The Application of the Truth of God to the Hurting Soul: Part 6

Putting on the new
Taking thoughts captive is only half the battle. In reality, it is not enough to simply abolish the thoughts that do not conform to the criteria of Philippians 4:8. We must replace these thoughts with truth from God’s Word. Paul’s admonition is not simply to do away with wrong thinking, but to “think about” those things that do conform to the truths of God’s Word. Not replacing the wrong thoughts simply leaves a vacuum that will soon be occupied with more erroneous thinking if something true does not take its place. This is where we really begin to preach truth to ourselves in an active way.
Ephesians 4:20-24 says, “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” The Bible uses terminology such as “put off” and “put on” to describe the things of our former way of life that we lay aside and “put off” while we “put on” and adopt new ways of thinking and living in Christ. In the above passage, Paul says that as Christians we are to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind” as we put on the new man that has been recreated in Christ. Similarly, Colossians 3:8-10 also tells us to “put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge.” It is clear to see that the Christian not only needs a new way of living, but also a new way of thinking.
Here is how this applies: as we take thoughts captive we “put off” those that do not conform to the Philippians 4:8 criteria and we “put on” those that do and we meditate upon them. Obviously, the thoughts that meet those criteria come from the truth of God’s Word. To pick up our depression example again, as the depressed person thought, “This is going to be another terrible day” that thought should be taken captive and replaced with something like, “It may indeed be a bad day today, but God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) and no matter what happens to me today God is going to use it for my good in making me more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29).” To use another example, the thought “God has abandoned me and is nowhere to be found” is to be “put off” and replaced with truth such as “God may not feel near to me at this moment, but He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5) and even though He may feel distant the truth is that He is an ever present help in my time of need (Psalm 46:1).” When we do this we are injecting our mind and heart with biblical, life-giving truth. This allows us to preach to ourselves in an active way rather than us passively “listening” to our uncontrolled thoughts and emotions. It also allows us to anchor our lives to truth rather than feelings. I may feel such-and-such a way, but I need to be reminded that my feelings often betray the truth of what God has said about Himself, me, and my circumstances.
None of this denies the real hurt and heartbreak of life. It does, however, push us to the truth of God and His Word and His promises. It allows us to turn the focus away from our situation and our self and place our gaze upon God.

The Application of the Truth of God to the Hurting Soul: Part 5

Using a biblical filter for our thoughts
The question now arises, “What thoughts do I take captive?” Being aware of our thoughts and taking our thoughts captive is of no use unless we know what thoughts need to be eradicated. To do this we need a filter.
Consider how a filter works in your home air conditioning unit: as the air flows over the filter it is designed to capture and stop certain things from making it into the air ducts of your house. It stops dust, lint, and other particles that are unhealthy for your family to breath, but allows the air to pass through without problem. In other words, it stops the bad things from traveling any further and allows the proper things to pass through unabated.
God’s Word also gives us a biblical “filter” for our thoughts in Philippians 4:8 where Paul writes, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things.” The criterion that our thoughts have to meet is truth, nobility, rightness, purity, loveliness, admirableness, excellence, and praiseworthiness. Things that meet these criteria pass through the filter and should be thought about and meditated upon. Thoughts that do not meet these criteria don’t pass through this filter and should be taken captive and we do not think about them.
The problem is that most of our thoughts should never make it through the filter. To use our example of the person with depression again, the thought, “This is going to be another terrible day” should be taken captive because it is not pure, lovely, or noble. It may indeed be true, but to dwell upon that idea sends the depressed person into further despondency and further away from the realization of God in their lives. To use another example, the thought “God has abandoned me and is nowhere to be found” does not meet the criteria of truth. It may feel like the truth, but in actuality it is simply a lie. Again, this thought must be taken captive and put out of one’s mind. The filter is of no use unless it is implemented through the active taking captive of one’s thoughts.
(NOTE: This is not the power of positive thinking or anything of the sort. As will hopefully be seen below, this is the power of biblical truth to transform and renew our minds [Romans 12:2].)

