Evaluate before you ruminate
Use the Philippians 4:8 Mental Filter:
Is it true? Does it align with gospel truth?
Is it honorable or respectable?
Is it just or right?
Is it pure or innocent?
Is it lovely, agreeable or acceptable?
Is it of good report?
Is it of virtue or excellence?
Is it commendable or worthy of praise?
Why evaluate of our thoughts?
Proverbs 23:7a For as he thinks in his heart, so is he....
"If the thoughts are wrong, the feelings will be wrong; and the thoughts and feelings combined make up the moral character." In Heavenly Places, p. 164
"As a man 'thinketh in his heart, so is he' [Proverbs 23:7]. Many thoughts make up the unwritten history of a single day; and these thoughts have much to do with the formation of character. Our thoughts are to be strictly guarded; for one impure thought makes a deep impression on the soul. An evil thought leaves an evil impress on the mind. If the thoughts are pure and holy, the man is better for having cherished them." Messages to Young People, p. 144
"We need a constant sense of the ennobling power of pure thoughts and the damaging influence of evil thoughts. Let us place our thoughts upon holy things. Let them be pure and true, for the only security for any soul is right thinking." In Heavenly Places, p. 164
Dismiss wrong thoughts and replace them with God's Word:
Martin Luther once said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair”. When a thought comes and it doesn't pass through the filter found in Philippians 4:8, dismiss it and replace it with God's word. Every thought is to be brought captive to the obedience of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).
"Keep your Bible with you. As you have opportunity, read it; fix the texts in your memory. Even while you are walking the streets you may read a passage and meditate upon it, thus fixing it in the mind." Steps to Christ pg 90
To be more like Jesus and bear the Spirit's fruit, we must be constantly thinking on God's word and we shouldn't let our minds wander in the "counsel" of ungodly. (see Psalm 1:1-3) We should avoid watching or listening to ungodly media. We should not set any wicked thing before our eyes (Psalm 101:3).
Has anyone ever said or done something that left you with troublesome thoughts that you couldn't seem to stop worrying about? To be set free from that, you must put those thoughts through the filter of God's Word (John 8:31-32). There is liberty found in beholding Jesus, upon Whom was laid the iniquity of us all (Hebrews 12:1-4, Isaiah 53:6). When you know what God has said, done, and wants to do in your life, then nothing else will matter as much (Romans 8:28, Romans 8:32).
If we don't keep Jesus in mind as our personal Savior and Lord of our lives, we can't even see ourselves or others in the right way. When we loose sight of Jesus, we become worried and fearful because we'll forget that we are His and that He will take care of us (Isaiah 43:1-4). Are you often tempted to worry? In the second part of this study we will look at what the bible says about temptation and how to have victory over sin.
Temptation isn't sin until you consent to it
James 1:12-15 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
While it is true that the devil tries to tempt us from without, this verse tells us we are also tempted from within. Sin itself has the following stages: conception, birth, growth, and death. Temptation isn't sin and cannot "conceive" as sin unless you give it consent.
This verse also tells us that the sin doesn't just "birth" into actions, "conception" must happen first. The great controversy between Christ and Satan in our minds lies in the gap between temptation and the conception of sin.
"By faith and prayer all may meet the requirements of the gospel. No man can be forced to transgress. His own consent must be first gained; the soul must purpose the sinful act, before passion can dominate over reason, or iniquity triumph over conscience." Messages To Young People, 67.
Not consenting to sin isn't enough, we must give God our consent
While temptation isn't sin until you consent, we don't even have the power not to. We will find ourselves doing (or thinking) wrong even if we don't want to (Romans 7:19). Only God can work in you "both to will and to do for His good pleasure" Philippians 2:13.
"You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will; He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him." Steps to Christ, p. 47
You can read and listen to a lot of theory and try to practice it yourself, but that won't help you. Nothing we do can replace the work God will do in us if we consent.
How we give God our consent: Through Prayer and His Word
We give God consent when we pray to Him, saying something like, "Lord, take my heart; for I cannot give it. Make me willing to be willing".
We constantly need to pray for God's Spirit to bring His word to memory, but you won't remember anything you haven't studied (John 14:26).We need to be filling our minds with God's Word so that when temptation comes, we will be ready to combat it with an "it is written" before sin is conceived.
Temptations often appear irresistible because, through neglect of prayer and the study of the Bible, the tempted one cannot readily remember God’s promises and meet Satan with the Scripture weapons. But angels are round about those who are willing to be taught in divine things; and in the time of great necessity, they will bring to their remembrance the very truths which are needed. Thus “when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” [Great Controversy, p. 600]
Relevant song: Think On These Things
