Lesson for March 10, 2024
The Power of Thought
Lesson 2
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).
The Bible is the only source of divine viewpoint. It is the very mind of Christ, the living Word (John 1:1), expressed in written form. Therefore, if we are to have the divine viewpoint of life, we must know accurate Bible doctrine. If we do not know God’s thoughts on any given matter, how can we possibly think according to the divine viewpoint?
The Biblical command is to “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). What is the mind of Christ? God’s viewpoint of life! Christ set the pattern; we are to follow it. So, how can we have the mind of Christ? It comes by having a consistent study life of God’s Word under a man with the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher, who teaches it accurately.
Many factors influence our human thinking, such as our background, training in the home, by observation, public or private education, culture, religion, or personal study. However, human viewpoint did not originate in the human mind! It began with Satan at the time when he revolted against God (Isaiah 14:13, 14). Since Satan cannot indwell believers, he attacks them through their minds. He uses his demons, as well as unbelievers, to deceive and confuse people. If he can infiltrate the minds of believers, he can neutralize their spiritual lives, and they become casualties in the Angelic Conflict.
Human viewpoint was passed to the human race when Eve was seduced by the subtle suggestion that she could be as smart as God, if she would eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. So convincing is the devil’s viewpoint of life that entire nations are deceived by his philosophies and false doctrine. (Revelation 12:9; 13:14). For example, when an unbeliever tries to solve the world’s problems, they automatically think in terms of human viewpoint solutions. Their solutions often sound so beautiful and broadminded that many believers fall for them. What has happened? Satanic viewpoint has become their thinking without them even realizing it. This is the subtlety of Satan’s plan to destroy the human race.
No matter how sincere people’s attempts may be to make this a “better world,” they will fail. This is Satan’s world system, and no one, not even the evil genius of Satan, has the omniscience or the omnipotence to bring about a perfect world. Until Jesus Christ returns to reign over this world, there can be no successful attempt at uniting the world in peace. The Satan-inspired view that man is basically good is another part of his strategy to trap the mind of man. How does this measure up to God’s estimate of man? Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is more deceitful than all else, and desperately sick; who can understand it”?
God says everyone is born a sinner. Their sin nature makes their heart (mind) deceitful and desperately sick! If you have always thought that if you were just good enough, you would eventually make it to Heaven, you are wrong! You have borrowed human viewpoint straight from the mind of Satan! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We are saved by faith in Christ, not by being “good.” Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
When a believer learns and believes divine viewpoint from the teaching of accurate Bible doctrine, the result is inner peace, a relaxed mental attitude, stability, and inner happiness. But when the mind of a believer is full of human viewpoint, the result is inevitably self-induced misery and divine discipline. No knowledge of accurate Bible doctrine means no divine viewpoint of life. No divine viewpoint of life means a life in perpetual carnality.
The general view today seems to be that when people become Christians, they should stop using their minds and, instead, operate on their feelings. They substitute the truth of God’s Word, that the Christian life is all about our relationship with God, for a life trying to please God through human good works. This erroneous idea often comes from pastors who substitute programs and feel-good sermons, for truth. The Christian way of life is based on how and what you think, not on your emotions (how you feel). To see life habitually from the divine viewpoint is one of the greatest stabilizers for believers. Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, 0 God, and know my heart: put me to the test, and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”
Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
The Bible is the only accurate discerner of what we think, and it is the only source for straightening out our mental attitude when necessary. God has provided for us the freedom and the opportunity to be taught Bible doctrine. However, Satan has a plan to stop believers from learning and thinking Bible doctrine.
The Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion going about to devour anyone he can. Out of fellowship believers are one of his primary targets because he wants to keep them out of fellowship, permanently. Only your own volition can halt the strategies of Satan by choosing to use the doctrine that is in your soul, to keep advancing. (I Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:11)
Satan is the master counterfeiter and liar, and it is his goal to deceive believers into believing false doctrine. Many believers fall into his trap by being gullible (easily deceived, cheated, tricked, or duped). The opposite of being gullible is having discernment based on the learned, believed, and applied wisdom from God’s Word. Satan has his own preachers and evangelists who he uses to deceive, cheat, and trick us. (II Corinthians 11:13-15; Galatians 1:6-9) One tactic Satan uses, as a counterfeit of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, is emotion. (Romans 16:18) It is the responsibility of each of us as Christians to learn to discern what is true and what is false. (I John 4:1) It is possible to do this only through growth in the Word of God. (II Peter 3:18)
If Satan can get believers to ignore the Word of God or distort the Word of God, then he has gained a victory. If Satan can keep you distracted long enough by getting you involved with the details of life, he can influence you. He uses a vast army of demons, this world system with its Human Viewpoint Thinking, and your own sin nature to influence you to neglect the Word of God. Ignoring the Word of God means that you are ignoring your spiritual life. Psalms 119:45, “I will walk in liberty (freedom), for I seek Your precepts (doctrine).”
Satan is attacking you where it is the most effective, in your thinking. This is why every time you worry, fear, feel guilty, hate, slander, feel self-pity, malign, or commit any other mental attitude sin, you are lining up with Satan’s agenda. The carnal (out of fellowship) believer is called “an enemy of the Cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:17-19)
Do not let Satan and his demons keep you from fulfilling God’s plan, purpose, and will for your life. You must determine that you are not going to allow anything to “break your stride” in the spiritual race of life. You can do this only by allowing the Holy Spirit to influence your thinking and guide your life. This, as you know, means using God’s recovery system: Rebound (and keep moving). Satan will try every trick in the book to distract you from learning, believing, and applying Bible doctrine. (II Corinthians 2:11; I Corinthians 9:24-25)
Jesus continually used the doctrine that He had learned to sustain Himself throughout the trials and tribulations of life. When attacked by others, He used the doctrine and principles of the Word of God to endure the adversity. He also used the doctrine He had learned to combat the tests from Satan. And He used the doctrine in His soul to teach others. (Matthew 4:1-11; John 5:16-39; 6:59-60; 7:16-24)
Even during the six illegal trials of Christ and while He was on the Cross, He quoted Scripture. (Matthew 26:64; 27:46; Mark 14:62; Luke 23:46; John 19:28-30) The very last thing recorded that Jesus said while on the Cross is found in Luke 23:46,“Father, into Your hands I entrust My spirit.” This was a partial quote from Psalms 31:5, “Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth (doctrine).” Since Jesus used Bible doctrine throughout His life, His ministry and even His death, shouldn’t we follow His example? To follow the example of Christ, you must study the Word of God and apply it to every facet of your life. God’s Word has the potential to sustain you, strengthen you and stabilize you, if you chose to allow it to do so. (Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 33:6)
Bible doctrine will set you free. John 8:32, “And you will know the truth (doctrine) and the truth (doctrine) will set you free.”