God. This is a practical step that allows us to identify wrong thinking. We must consider whether an attitude or line of reasoning is pleasing to the Lord and useful for making us into the person He has called us to be. Then, when a thought is unscriptural, we can choose to reject it (2 Cor. 10:5).

Of course, the only way to know if a thought pleases the Lord is to read and meditate upon His Word. In the Bible, God provides examples of righteous living and thinking, and He offers guidance for choosing such patterns. Scripture is the instruction manual for our control tower.

 

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Greg Laurie – “Good” People

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For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God — Romans 3:23

Not long ago I was a guest on a morning television show. We were having a nice chat when, near the end of the program, the host dropped a bombshell. He said, “Greg, I have a question for you. You believe that most of the world is non-Christian and that because of that, they are going to burn in hell for all eternity. What kind of loving God would ever create such a scenario? Is that like a petty boss that some people have created, not understanding God?”

I had about two minutes to respond to that question. But after the show ended and the cameras stopped rolling, our conversation continued. He went on to ask me about good people and how a God of love could allow good people to face judgment.

I pointed out that we have to define what “good” is. It seems as though we have a sliding scale of good. Everyone seems to believe they are good. They are always the moral center of their universe. They immediately give themselves a free pass, but other people aren’t as good as they are. The problem is that we have conflicting views regarding what is good.

So how do we determine what good is? We all have the answer, and it is found in the Bible. God says, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

This doesn’t mean there aren’t good people in a broad sense; it means there is no one good enough to get to heaven on their own merit. That is where the judgment of God comes in if we reject His offer of forgiveness.

It is not about being the nicest person or the kindest person. It is about being a forgiven person. That is who will be in heaven: forgiven people.

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A More Excellent Name – John MacArthur

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“He has inherited a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee’? And again, ‘I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me’?” (Heb. 1:4-5).

In our culture, the names we pick for our children don’t have much connection with the child’s character. But in the Bible, God chose specific names that related to some character quality of the individuals who bore them.

The writer of Hebrews was well aware of that when He asked this rhetorical question: “To which of the angels did [God] ever say, ‘Thou art My Son, today I have begotten Thee’? and again, ‘I will be a Father to Him, and He shall be a Son to Me’?” quoting Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14. Of course, the answer is no angel.

The title Son refers to Jesus Christ in His incarnation. Though His sonship was anticipated in the Old Testament (Prov. 30:4), He did not become a Son until He was begotten into time. Prior to that He was eternal God with God. Presenting Jesus as the Son is God’s analogy to help us understand the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Trinity.

Christ became a Son in two different ways. First, He was not a Son until He came into the world through the virgin birth (Luke 1:35; 3:22). But second, His sonship came to full bloom in His resurrection (Rom. 1:3-4).

The Old Testament prophesied that Christ would come as a Son. In the New Testament He came as a Son in His virgin birth and was declared to be the Son by His resurrection from the dead. Don’t ever get trapped into the heresy of those who claim that Jesus Christ is eternally subservient to God. For a temporary period of time, He set aside what was rightfully His and humbled Himself to become a Son for our sakes.

Suggestion for Prayer:  Thank God for His amazing plan to redeem man through the incarnation of the Second Person of the Trinity.  Praise Him that He became Man to redeem you.

For Further Study: Read Acts 13:33 and Romans 1:3-4 noting the reason that Christ can be considered God’s Son.