10.29.25 ~ Thought Police
Good morning!
To the best of my 6h grade knowledge, Abraham is the only individual, in Scripture, who is called the friend of God (Isa. 41:8).
“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend/ohav (Isa. 41:8)
Yeshua told His disciples, "you are my friends if you do whatever I command you"? (Jn. 15:14).
Would it stand to reason that if I'm in Christ, Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29) that I should do as Abraham did (Jn. 8:39)? But what if my life in Christ testifies of the opposite (Jam. 4:4)?
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wishes/boulomai to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Jam. 4:4)
From the 3rd day of the creation story, where fruit bearing trees and herb bearing seeds were made to reproduce after their kind, an immutable law of nature was established. Here in Michigan and around the world the farmers know this to be true. And, except for GMO fruit, every fruit that is produced has the seed in it.
This same truth holds true in the spiritual realm.
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (Lk. 8:11)
Yeshua is the Word of God, made flesh, who is manifest image to every Word that His heavenly Father gave to Moses.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn. 1:1, 14)
Which makes me ask myself the morning question: What do I long to be? What desire do I hold in my heart? What am I wishing/boulomai for? When Scripture speaks of friendship, the fruit of that comment is directly connected to an active expression which leads to an outward progression.
thought --> action --> habit --> lifestyle --> legacy
It all begins with a passive desire. In other words, it all starts in my mind (Jam. 1:12,13). James does not require us to actually do anything about befriending the world’s values. He suggests that all we need is to wish we could have what the world offers!
Too often, we, speaking of me, myself and I, think that being a friend/philo of the world means living the lifestyle of selfish consumption. Too often we measure accommodation to the world’s values by the actual behavior of the person, but James is concerned with the beginning of the process, long before the actual behaviors are manifest. The beginning desire of making myself an enemy of God is when I remove the willful restraint of the thought of having what the world offers.
It's taken me too many years of life to realize that Scripture is the only legal system that provides consequences for inappropriate thinking (Matt. 5:28; 24:48).
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he... (Prov. 23:7)
Outside of the Bible, Man is free to think as he wishes. But inside the fence of Scripture, Man is not so free. Some things are not to be thought of. Some things must be brought into captivity even in their conception (Jm. 1:14; 2 Cor. 10:5).
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (Jm. 1:14)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5)
As we head into the cold and dark times of the year, may our "thought police" be on guard, diligently keeping watch over what we think about (Phil. 4:8) where God will give us the desires of our heart (Psa. 37:4).
So the question that enquiring minds are asking: What are you wishing for? If you had the means, what would you bring to fruition?
Shalom,
Alan
“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, The descendants of Abraham My friend/ohav (Isa. 41:8)
Yeshua told His disciples, "you are my friends if you do whatever I command you"? (Jn. 15:14).
Would it stand to reason that if I'm in Christ, Abraham's seed (Gal. 3:29) that I should do as Abraham did (Jn. 8:39)? But what if my life in Christ testifies of the opposite (Jam. 4:4)?
Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wishes/boulomai to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (Jam. 4:4)
From the 3rd day of the creation story, where fruit bearing trees and herb bearing seeds were made to reproduce after their kind, an immutable law of nature was established. Here in Michigan and around the world the farmers know this to be true. And, except for GMO fruit, every fruit that is produced has the seed in it.
This same truth holds true in the spiritual realm.
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (Lk. 8:11)
Yeshua is the Word of God, made flesh, who is manifest image to every Word that His heavenly Father gave to Moses.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn. 1:1, 14)
Which makes me ask myself the morning question: What do I long to be? What desire do I hold in my heart? What am I wishing/boulomai for? When Scripture speaks of friendship, the fruit of that comment is directly connected to an active expression which leads to an outward progression.
thought --> action --> habit --> lifestyle --> legacy
It all begins with a passive desire. In other words, it all starts in my mind (Jam. 1:12,13). James does not require us to actually do anything about befriending the world’s values. He suggests that all we need is to wish we could have what the world offers!
Too often, we, speaking of me, myself and I, think that being a friend/philo of the world means living the lifestyle of selfish consumption. Too often we measure accommodation to the world’s values by the actual behavior of the person, but James is concerned with the beginning of the process, long before the actual behaviors are manifest. The beginning desire of making myself an enemy of God is when I remove the willful restraint of the thought of having what the world offers.
It's taken me too many years of life to realize that Scripture is the only legal system that provides consequences for inappropriate thinking (Matt. 5:28; 24:48).
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he... (Prov. 23:7)
Outside of the Bible, Man is free to think as he wishes. But inside the fence of Scripture, Man is not so free. Some things are not to be thought of. Some things must be brought into captivity even in their conception (Jm. 1:14; 2 Cor. 10:5).
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (Jm. 1:14)
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Cor. 10:5)
As we head into the cold and dark times of the year, may our "thought police" be on guard, diligently keeping watch over what we think about (Phil. 4:8) where God will give us the desires of our heart (Psa. 37:4).
So the question that enquiring minds are asking: What are you wishing for? If you had the means, what would you bring to fruition?
Shalom,
Alan
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