It's ESPECIALLY touchy HERE because everyone HERE was exposed to some very BAD and CONTRADICTORY
material on the subject. Responses can vary from "I embrace what was taught in twi without reservation"
to "I fled all conventional positions for New Age positions" to "I embrace the orthodox positions"
or any of dozens and dozens of other positions.
When it comes to sin, the most basic information is actually pretty simple.
(This should not be a surprise- there are a handful of notes that represent all music,
and a limited number of sounds or letters for an entire language.)
(As always, I'm taking a Sola Scriptura approach. Those of you who don't care for it, feel free to scroll past my post.)
1 John 2:15-17 (King James Version)
15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
===============================
1 John 2:15-17 (New American Standard Bible)
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
===========================
I've heard people give numbers for sins, "Seven Deadly Sins" (or Seven Deadly Enemies of Man), and so on.
However, Biblically, I see 3 categories. I expect they can overlap, but fundamentally, this is how sin works.
There's the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life.
Let's look at each for a moment.
A) Little needs to be explained about the lusts of the flesh. We all want affection, we all like food and drink-which we
need!- but what is HEALTHY can easily be EXCEEDED into a gluttony of any sense. Moreover, they can become ends
in themselves. Some people find they put too much importance into affection of some form or other
(the modern world gives us new, innovative ways to do this), a few live for a good meal, and many people end up
addicted to alcohol or drugs. Anything can become addictive, becoming an end to itself-
stopping for a drink to relax after work becomes stopping for a drink because it's done, which becomes
stopping for a drink because you HAVE to stop for a drink. Just about any behavior can become addictive that
way. (Even exercise- but it's pretty rare someone over-exercises compared to people who overindulge any other
lust.) Anyone, I'm sure, who lives in the US, has already received an education in the lusts of the flesh.
(If not, and you're reading this, you have internest access and probably WILL get an education in this very soon.)
Moderation in all things, care to keep them in their place- or non-existent- make these less of an issue.
Each such lust, ultimately, means the person has a problem which the sin is COVERING. Address what the
person feels they need or are missing, and it's easier to remove the "dysfunctional behavior."
The lustful action is a COPING MECHANISM.
B) The Lusts of the Eyes are also easy to understand. It's not wrong to have nice things, although dependence upon
them can be a problem. And wanting what you don't need and can't have can be unhealthy.
"Hannibal Lecter: No, he covets. That's his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer.
Clarice Starling: No. We just--
Hannibal Lecter: No. Precisely. We begin by coveting what we see every day. Don't you feel eyes moving over your body, Clarice? I hardly see how you couldn't. And don't your eyes move over the things you want?"
It's almost a virtue, in our society, to have something, and to immediately want something "bigger and better", whether it's a car,
I want to lock it all up in my pocket, It's my bar of chocolate.
Give it to me, now!
I want today.
I want tomorrow.
I want to wear 'em like braids in my hair
And I don't want to share 'em!
I want a party with room fulls of laughter.
Ten thousand tons of ice cream.
And if I don't get the things I am after,
I'm going to scream!
I want the works.
I want the whole works.
Presents and prizes and sweets and surprises
Of all shapes and sizes
And now
Don't care how
I want it now!
Don't care how
I want it now!"
Again, it's easy to see this one operate.
If one can keep a sense of perspective, and actually care about others, this fades as a concern.
If you care about others, what they own is of lesser importance.
C) The Pride of Life.
This one, actually, is harder for the modern Christian to catch.
Every time you hear the words "who do you think you're talking to?", you're probably hearing
someone under its effect.
We all would like special treatment, preferential treatment. However, we all take our turns as
necessary. Again, other people MATTER.
If other people are insignificant insects, it becomes easy to justify feeling more important than
others. When you pass a homeless person, do you ever feel superior to them?
WHY?
Didn't this person have a job, nice clothes, a loving family?
Didn't something happen to change that?
Couldn't that happen to you?
I'm not saying you're not important- your family, your loved ones, may consider you their whole world-
but, ultimately, there are many people less fortunate than you- which doesn't make them LESS WORTHY
than you. There are people who don't own shoes, who walk miles to get to a school that may close
tomorrow- because it's their only hope to get an education. How well do you think you'd survive in THEIR
world? They are people, just as you are. It's harder to see that when you're faced with people who
grew up IN a modern society like the US and wasted their chance at an education and use words like
"conversate" and think they know how things work when they don't have a clue.
But, after all, they're people as well. Even STUPID people are human beings.
It's the INability to see that other matter, the INability to see anything other than themselves as the center
of the universe, that allows people like Bernard Madoff to cheat thousands of people out of their life savings,
and religious charities of their money.
================================
So, there's RIGHT ways and WRONG ways to deal with TEMPTATION.
James 1:14-15 (New American Standard Bible)
14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
If the temptation is overcome, the sin is overcome-the sin doesn't have a chance to become an issue.
Genesis 3:1-6.
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
2The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
4The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
5"For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Let's look at that last verse again.
"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was desirable to make one wise,
she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate."
"Good for food"- lust of the flesh.
"Delight to the eyes"- lust of the eyes
"desirable to make one wise"- pride of life
Eve was tempted-in each category- and made the decision to sin.
=====================
Luke 4:1-13 (New American Standard Bible)
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness
2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
3And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"
5And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7"Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."
8Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
9And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;
10for it is written,
'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,'
11and,
'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"
12And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
13When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
Let's look at this a bit more closely.
"And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
3And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"
Jesus was tempted with the lusts of the flesh.
Jesus overcame that lust- "It is Written."
"And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7"Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."
8Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
Jesus was tempted with the lusts of the eyes.
Jesus overcame that lust- "It is Written."
"And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;
10for it is written,
'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,'
11and,
'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"
12And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
Jesus was tempted with the pride of life.
Jesus overcame that lust- "It is Written."
==============
Sin does "easily beset us."
If we are not careful, we INVITE sin into our lives- but we can find the underlying problems, fix them,
and UNinvite sin from our lives, too.
This is a lifelong process- I didn't see it as automatic for JESUS even-but he did show us how it's done.
I agree with everything you say here as far as where sin starts, etc.
But still, if that's all there is to the question, we are all just as doomed to failure as mankind has been from the beginning. Nobody but Jesus had the will power to control themselves that much. A few have come close, perhaps, and have demonstrated commendable discipline in these areas. Most of us, however, have not.
But eternal life is not based on our ability to control ourselves. Don't you agree that God's power is what is absolutely necessary for us? We will never completely manifest a Christlike nature in this life. What makes the difference is our heart of trusting God - first of all believing His Gospel that a better world is coming, second accepting His grace and the payment for our sins by His Son's sacrifice, and third just doing our best knowing we are going to muck it up royally sometimes. I've heard it said that Christians aren't sinless, but they sin less.
And His Holy Spirit working in us is what will enable us to sin less. "Self control" is a fruit of the Spirit, not of our "renewed mind effort" or whatever you might call it. That's the down side of the kind of thinking in that linked article. As we saw in the Way, those who thought they were "together spiritually" looked down on the other poor slobs who didn't renew their minds. And that attitude was not limited to The Way. Christians have been accused of being self-righteous and judgmental for hundreds of years, and there is something to it, in many cases. It's a balance, like everything else.
I agree with everything you say here as far as where sin starts, etc.
But still, if that's all there is to the question, we are all just as doomed to failure as mankind has been from the beginning. Nobody but Jesus had the will power to control themselves that much. A few have come close, perhaps, and have demonstrated commendable discipline in these areas. Most of us, however, have not.
But eternal life is not based on our ability to control ourselves. Don't you agree that God's power is what is absolutely necessary for us? We will never completely manifest a Christlike nature in this life. What makes the difference is our heart of trusting God - first of all believing His Gospel that a better world is coming, second accepting His grace and the payment for our sins by His Son's sacrifice, and third just doing our best knowing we are going to muck it up royally sometimes. I've heard it said that Christians aren't sinless, but they sin less.
And His Holy Spirit working in us is what will enable us to sin less. "Self control" is a fruit of the Spirit, not of our "renewed mind effort" or whatever you might call it. That's the down side of the kind of thinking in that linked article. As we saw in the Way, those who thought they were "together spiritually" looked down on the other poor slobs who didn't renew their minds. And that attitude was not limited to The Way. Christians have been accused of being self-righteous and judgmental for hundreds of years, and there is something to it, in many cases. It's a balance, like everything else.
I know you didn't ask me Mark, but quite frankly, when has that ever stopped me before? :) I actually can relate to what you say. With the exception of a few coming close to Jesus part. LOL He is perfect.
In fact, this morning when I read your post, my mind immediately went to the verses prior to Philippians 4:6. Stand in the Lord. . . agree in the Lord. . .rejoice in the Lord. . . the Lord is near. . . the last I love. Although this could be in time or space the context strongly suggests space. The Lord is near. . . the presence of the Lord is always with us. This is a reality. . . not just a concept or idea.
What happens when we sin. . . when we do or think something in which the Lord will not partake? We pull away from that presence. The Holy Spirit is gentle in His conviction. . . No? To set us straight. However you word it, we know don't we? Do we sit and analyze our behavior? Not usually. We repent and come back as quick as our feet will carry us. Like little Christian hedonists greedy for the Lord.
As we grow in this fellowship or communion, self-control is worked into our lives. . . we are filled with The Holy Spirit. . . . we are filled with something good. Our thoughts are of Him. . . we do dwell on things that are pure. . . . because we are in communion more and more with Him. Sin becomes the thing that messes that up. We don't LIKE that messed up. If we do. . . then it is time to really examine.
How does one be anxious for nothing? Pray? But, also know He who answers is near, loves you, and is so very able, we have faith in Him, confidence in Him. Surely not our ownselves, but the again, we can have confidence in that which He is working in us. God doesn't do bad work. He is confident in His ability to guide us. . . in His own work in us. . . No? God knows He is able.
That fruit which are of the Spirit. . . gently are worked into our lives as we are filled. I love it. So simple. That doesn't mean we don't watch our thoughts or be careful of our actions. Transformation is a big deal. We can't transform on our own. Well, we can try but I think we know what happens then.
It is not to say we won't ever sin. . . that is a lie, but hopefully it is less and less as we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We may still even wander and stray off, no doubt we will, and it may take us a bit to realize it, but He always comes for us. Let's us know what is going on.
That is why our confidence is in Him. That peace. . . surpasses every thought.
I know you didn't ask me Mark, but quite frankly, when has that ever stopped me before? :) I actually can relate to what you say. With the exception of a few coming close to Jesus part. LOL He is perfect.
The "few" I was thinking of was like, Paul or the other apostles. Also, "close" is a relative term. How close is "close"? And I did say "perhaps," too. The upshot of it is that few have come anywhere near his perfect self control, which is why we need the spirit. And everything else you said in your post, I agree with. So we are on the same page as far as that is concerned. We need God's power in our lives, no matter what we call it. Like you said, we can try to transform on our own, but we know what happens then.
I agree with everything you say here as far as where sin starts, etc.