The Application of the Truth of God to the Hurting Soul: Part 4

Taking our thoughts captive
Paul writes to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 and says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
Several things come to bear on the application of the truth of God here. First, it is a battle. Paul uses warfare imagery as he talks about appropriating the truth of God in the midst of a spiritual war. Secondly, and most importantly, he says to “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” This deals with being in control of what we are thinking and talking to ourselves rather than simply passively listening to ourselves.
Imagine the person who does not “take every thought captive” as in the example of the person with depression given above. They are like a person who is on an out of control horse where the reins have been thrown over the horse’s head and the rider is simply hanging on for dear life with no control over the horse whatsoever. The horse simply goes wherever it wishes. This person’s mind is taking them on a ride that is scary, out of control, and is not pleasurable in the least. The antidote and remedy for this is to “take every thought captive.”
To do this one has to constantly be aware of what we are thinking all of the time. A thought cannot be taken into captivity if we are oblivious to what we are thinking. In keeping with Paul’s warfare analogy, we need to be on guard for what is happening with our thoughts in much the same way that a sentry would guard against the enemy: ever vigilant and mindful of an attack or anything that seems like a foreign invader.

The Application of the Truth of God to the Hurting Soul: Part 3

Preaching truth to ourselves as we battle for the mind
The fight of faith in the midst of troubles is more often than not a battle of the mind. Our minds are the battlefield. Satan, the flesh, and the world have lies for their arsenal and our main weapon is truth. Here is what we have a tendency to do when we face troubles: we allow our self to talk to us instead of us talking to ourselves. In other words, we are many times passive listeners rather than active talkers to ourselves. Rather than “renewing our mind” (Romans 12:2) we often allow our mind and our thoughts to control us and send us into an ever increasing spiral into our fears, depression, and despondency and away from the truth of God and His promises.
An example of this might be someone who battles with depression. They may wake up and tell themselves, “This is going to be another terrible day.” Or, “Something will go wrong today, just give it time.” Or even worse, “God has abandoned me and is nowhere to be found.” The list of examples is endless. The point is that this person most likely thinks these things thousands of times during the day without ever really taking notice of what occupies their thoughts. So it is no wonder that they feel depressed when you consider that they have been “listening” to themselves speak things that are not in conformity to the truths of God. Everybody does this, to one degree or another, but this is most harmful in times of struggle.

The Application of the Truth of God to the Hurting Soul: Part 2

Satan’s design is for us to focus on our troubles and not upon our God
The enemy’s grand scheme (Ephesians 6:11) is for Christ’s followers to be so wrapped up in their troubles that they lose sight of the source of their strength (Exodus 15:2). Satan desires that we would be so distraught and overwhelmed with the trials of life that we would curse God to His face (Job 1:11). This is the pervasive struggle in trials: to see past the trials so that we might see the face of God. The glass is even dimmer in the darkness of trial and tribulation (1 Corinthians 13:12) so we must strain to see past the situation and squint to see the light of God. We surely cannot do this apart from faith in God and in the promises of His Word.
When the writer of Hebrews says, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1) he captures the essence of faith in God and His promises in the midst of trials. When we walk through the trials of life we do not often “see” the hand of God. Many times it seems to be quite the opposite: a world and a life that are out of control where God does not intervene. It is in those dark moments that we must be “certain” of what we do not see, namely the secure and steadfast promises of God that are rooted in the unchanging character of God and His Word.

The Application of the Truth of God to the Hurting Soul: Part 1

The application of the truth of God is a fight
Applying the Word of God does not come easily in times of God’s overt blessing, much less at times when various trials and hardships assail us. To apply the Word of God to our circumstances and to our souls calls for the utmost diligence and the most fervent fight.
The Psalmist writes, “My flesh and my heart fail” (Psalm 73:26a). This surely is the feeling that many experience during struggles: weakness, a sense of being overwhelmed, despondent, depressed, and the list could go on. But in the second part of the verse he declares, “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26b). The psalmist does not stay in his despondent condition, but rather clings to God. There is no doubt that this is a fight and that it is not easy, but yielding to the failing of our flesh and heart cannot be an option. We must fight.

