This post is decision time. This is an opportunity to decide if you believe what the Bible says. God is relentlessly giving us opportunities to improve the way we think. It is our responsibility to pursue Him. If we do not choose to grow in our ability to use our words the way He wants us to, we have already begun a decline in our thinking.
Jesus thought more like God than any other human being that has lived, or will ever live. Jesus and the Father were ONE! Do you want that?
DOCTRINE #4: GOD'S THINKING
God's thinking is perfect. God wants us to think like Him. The Bible stated we could think like Him. This requires us to intentionally think in opposition to fleshly thinking: looking long term with a spiritual focus in order to justify God. This means we need to think more.
Question: Do you believe man can think like God?
Next Doctrine: Doctrine #5
Table of Contents
If you need it, here is the support from God's Word...
SCRIPTURE
We saw in Doctrine #2: Definitions that Jesus defended Himself by thinking...by knowing the definitions of the words He used.
"29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:29)
(Jesus told us to learn of Him...which meant we need to think. Jesus wanted us to think!)
"1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith." (Romans 12:1-3)
(The way to be transformed is by the renewing of your mind! This passage tells us not only HOW to think (we are to think soberly), but WHY we ought to be able to think well: so we can prove what is the will of God. Paul wanted us to think!)
"1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:
2 But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night.
3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." (Psalm 1:1-3)
(The first three verses of the Book of Psalms told us we are blessed if we meditate on God's law day and night. The word meditate means, "to think deeply and state out loud". Man's thinking withers, but those who meditate on God's law will never wither. God's thinking results in "fruit" that will continue to grow for all of eternity! The actions that are a result of thinking like God will be eternally good!)
"7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 The things which ye both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you." (Philippians 4:7-9)
(Paul told us to "think on these things". We are supposed to think.)
"36 Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men.
37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God." (Job 34:36-37)
(This key passage in the Book of Job showed the cause of Job not understanding was that he justified himself (rebellion) instead of justifying God. Remember in the last post, the natural way we think is to justify ourselves. What would happen if we justified God?)
"6 Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near:
7 let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto Jehovah, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith Jehovah.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6-9)
(This passage showed that God's thinking is superior to man's thinking. In fact, the measure of thinking like God is that it is opposite of man's thinking! Our human thinking runs down over time, but thinking like God creates over time. This verse showed us that man thinks one way, and God another. God's thinking is higher! Are we able to think God's way?)
"1 If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassions,
2 make full my joy, that ye be of the same mind, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind;
3 doing nothing through faction or through vainglory, but in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself;
4 not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men;
8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:1-8)
(This passage told us we have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. The next passage ended with the same point. However, notice how it compared man's thinking with God's thinking and then said we are able to think like God. Thinking the way that God thinks never means that you are equal to God. In fact, thinking like God will cause you to take the form of a servant, humble yourself, and take direction from God even if that means death.)
"10 But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For who among men knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of the man, which is in him? even so the things of God none knoweth, save the Spirit of God.
12 But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is from God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth; combining spiritual things with spiritual words.
14 Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:10-16)
(Just because you can't know everything does that mean you shouldn't know more? We will not be able to teach God, but we can have the Mind of Christ. The Mind of Christ discerns the influence of the Spirit of God within us. If you don't have the "Mind of Christ" how do you know if something is from God or not?)
"6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1:6-7)
(The only way to remain in a godly thought process is to grow in fellowship with someone who is growing in fellowship with God. We will go into great depth learning about fellowship in a much later doctrine. Over time man's thinking wears down, that is why we need people in our lives to help us back on the path God has for us when we drift. Our righteousness is like filthy rags.)
"Have this mind in you," "we have the mind of Christ," "think soberly," "think on these things," "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Did you know that the "Mind of Christ" gives you the ability to think as God thinks?
"Have this mind in you," "we have the mind of Christ," "think soberly," "think on these things," "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Did you know that the "Mind of Christ" gives you the ability to think as God thinks?