But still, if that's all there is to the question, we are all just as doomed to failure as mankind has been from the beginning. Nobody but Jesus had the will power to control themselves that much. A few have come close, perhaps, and have demonstrated commendable discipline in these areas. Most of us, however, have not.
But eternal life is not based on our ability to control ourselves. Don't you agree that God's power is what is absolutely necessary for us? We will never completely manifest a Christlike nature in this life. What makes the difference is our heart of trusting God - first of all believing His Gospel that a better world is coming, second accepting His grace and the payment for our sins by His Son's sacrifice, and third just doing our best knowing we are going to muck it up royally sometimes. I've heard it said that Christians aren't sinless, but they sin less.
And His Holy Spirit working in us is what will enable us to sin less. "Self control" is a fruit of the Spirit, not of our "renewed mind effort" or whatever you might call it. That's the down side of the kind of thinking in that linked article. As we saw in the Way, those who thought they were "together spiritually" looked down on the other poor slobs who didn't renew their minds. And that attitude was not limited to The Way. Christians have been accused of being self-righteous and judgmental for hundreds of years, and there is something to it, in many cases. It's a balance, like everything else.
I lost track of the original question on the table.
None of us COULD have earned eternal life, or "disciplined" ourselves unto it.
As I said before, Christians are often MORE vulnerable to "the pride of life", not LESS.
Then again, religious folk have been seen as self-righteous before there were Christians-
Jesus' parable of the "good Samaritan" had a priest and a Levite ignore the victim.
We walk, we slip, we walk, we pray for guidance. What we DO know to do, we should do.
That includes "watch for traffic" as much as "avoid places that make you want to sin."
A balanced walk is as much a matter of "listening to God" and heeding His will" as anything
else, and it's certainly not a matter of "direct Green Lantern's ring to destroy sin."
Mark, I know I got tired of the wayfer teachings of renewing ones mind, without any clear meaning on how to go about that. But I know from my own experience that we can REFUSE to change our thoughts or lifestyles and still expect God to bless us. And when that doesn't happen we seek out other peoples approval. Many times we still want to do our own thing, and expect a different outcome. We have to go around the same old tired mountian again and again and again....expecting things to change. We are not to conform to the standards of this world, yet those that don't do just that are knocked down by the world for being bigoted, and closed minded.
Geisha: about the fantasizing about sin thing. Well I can tell you that when my hormones were raging more, it wouldn't take much for me to start fantasizing about certain things. I'm not being flip, it's the truth. It wasn't just temptation, which isn't a sin by itself, but fantasizing about sinning I have done many times. Or even just wanting to get revenge on somebody who wronged me. Stuff like that.
Anyway, I still HAVE to read WW's comment, so I'll be back later. I have to get my filing done before I start on Word Wolfs comment!
I'm sure there are some people who "refuse" to change, but I suspect more of them don't change because they don't think they can, or they don't know how. And instead of teaching "how" - especially how God works in their lives to enable them - too many religious types (in TWI and elsewhere) just lay the guilt trip on them. They say, "You 'refuse' to change so it's your own fault." (Not that you're doing that.) I really think such teaching has done more harm than good, and discouraged people to the point where they gave up trying.
Geisha: about the fantasizing about sin thing. Well I can tell you that when my hormones were raging more, it wouldn't take much for me to start fantasizing about certain things. I'm not being flip, it's the truth. It wasn't just temptation, which isn't a sin by itself, but fantasizing about sinning I have done many times. Or even just wanting to get revenge on somebody who wronged me. Stuff like that.
I have been married a looong time. . . I think I forgot those days. . .but, then again hubby has always been my greatest fantasy :)
I do get that part, it was just the calculated nature of the premise. But, I could have been reading into it too. You make a good point. I wish I could relate, but I am, of course, perfect. LOL
Mark, I see two pieces, sides to this - the information and the use of it. Anyone, Christian or not can give their enlightened advice and force their opinion on someone else to insist they change.
Application of the information in the article is personal. You decide, I decide. Most people we deal with and live around don't know our inner concerns unless we tell them. That informs the relationship once we do, so I highly recommend to people in general that they use care in who they confide in, especially if they are sensitive about it and how others will take it. For some what others think is more of a concern than others. Once information is out in the open, you may have to assume responsibility for it in ways you don't want to.
Some things benefit from others knowing, some don't, but either way the if the decision is ours to make I advise not broadcasting things out to the world around us. It allows for input yes, but it also means we may be subjected to the open judgment of others when we don't want it.
Pastoring figures into this, in a church. Overall, people usually want to be helpful. Some do better than others. I know very few pastors who are actively ministering in a church leadership capacity who take a hard-nosed approach to working with people. It was a common approach in the Way because people weren't following a few simple rules of engagement when it comes to pastoring. "Teaching" someone something is entirely different than entering into a trusted relationship. The Way teaches a lot. That's just talk. Being involved and committed long term to another's well being is much more work.
To my read, the article poses a simple view into how to apply some suggested methods to get a hold of your life. If you need to. If you want to. It doesn't suggest that eternal life salvation relies on how we control our thinking everyday. God is involved, prayer, something that figures into the process being described heavily IMO.
I don't even see how the "renewed mind" topic even enters into the article's points. He's not in the Way, neither am I. Maybe it's me, but it didn't ping that topic in my mind. I believe flat out that we should do our best with what we have and what we know. We should pursue good information and counsel and accept help when we trust it and can get it. We should "ask God" as the writer recommends and expect God's guidance and help to produce His will. When we can't or don't know how, this area of sound pastoring is a key one IMO.
