THE GOSPEL MESSAGE
 
    Volume 50   Number 6                                                         June 2008
Editor and Publisher - Thomas W. Woody
AS A MAN THINKS...
Thomas D. Dennis

Without controversy, a man’s character is shaped by what he thinks. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7). In the days before the flood the thoughts of men’s hearts were evil (Genesis 6:5) and “all flesh had corrupted their way,” (Genesis 6:12). Truly David had the right attitude when he said, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” (Psalms 19:14). Matthew 5:28 plainly teaches us that lustful thoughts of the heart constitute sin. Jeremiah wrote that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” (Jeremiah 17:9). So surely it behooves us to discipline our minds that we think on good things rather than evil. When Jesus said “Blessed are the pure in heart”, He was not referring to that vibrant muscle in our chest that circulates the blood, but rather to our inner being; our thoughts and mind. We are taught not to think of ourselves “more highly than we ought to think, but to think soberly.” (Romans 12:3).

God-given guidelines for disciplining our minds are found in the Scriptures. “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2). “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.” (Philippians 4:8).

O, what a difference our thinking can have in our lives, our attitude, our speech and our behavior. It will show in our relationships, in our influence and in our efforts to point others to the way of salvation. We can be an influence in the thinking of people around us. Indeed, we have that responsibility.

As believers in Jesus Christ and members of His church, we must be concerned about what people around us think and what they believe. We cannot be apathetic, indifferent and unconcerned about their thinking if we are truly concerned about their souls. I was impressed by a report concerning a recent religious survey. It was reported that 79% of the people surveyed said that they did not think that salvation depends on what people believe or where they go to church. The modern trend seems to be that if a person believes something is right, that makes it right for them, and everybody to their own standard. Have men no regard for the standards of right and wrong that God has set? Are the Holy Scriptures, the Word of God, no longer applicable?

Consider passages such as Mark 16:15-16 when Jesus told His apostles to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.” John 3:36 when He said, “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life, and he who does not believe in the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” So how can men say salvation does not depend on what a man believes? If a man believes an idol, or the virgin Mary, or Mohammed, or Buddha can save him, does that make it so? Or if one disregards what the Scriptures say about baptism in Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-4, and elsewhere, and believes that baptism is not essential for salvation, will he be judged by what he merely believes or by the Word of God? I recall Jesus saying, “Not everyone who says to Me ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21). Then the next couple of verses deal with those who seemingly thought they were acceptable in the eyes of God but who were condemned. How many people will be disappointed in the Day of Judgment thinking that they have been saved and are destined for heaven but have been deceived by human philosophy and doctrines of men?

Believing that a thing is safe when it is not safe actually makes it more dangerous, believing a gun is not loaded when in reality it is, believing something is not poisonous when it is, believing a wire is dead when it actually is carrying high voltage. People can understand these physical matters. Why then are people so gullible regarding matters that pertain to the destiny of their souls?

Many false teachers are in the world, and many different doctrines are being taught, and many sincere people follow teachings that are foreign to the Scriptures. Can we say that does not matter? Was not Paul sincere when he was persecuting the church? But his sincerity did not make it right. And it was he, who when guided by the Spirit of God, warned the Galatians. “But if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1 :8).

There are those who teach absolutely opposite what the Bible teaches about baptism, about one church, about the Holy Spirit, the end of time, and various other matters. Brethren, our faith had better be founded on the Word of God (Romans10:17) and not on doctrines of men. It does matter what we think and what we believe. Our eternal destiny depends on it.

 


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