Do You know how to Think with God?
To reason is to think with God. Reason plays a fundamental role in living a godly life in an ungodly world.
Many have had a heart change but are paying the price for not developing disciplined and effective reasoning habits.
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. …” “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path” Matthews 13:3-4, 18-19.
Without a change we will get plundered by our foes and we will not know life to the full.
Although we have had a change of heart, when we do not use our minds to the fullest capability God has given us we get plundered (robbed) of the life God has intended for us by three foes: Our sinful nature (the flesh), the devil (Satan), and the principles of the world.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.
The problem is we are not Thinking with God.
There are two parts to Thinking with God:
1. Objectivity
2. Using a Database of Doctrine
OBJECTIVITY: uninfluenced by emotion or personal prejudice. Our fallen nature fixes our wills on what we want. Then we use our reason to support that desire using only some of the available facts. To Think with God we must refrain from getting attached to one conclusion over another. We must use all the facts in making a decision. After reviewing all the available information we must make a decision in an objective manner. We must also be willing to accept whatever God would have us do, even if it goes against our natural inclinations.
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me” 1 Corinthians 13:11.
“Brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.” 1 Corinthians 14:20.
DATABASE OF DOCTRINE: a storehouse of information in our minds about who God is, what man is, and what God’s intention or plan is. When we try to be objective in our decisions we need to have information at our disposal (which comes through daily prayer, scripture reading and study) about God and His ways. We make decisions based on the information at our disposal. The Holy Spirit gives us light so that we can decide based on what we know about God through our relationship with Him. If the only input we have is from our flesh, Satan, and the World, then all our decisions will be ungodly.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” Romans 12:2.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthews 7:24-25.
But how does this apply to our daily situations?
Warfare!
Daily the Christian is in the middle of a fierce war. He or she is entrenched in the midst of attack from every side. Day and night the battle rages around him. The sinful nature (flesh), the devil (Satan) and the principles of the World relentlessly and ruthlessly seek to gain victory. These enemies are set and determined to achieve one and only one goal: to over throw the kingdom of God. And you, Christian, are the object of their attack; they want to use you to achieve their goal. You stand armed with the full power of Almighty God dwelling in you, but your situation…
DEMANDS A RESPONSE!
You have two possible responses:
Godly: You can take your position in Christ’s victory on Calvary over the sinful nature (flesh), the devil (Satan) and the principles of the World.
But how do we take our position in Christ?...
…You place your complete trust in this: On the Cross my Saviour put to death the power of my sinful nature to make me sin (Romans 6:6), put to death the power of the world to make me sin (Galatians 6:14) and put to death the power of the devil to make me sin (Revelation 12:10-11). Confident, you walk through the raging battle, shielded by God!
Or we can make a choice that is …
Ungodly: in which you put aside your trust in the work of Jesus on the Cross and submit to the lies of the sinful nature (flesh), the devil (Satan) and the principles of the World.
There are only TWO POSSIBLE RESPONSES! Do not be DECEIVED! To do nothing is to choose the ungodly response!
What shall we conclude?
The Christian has every chance to live life to the fullest, as Jesus promised, because Jesus finished the work on the Cross for us. The grace is at our finger tips, a gift for the taking. But God requires that we , by our free will, learn to Think with Him. We must look at all of our situations in light of the revealed truth according to God’s own word.
Action steps:
R ecall the truths of God
E xamine yourself in light of these truths
A llow God’s truth to penetrate
S ift through information
O bjectively come to a conclusion
N ow respond in faith
Stay tuned for the Database of Doctrine but remember information is just information unless you have enlightenment through the Holy Spirit. So dare to seek God and ask Him to reveal the truth personally to you or it will just remain information.
John