WW I don't know what to say. I was without power for over 24 hours which is why it took me so long to finally read and re-read your post. But you hit on some things that are almost to close to home for me. Thank you for such a well thought out reply. I'm actually going to re-read it again, because I'm sure I'm missing some things. but I think you are right, in The Way, (for me it was more of an offshoot group) I think we have become very sensitive to anything thath as to do with controlling our minds.
I mentioned this to my electrician friend, who I just saw this morning. I told him about this thread and how varied the responses were, (though I haven't read all of them) and how some people really were concerned that this article, or train of thought had to do more with mind control. He sort of shook his head and said "but you HAVE to control your thoughts." It's not that we want others to control them, but yes we do have to learn to do it. And yes, it is a life long process. Thank you for pointing that out. Oh, I need to read some more of these posts. but I wanted to jump in here and thank you, as others who have responded. It is helping me a great deal.
In checking on this thread just now I noticed at the bottom of the GS session window THIS LINK.
I filled out the form. I put in the email form box "YoureAnIdiot" as the name and the email addie as "controlthis@jedimindtrick.com"
and got to a couple pages and finally THIS PAGE where I can get the whole package of crap for the reduced price of 47.00. And the best part is the recording that loads is someone whose voice would make a parrot cringe.
Anyhoo. It's good to see GS is enforcing the topic.
It is not as much the issue of what comes at our minds, in my opinion, but of what comes from inside of us. We are sinful, which is why we need a Savior.
Self-examination of one's faith and heart requires a painful honesty and humbleness before the Lord. Are you Christ's? What is your faith really about? What are you filled with?
Have you come before Him with a heart of penitence, contrition and asked Him for purification?
2 Corinthians 7:1 says : Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
James says: "Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust." The devil doesn't make us do things. We are carried away by what is our own lusts.
The problem is inside of us. The devil produces things that do TEMPT us through the things of the world. But, that is not the real problem. It says we are tempted when carried away and enticed by our own lust. When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin. When sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
Reliving past sin as pleasure, scheming new sin as pleasure, all are matters of what is in your heart. Fill it with something better. I would say the "Word" but that is going to mean something different to each of us as we have come from very unsound teaching.
Simply go to the Lord and ask Him to help you understand your temptations. We are not alone with the bible as our only guide. In fact, without God, the words and meaning become all twisted and useless. We have a Savior, a personal God who is in this with us. He purifies us and transforms us.
Deal with the depths of your heart. We do this often, it is not just a one time thing. It is an event though, not a process. We do not do this on our own or with the bible alone. Jesus is a personal Savior.
I would encourage us not to again lose that simplicity in Christ.
Rereading my last post made me want to add this. It is easy to fall into leagalism. We did it in The Way. It would be a shame for us to continue on or fall back into this. You can't deal with sin by making rules on the outside about how we should act or think. If you don't get to the heart, this will never work.
Legalism in the guise of thought reform, isn't strong enough to accomplish anything but bondage. Making rules and forcing yourself to conform to rules won't help. It will end up hurting you. Piety, Hiding away, Momentous, being a Pharisee, going to confession, ten hail Mary's five Our Father's won't do it. There isn't anything external that will handle sin on the inside. The Word of God and the Spirit of God are what we need. Please know, not the "Word" as taught in The Way. If I could encourage anything it would be to toss this in the garbage heap.
1st Peter 2:11, Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Abstain from fleshly lusts...the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, stop. Abstain. Not that it is a lifelong process. He says abstain!
Romans 6 Sin no longer has dominion over you. You once were the slaves of sin, you're now become servants of righteousness.
1st Corinthians 6, Flee immorality, James, Resist the devil and he'll flee. Stop sinning, resist the devil. Make no provision for the flesh.
Romans 13:14 Paul said Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust. You can't accommodate it. This is where you look at what you consider in your mind. Stop thinking what makes you not like someone. Quit rehashing all the offenses that you think that person has commited against you, keeping a mental record of the wrong that they have done. Refuse to allow your mind the things that tempt your desires.
Keep your heart on Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 We all with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord the Spirit." As we focus on the glory of the Lord, we're transformed to be more like Christ. You have to have your heart on Christ. You can't be focused on Christ and sin at the same time.
1 John 3: ---if you have that hope in you, then you purify yourself. Dwell on whatsoever things are pure. Let Him occupy your thoughts.
Thy Word I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against you, Psalm 119. Meditate on it and do what is written. Joshua 1:8. It is a lamp unto our feet, a light to our path, it attacks sin.
Jesus said Sanctify them in Thy truth, Thy Word is truth. Fill your heart with it and consider it carefully.
Luke 22:40, Jesus said, Pray that you may not enter into temptation. Lead us not into temptation.
Order the steps of my life. Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins.
Ask yourself what is really in your heart. Is it Jesus? It can be things that look like Him, but is it really Him.
Be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5 Do not be drunk with wine, that's dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. If you want God, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
What are you living for? What is in your heart? Fill it with the right thing to fend off temptation when it comes and ask God daily to help you with temptation.
The cited link is not about watching the news or crime shows. It's about hiding your head in the sand and refusing to deal with your thoughts honestly and openly. There's a fine line between focusing excessively on negatives and facing reality. Only you can say where that line is.
Here's an excerpt from the link:
Do not masturbate.
If you masturbate, you probably entertain sinful fantasies at the same time. Although masturbation is not explicitly forbidden in the Scriptures, the thoughts that usually accompany it are. Do not escape into a fantasy life. Determine that, with God’s help, you will stop.
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).