Slaves of Jesus

It is interesting to notice how the writers of the New Testament refer to themselves in their letters. As the Apostle Paul begins his letter to the church in Rome he writes, “This letter is from Paul, Jesus Christ's slave, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News” (Romans 1:1). James begins his letter by saying, “This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). The Apostle Peter starts his second letter by writing, “This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1). And the first words of Jude’s letter read, “This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (Jude 1:1). The one thing that they all have in common was that they consider themselves slaves of Jesus. Rather than refer to themselves as church planters or missionaries or leaders, or even referring to themselves exclusively as apostles, they chose to be known as slaves of Jesus.
Slavery was a reality in the first century Roman Empire. Estimates of slavery in that culture vary with some reporting slaves being in upwards of 50% of the population and some showing slaves making up 20% of the population. A realistic number is probably somewhere in between, but whichever figure is true it is more than apparent that slavery flourished in the first century.
While the tasks of slaves varied, one thing that all slaves had in common was that they were the property of someone else. Slaves were considered living tools with each one having an owner. A Roman could buy, rent, or sell a slave as he would any other piece of property. Paul had this truth in mind when he wrote, “Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. You were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 7:22b-23a). Jesus, our Master, has paid for us with His life and we are now His possession.
The word “slave” or “bondservant” that is used in the passages above comes from the Greek word doulos (dou/loj) and is a word that means “pertaining to a state of being completely controlled by someone or something; to be subservient to someone else; one who gives himself up wholly to another’s will.” So as slaves of Jesus we are now to be completely controlled by and subservient to Him. As His followers we are to give ourselves up wholly to His will and live for Him and not for ourselves.
But a slave of Jesus lives not just to serve Jesus, but also to serve others. 1 Corinthians 9:19 says, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.” A Christian’s servitude to Jesus is lived out in the service of others. A person who is a slave of Jesus will follow the example of their Master who said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant” so that He could serve us by dying on the cross in our place and for our sins (Philippians 2:7-8).
Are you able to refer to yourself as many of the New Testament writers did: a slave of Jesus? Begin today to live life as a slave of Jesus Christ and experience the grace and love of the Master who says, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

A Christ-Centered Perspective on Life

One of the challenges of life is living all of it out with a Christ-centered perspective. Colossians 3:3-4 gives us some instruction concerning this when it reads, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.”
Verse 3 points to the Christian’s union with Jesus and our death with Him. When Jesus died on the cross He died as my representative, taking my place, and my death. Now, through my union with Him by faith, I have already died. I am now dead to the penalty of sin, I am dead to the power of sin, and I am dead to the things of this world. I am a new creation in Christ. This is past tense showing that this is what has already happened.
In verse 4 Paul looks to the future and speaks about Jesus’ return. Though Jesus is now hidden, out of sight from the eyes of the world, and though our lives are now hidden in Him, there is coming a day when those things will be revealed. There is coming a day when Jesus returns and we will be made like Him and we will glorify Him. That is the future.
But we are living out our lives in the present: somewhere between Jesus dying for us and Jesus coming again. We are stuck between the past and the future in this world of the here and now. But we are to live with both perspectives in mind. Our desires and our focus and our thoughts and our minds are to reflect both the past truths and the future truths. We are to live remembering that Jesus died for us and all that we are in Christ. And we are also to live remembering that Jesus is coming again for us to glorify us and to bring us to be with Him forever. We are to live with both the past and the future in mind. And as we do that it should transform our living and cause us to have a true Christ-centered perspective.
But the key to it all is to live all of our lives remembering that it is Christ who is our life. Jesus does not merely give life; for the Christian Jesus is life. Jesus cannot just be a part of my life that gets pulled out and lived out on Sunday mornings. For the believer Jesus is their life!

Life Changing Truth

For me personally there has never been a verse that has so impacted my thinking and living of the Christian life than Colossians 3:4. The verse reads: “When Christ who is our life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory.” It may be an overstatement to say that that verse is one of the greatest passages in the New Testament. But it would not be an overstatement for me to say that in my own personal life and relationship with Jesus Christ that He has used this passage in a greater way than possibly any other in the Bible. I had read this passage many, many times in my reading of Scripture, but about five years ago this verse, and specifically one phrase, leapt off the page and I have been trying to live out the implications of that phrase ever since: CHRIST WHO IS OUR LIFE. Because Jesus is not meant to be just a part of your life; not even a big part of your life. Jesus should be your life. And everything in life rides on this and how true this is for you and me. My hope for this site is that it will encourage me (and possibly the one or two other people that view it!) to live out the truth that Christ is our life. Most of the things that I plan to post will simply be comments upon Scripture in order to encourage, challenge, and strengthen us to show the supremacy of Jesus in all of life!