What You “THINK & DO” About Evil Matters (Part 4)

In this series I have been dealing with how we think about truth and evil and why it matters so much. In part three on this subject we discussed the apostle Paul’s challenge in Romans 12 to not let the world conform our thinking but rather let God renew our minds with the truth of His Word. Granted, this is easier said than done, but the alternative is to become over run with destructive thoughts that ruin our lives.

Article two talked about our attitude and how it affects our responses in life. We can have all the knowledge and power in life to be an overcomer and yet, if our attitude is negative towards certain truths, they will do little to help us in our daily struggles. Truth was meant to empower and not enslave our lives.

Article three talked about how reason is a valuable partner in our ability to challenge evil in our own life or in the lives of those around us. Unfortunately, many Christians think reason is in conflict with faith but it should not be. God encourages us to use reason when evaluating our conduct and our thinking. In fact, God challenges us to reason with Him, as in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 1:18-19                                                                                                                                                                                             

Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. If you consent and obey, You will eat the best of the land;

The idea God is trying to get across is that Israel doesn’t see God as mighty as they should and thus don’t think their struggles can be overcome by surrendering to God’s will. Their reasoning was faulty and they were failing in life. Reason, as we have said, is the power to make sense of what we are experiencing and then using those facts to change the outcome.  Reason will lead us to the conclusion that the word of God needs to be a light and lamp in our lives.

In this article, I want to address the third element in our thinking that seems to be lacking in many lives today. It seems that once we turn into a teenager we think we know it all and strike out in life thinking we will meet success. All too often we hit road blocks that catch us off guard and derail us for the rest of our lives. We end up accepting the foolish thought that we are just “Unlucky” rather than ill prepared. If we go through life with truth and facts missing from our reasoning and attitudes, then we will fail miserably, as many do. But, if we have the truth and sound reasoning in our mind, it’s not hard to have a good attitude. But what happens if we are given falsehood and lies? Our reasoning falls apart and our attitude turns negative. Some people seem to have good attitudes no matter what but, for the most of us, the outcome of our choices drives our attitudes. Truth will give us an advantage over ignorance in making our choices.

Jesus talked about being the “Light” of the world. The idea He was presenting was that He had the truth we needed…..the truth that will help us to avoid the same mistakes.  Too many Christians have embraced Jesus as a good teacher who is more about feeling good instead of coming to the conclusion that He really has the truth we need.  Jesus makes the point that when you truly have light you don’t stumble in the dark.  Stumbling is just another word for failure and mistakes.

John 8:12                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 

Later on in this same chapter, Jesus says a profound statement to those who believed in him.

John 8:31-32

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

Jesus makes a strong distinction between hearing God’s word and believing God’s word. When we believe God’s word we rely on it. We use it in our thinking and our reasoning. We let it challenge our attitude and our heart. It becomes the foundation by which we set the course of our lives. All of us have seen people call themselves followers of Christ when, in fact, they don’t follow him at all. They merely “Feel Good” about the man Jesus because they are told he loves them. Remember, when the Bible uses the word “Believe” it’s referring to an embracing of truth which becomes the anchor for our souls.

Hebrews 6:19                                                                                                                                                                                               

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 

The whole point of Jesus teaching people was for them to realize that they had forgotten how to think and reason in a way to follow God as they should and could. Jesus often taught in parables to the general public because he wanted to separate those who wanted a “Good Teaching” from those that wanted to become better. He always explained his teaching to his disciples because they had chosen to truly follow. These were the ones that moved from being hearers to those who became doers.

Here is the premise of  my thinking. If our “THINKING” is faulty then our “DOING” will be faulty as well. When it comes to challenging evil, the truth will guide us to respond as God desires rather than responding only when it’s safe or comfortable. For far too long Christians have vacillated in their beliefs about what to do with evil. Some think that becoming a pacifist is the godly course of action while others believe that if evil is allowed to flourish unhindered it will consume all life. Do you remember life during the time of Noah and the attitude of man’s heart?

Genesis 6:5-6                                                                                                                                                                                             

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. [6] The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 

There comes a time when evil flourishes unchecked so that it corrupts man’s heart completely, leaving no room for redemption.

In the next article, I will focus on phase two of this idea: how we as individuals can confront evil.

Questions:

1) How important is the word of God to you? Is it your truth or just nice words?  Your approach will determine your life.

2) Have the words of Jesus transformed your actions? If not, why not?

May Jesus set our hearts and minds free from the evil lies of Satan!

Pastor Dale