Sometimes people have orgasms in their sleep. If that happens to you, don't feel condemned. However, if you have sexually immoral dreams, ask God to replace them with pure dreams.
This is contrary to the way a normal healthy body works.
How do you counsel a normal teenager with such advise?
You simply can't tell them that their normal, healthy "sex dreams" are immoral and wrong. (but don't feel condemned) Nor should you be telling them to repress them in favor of "pure dreams".
And I don't mean to seem as though I've singled this one item out as the focal point.
It's not. It's just exemplifies the type of mind set this article is advocating.
The point I'm making is that, while it's good advise to avoid dwelling on life's negatives, (Medical science is filled with studies of how worry and stress can adversely affect your health) It's not good advise to live in a world of self delusion.
This link seems to be suggesting the adherence of the same kind of self delusion that left us all so vulnerable to blind obedience and control by people who didn't have our best interests at heart when we were in TWI.
But I could be wrong---That's just my opinion.
So what exactly do you think the Lord Jesus was speaking about, WS? The Scriptures are pretty clear to me when I read them. You are to keep your thoughts pure.
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WordWolf
This is a very touchy subject.
It's ESPECIALLY touchy HERE because everyone HERE was exposed to some very BAD and CONTRADICTORY
material on the subject. Responses can vary from "I embrace what was taught in twi without reservation"
to "I fled all conventional positions for New Age positions" to "I embrace the orthodox positions"
or any of dozens and dozens of other positions.
When it comes to sin, the most basic information is actually pretty simple.
(This should not be a surprise- there are a handful of notes that represent all music,
and a limited number of sounds or letters for an entire language.)
(As always, I'm taking a Sola Scriptura approach. Those of you who don't care for it, feel free to scroll past my post.)
1 John 2:15-17 (King James Version)
15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
===============================
1 John 2:15-17 (New American Standard Bible)
15Do not love the world nor the things in the world If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
===========================
I've heard people give numbers for sins, "Seven Deadly Sins" (or Seven Deadly Enemies of Man), and so on.
However, Biblically, I see 3 categories. I expect they can overlap, but fundamentally, this is how sin works.
There's the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life.
Let's look at each for a moment.
A) Little needs to be explained about the lusts of the flesh. We all want affection, we all like food and drink-which we
need!- but what is HEALTHY can easily be EXCEEDED into a gluttony of any sense. Moreover, they can become ends
in themselves. Some people find they put too much importance into affection of some form or other
(the modern world gives us new, innovative ways to do this), a few live for a good meal, and many people end up
addicted to alcohol or drugs. Anything can become addictive, becoming an end to itself-
stopping for a drink to relax after work becomes stopping for a drink because it's done, which becomes
stopping for a drink because you HAVE to stop for a drink. Just about any behavior can become addictive that
way. (Even exercise- but it's pretty rare someone over-exercises compared to people who overindulge any other
lust.) Anyone, I'm sure, who lives in the US, has already received an education in the lusts of the flesh.
(If not, and you're reading this, you have internest access and probably WILL get an education in this very soon.)
Moderation in all things, care to keep them in their place- or non-existent- make these less of an issue.
Each such lust, ultimately, means the person has a problem which the sin is COVERING. Address what the
person feels they need or are missing, and it's easier to remove the "dysfunctional behavior."
The lustful action is a COPING MECHANISM.
B) The Lusts of the Eyes are also easy to understand. It's not wrong to have nice things, although dependence upon
them can be a problem. And wanting what you don't need and can't have can be unhealthy.
"Hannibal Lecter: No, he covets. That's his nature. And how do we begin to covet, Clarice? Do we seek out things to covet? Make an effort to answer.
Clarice Starling: No. We just--
Hannibal Lecter: No. Precisely. We begin by coveting what we see every day. Don't you feel eyes moving over your body, Clarice? I hardly see how you couldn't. And don't your eyes move over the things you want?"
It's almost a virtue, in our society, to have something, and to immediately want something "bigger and better", whether it's a car,
computer, house, television, "home theater system"....
"I want the world.
I want the whole world.
I want to lock it all up in my pocket, It's my bar of chocolate.
Give it to me, now!
I want today.
I want tomorrow.
I want to wear 'em like braids in my hair
And I don't want to share 'em!
I want a party with room fulls of laughter.
Ten thousand tons of ice cream.
And if I don't get the things I am after,
I'm going to scream!
I want the works.
I want the whole works.
Presents and prizes and sweets and surprises
Of all shapes and sizes
And now
Don't care how
I want it now!
Don't care how
I want it now!"
Again, it's easy to see this one operate.
If one can keep a sense of perspective, and actually care about others, this fades as a concern.
If you care about others, what they own is of lesser importance.
C) The Pride of Life.
This one, actually, is harder for the modern Christian to catch.
Every time you hear the words "who do you think you're talking to?", you're probably hearing
someone under its effect.
We all would like special treatment, preferential treatment. However, we all take our turns as
necessary. Again, other people MATTER.
If other people are insignificant insects, it becomes easy to justify feeling more important than
others. When you pass a homeless person, do you ever feel superior to them?
WHY?
Didn't this person have a job, nice clothes, a loving family?
Didn't something happen to change that?
Couldn't that happen to you?
I'm not saying you're not important- your family, your loved ones, may consider you their whole world-
but, ultimately, there are many people less fortunate than you- which doesn't make them LESS WORTHY
than you. There are people who don't own shoes, who walk miles to get to a school that may close
tomorrow- because it's their only hope to get an education. How well do you think you'd survive in THEIR
world? They are people, just as you are. It's harder to see that when you're faced with people who
grew up IN a modern society like the US and wasted their chance at an education and use words like
"conversate" and think they know how things work when they don't have a clue.
But, after all, they're people as well. Even STUPID people are human beings.
It's the INability to see that other matter, the INability to see anything other than themselves as the center
of the universe, that allows people like Bernard Madoff to cheat thousands of people out of their life savings,
and religious charities of their money.
================================
So, there's RIGHT ways and WRONG ways to deal with TEMPTATION.
James 1:14-15 (New American Standard Bible)
14But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.
15Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
If the temptation is overcome, the sin is overcome-the sin doesn't have a chance to become an issue.
Genesis 3:1-6.
1Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"
2The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;
3but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'"
4The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die!
5"For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Let's look at that last verse again.
"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
and that it was a delight to the eyes,
and that the tree was desirable to make one wise,
she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate."
"Good for food"- lust of the flesh.
"Delight to the eyes"- lust of the eyes
"desirable to make one wise"- pride of life
Eve was tempted-in each category- and made the decision to sin.
=====================
Luke 4:1-13 (New American Standard Bible)
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness
2for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
3And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"
5And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7"Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."
8Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
9And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;
10for it is written,
'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,'
11and,
'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"
12And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
13When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.
Let's look at this a bit more closely.
"And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry.
3And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"
Jesus was tempted with the lusts of the flesh.
Jesus overcame that lust- "It is Written."
"And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6And the devil said to Him, "I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7"Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours."
8Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"
Jesus was tempted with the lusts of the eyes.
Jesus overcame that lust- "It is Written."
"And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here;
10for it is written,
'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU TO GUARD YOU,'
11and,
'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP,
SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"
12And Jesus answered and said to him, "It is said, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"
Jesus was tempted with the pride of life.
Jesus overcame that lust- "It is Written."
==============
Sin does "easily beset us."
If we are not careful, we INVITE sin into our lives- but we can find the underlying problems, fix them,
and UNinvite sin from our lives, too.
This is a lifelong process- I didn't see it as automatic for JESUS even-but he did show us how it's done.
Ok, what was the question again?
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WordWolf
As for a PRO-active approach, yes, beginning with HEALTHIER "diets" for your mind are better.
Watching television? Some channels will depress you, some can educate you while holding your attention.
Going online? The same applies.
Start with what's good for you- same as a healthy FOOD diet.
Then, if you want to add a "dessert", you can add one- IN MODERATION.
If you have no idea where to start, you're just a mouse-click away from hundreds of daily devotionals online.
Here's a few links.
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/
http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml
http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/
http://www.harvest.org/devotional/
http://www.myutmost.org/
http://www.bible.com/daily-devotional.php
http://www.devotions.net/
http://www.lhm.org/dailydevotions.asp
http://www.backtothebible.org/index.php/Bi...-Devotions.html
http://www.blogcatalog.com/blogs/online-da...ible-study.html
http://www.forwardmovement.org/todaysreading.cfm
http://www.dailydevotional.org/
http://netministries.org/webdev.html
If nothing else, I doubt they could hurt.....
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Mark Clarke
WordWolf,
I agree with everything you say here as far as where sin starts, etc.
But still, if that's all there is to the question, we are all just as doomed to failure as mankind has been from the beginning. Nobody but Jesus had the will power to control themselves that much. A few have come close, perhaps, and have demonstrated commendable discipline in these areas. Most of us, however, have not.
But eternal life is not based on our ability to control ourselves. Don't you agree that God's power is what is absolutely necessary for us? We will never completely manifest a Christlike nature in this life. What makes the difference is our heart of trusting God - first of all believing His Gospel that a better world is coming, second accepting His grace and the payment for our sins by His Son's sacrifice, and third just doing our best knowing we are going to muck it up royally sometimes. I've heard it said that Christians aren't sinless, but they sin less.
And His Holy Spirit working in us is what will enable us to sin less. "Self control" is a fruit of the Spirit, not of our "renewed mind effort" or whatever you might call it. That's the down side of the kind of thinking in that linked article. As we saw in the Way, those who thought they were "together spiritually" looked down on the other poor slobs who didn't renew their minds. And that attitude was not limited to The Way. Christians have been accused of being self-righteous and judgmental for hundreds of years, and there is something to it, in many cases. It's a balance, like everything else.
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geisha779
I know you didn't ask me Mark, but quite frankly, when has that ever stopped me before? :) I actually can relate to what you say. With the exception of a few coming close to Jesus part. LOL He is perfect.
In fact, this morning when I read your post, my mind immediately went to the verses prior to Philippians 4:6. Stand in the Lord. . . agree in the Lord. . .rejoice in the Lord. . . the Lord is near. . . the last I love. Although this could be in time or space the context strongly suggests space. The Lord is near. . . the presence of the Lord is always with us. This is a reality. . . not just a concept or idea.
What happens when we sin. . . when we do or think something in which the Lord will not partake? We pull away from that presence. The Holy Spirit is gentle in His conviction. . . No? To set us straight. However you word it, we know don't we? Do we sit and analyze our behavior? Not usually. We repent and come back as quick as our feet will carry us. Like little Christian hedonists greedy for the Lord.
As we grow in this fellowship or communion, self-control is worked into our lives. . . we are filled with The Holy Spirit. . . . we are filled with something good. Our thoughts are of Him. . . we do dwell on things that are pure. . . . because we are in communion more and more with Him. Sin becomes the thing that messes that up. We don't LIKE that messed up. If we do. . . then it is time to really examine.
How does one be anxious for nothing? Pray? But, also know He who answers is near, loves you, and is so very able, we have faith in Him, confidence in Him. Surely not our ownselves, but the again, we can have confidence in that which He is working in us. God doesn't do bad work. He is confident in His ability to guide us. . . in His own work in us. . . No? God knows He is able.
That fruit which are of the Spirit. . . gently are worked into our lives as we are filled. I love it. So simple. That doesn't mean we don't watch our thoughts or be careful of our actions. Transformation is a big deal. We can't transform on our own. Well, we can try but I think we know what happens then.
It is not to say we won't ever sin. . . that is a lie, but hopefully it is less and less as we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We may still even wander and stray off, no doubt we will, and it may take us a bit to realize it, but He always comes for us. Let's us know what is going on.
That is why our confidence is in Him. That peace. . . surpasses every thought.
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Mark Clarke
The "few" I was thinking of was like, Paul or the other apostles. Also, "close" is a relative term. How close is "close"? And I did say "perhaps," too. The upshot of it is that few have come anywhere near his perfect self control, which is why we need the spirit. And everything else you said in your post, I agree with. So we are on the same page as far as that is concerned. We need God's power in our lives, no matter what we call it. Like you said, we can try to transform on our own, but we know what happens then.
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WordWolf
I lost track of the original question on the table.
None of us COULD have earned eternal life, or "disciplined" ourselves unto it.
As I said before, Christians are often MORE vulnerable to "the pride of life", not LESS.
Then again, religious folk have been seen as self-righteous before there were Christians-
Jesus' parable of the "good Samaritan" had a priest and a Levite ignore the victim.
We walk, we slip, we walk, we pray for guidance. What we DO know to do, we should do.
That includes "watch for traffic" as much as "avoid places that make you want to sin."
A balanced walk is as much a matter of "listening to God" and heeding His will" as anything
else, and it's certainly not a matter of "direct Green Lantern's ring to destroy sin."
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Mark Clarke
In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power... Renewed Mind light!
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RottieGrrrl
Mark, I know I got tired of the wayfer teachings of renewing ones mind, without any clear meaning on how to go about that. But I know from my own experience that we can REFUSE to change our thoughts or lifestyles and still expect God to bless us. And when that doesn't happen we seek out other peoples approval. Many times we still want to do our own thing, and expect a different outcome. We have to go around the same old tired mountian again and again and again....expecting things to change. We are not to conform to the standards of this world, yet those that don't do just that are knocked down by the world for being bigoted, and closed minded.
Geisha: about the fantasizing about sin thing. Well I can tell you that when my hormones were raging more, it wouldn't take much for me to start fantasizing about certain things. I'm not being flip, it's the truth. It wasn't just temptation, which isn't a sin by itself, but fantasizing about sinning I have done many times. Or even just wanting to get revenge on somebody who wronged me. Stuff like that.
Anyway, I still HAVE to read WW's comment, so I'll be back later. I have to get my filing done before I start on Word Wolfs comment!
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Mark Clarke
RottieGrrrl,
I'm sure there are some people who "refuse" to change, but I suspect more of them don't change because they don't think they can, or they don't know how. And instead of teaching "how" - especially how God works in their lives to enable them - too many religious types (in TWI and elsewhere) just lay the guilt trip on them. They say, "You 'refuse' to change so it's your own fault." (Not that you're doing that.) I really think such teaching has done more harm than good, and discouraged people to the point where they gave up trying.
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geisha779
I have been married a looong time. . . I think I forgot those days. . .but, then again hubby has always been my greatest fantasy :)
I do get that part, it was just the calculated nature of the premise. But, I could have been reading into it too. You make a good point. I wish I could relate, but I am, of course, perfect. LOL
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socks
Mark, I see two pieces, sides to this - the information and the use of it. Anyone, Christian or not can give their enlightened advice and force their opinion on someone else to insist they change.
Application of the information in the article is personal. You decide, I decide. Most people we deal with and live around don't know our inner concerns unless we tell them. That informs the relationship once we do, so I highly recommend to people in general that they use care in who they confide in, especially if they are sensitive about it and how others will take it. For some what others think is more of a concern than others. Once information is out in the open, you may have to assume responsibility for it in ways you don't want to.
Some things benefit from others knowing, some don't, but either way the if the decision is ours to make I advise not broadcasting things out to the world around us. It allows for input yes, but it also means we may be subjected to the open judgment of others when we don't want it.
Pastoring figures into this, in a church. Overall, people usually want to be helpful. Some do better than others. I know very few pastors who are actively ministering in a church leadership capacity who take a hard-nosed approach to working with people. It was a common approach in the Way because people weren't following a few simple rules of engagement when it comes to pastoring. "Teaching" someone something is entirely different than entering into a trusted relationship. The Way teaches a lot. That's just talk. Being involved and committed long term to another's well being is much more work.
To my read, the article poses a simple view into how to apply some suggested methods to get a hold of your life. If you need to. If you want to. It doesn't suggest that eternal life salvation relies on how we control our thinking everyday. God is involved, prayer, something that figures into the process being described heavily IMO.
I don't even see how the "renewed mind" topic even enters into the article's points. He's not in the Way, neither am I. Maybe it's me, but it didn't ping that topic in my mind. I believe flat out that we should do our best with what we have and what we know. We should pursue good information and counsel and accept help when we trust it and can get it. We should "ask God" as the writer recommends and expect God's guidance and help to produce His will. When we can't or don't know how, this area of sound pastoring is a key one IMO.
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cman
Controlling our thoughts.
That would be thoughts controlling thoughts.
What about those thoughts in control.
They can be looked into and at with thoughts...
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RottieGrrrl
Geez I am so behind on this thread. I'm getting out my bible now to just now read WW's first post.
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kimberly
"Conceived" in verse 15 is veewwy interesting.
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RottieGrrrl
WW I don't know what to say. I was without power for over 24 hours which is why it took me so long to finally read and re-read your post. But you hit on some things that are almost to close to home for me. Thank you for such a well thought out reply. I'm actually going to re-read it again, because I'm sure I'm missing some things. but I think you are right, in The Way, (for me it was more of an offshoot group) I think we have become very sensitive to anything thath as to do with controlling our minds.
I mentioned this to my electrician friend, who I just saw this morning. I told him about this thread and how varied the responses were, (though I haven't read all of them) and how some people really were concerned that this article, or train of thought had to do more with mind control. He sort of shook his head and said "but you HAVE to control your thoughts." It's not that we want others to control them, but yes we do have to learn to do it. And yes, it is a life long process. Thank you for pointing that out. Oh, I need to read some more of these posts. but I wanted to jump in here and thank you, as others who have responded. It is helping me a great deal.
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socks
In checking on this thread just now I noticed at the bottom of the GS session window THIS LINK.
I filled out the form. I put in the email form box "YoureAnIdiot" as the name and the email addie as "controlthis@jedimindtrick.com"
and got to a couple pages and finally THIS PAGE where I can get the whole package of crap for the reduced price of 47.00. And the best part is the recording that loads is someone whose voice would make a parrot cringe.
Anyhoo. It's good to see GS is enforcing the topic.
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Spoudazo
It is not as much the issue of what comes at our minds, in my opinion, but of what comes from inside of us. We are sinful, which is why we need a Savior.
Self-examination of one's faith and heart requires a painful honesty and humbleness before the Lord. Are you Christ's? What is your faith really about? What are you filled with?
Have you come before Him with a heart of penitence, contrition and asked Him for purification?
2 Corinthians 7:1 says : Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.
James says: "Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust." The devil doesn't make us do things. We are carried away by what is our own lusts.
The problem is inside of us. The devil produces things that do TEMPT us through the things of the world. But, that is not the real problem. It says we are tempted when carried away and enticed by our own lust. When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin. When sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
Reliving past sin as pleasure, scheming new sin as pleasure, all are matters of what is in your heart. Fill it with something better. I would say the "Word" but that is going to mean something different to each of us as we have come from very unsound teaching.
Simply go to the Lord and ask Him to help you understand your temptations. We are not alone with the bible as our only guide. In fact, without God, the words and meaning become all twisted and useless. We have a Savior, a personal God who is in this with us. He purifies us and transforms us.
Deal with the depths of your heart. We do this often, it is not just a one time thing. It is an event though, not a process. We do not do this on our own or with the bible alone. Jesus is a personal Savior.
I would encourage us not to again lose that simplicity in Christ.
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Spoudazo
Rereading my last post made me want to add this. It is easy to fall into leagalism. We did it in The Way. It would be a shame for us to continue on or fall back into this. You can't deal with sin by making rules on the outside about how we should act or think. If you don't get to the heart, this will never work.
Legalism in the guise of thought reform, isn't strong enough to accomplish anything but bondage. Making rules and forcing yourself to conform to rules won't help. It will end up hurting you. Piety, Hiding away, Momentous, being a Pharisee, going to confession, ten hail Mary's five Our Father's won't do it. There isn't anything external that will handle sin on the inside. The Word of God and the Spirit of God are what we need. Please know, not the "Word" as taught in The Way. If I could encourage anything it would be to toss this in the garbage heap.
1st Peter 2:11, Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul. Abstain from fleshly lusts...the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, stop. Abstain. Not that it is a lifelong process. He says abstain!
Romans 6 Sin no longer has dominion over you. You once were the slaves of sin, you're now become servants of righteousness.
1st Corinthians 6, Flee immorality, James, Resist the devil and he'll flee. Stop sinning, resist the devil. Make no provision for the flesh.
Romans 13:14 Paul said Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust. You can't accommodate it. This is where you look at what you consider in your mind. Stop thinking what makes you not like someone. Quit rehashing all the offenses that you think that person has commited against you, keeping a mental record of the wrong that they have done. Refuse to allow your mind the things that tempt your desires.
Keep your heart on Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:18 We all with unveiled face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord the Spirit." As we focus on the glory of the Lord, we're transformed to be more like Christ. You have to have your heart on Christ. You can't be focused on Christ and sin at the same time.
1 John 3: ---if you have that hope in you, then you purify yourself. Dwell on whatsoever things are pure. Let Him occupy your thoughts.
Thy Word I have treasured in my heart, that I might not sin against you, Psalm 119. Meditate on it and do what is written. Joshua 1:8. It is a lamp unto our feet, a light to our path, it attacks sin.
Jesus said Sanctify them in Thy truth, Thy Word is truth. Fill your heart with it and consider it carefully.
Luke 22:40, Jesus said, Pray that you may not enter into temptation. Lead us not into temptation.
Order the steps of my life. Keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins.
Ask yourself what is really in your heart. Is it Jesus? It can be things that look like Him, but is it really Him.
Love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. Desire self-control.
Be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5 Do not be drunk with wine, that's dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit. If you want God, be filled with the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
What are you living for? What is in your heart? Fill it with the right thing to fend off temptation when it comes and ask God daily to help you with temptation.
Edited by SpoudazoLink to comment
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brideofjc
So what exactly do you think the Lord Jesus was speaking about, WS? The Scriptures are pretty clear to me when I read them. You are to keep your thoughts pure.
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