He Brings Our Thoughts Into Captivity -- Not Us

"3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)

I have battled with my thought life, as much as any other person.

The example of Singapore Pastor Joseph Prince, any many other preachers, has impacted me more than I can explain in one post.

When I look at this verse, I realized that for a long time, I had construed this verse to mean my obedience.

Not at all -- it's all about the obedience of Christ:

"5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2: 5-8)

We receive this justification because Jesus became sin, and we became the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 20-21)


This gift of righteousness informs us that we have been justified from all wrongdoing, from all the things that the law of Moses could not do for us (Acts 13: 38-39)

This message faces harsh opposition, particularly in many churches, which refuse to accept that we are dead in our trespasses, as opposed to the more fleshly notion that we are imperfect people who can be perfected in our own efforts.

For years, I battled with my thoughts and feelings, convinced that how I was thinking or what  I was feeling would affect  my standing before God, as though He would be angry with me or that I could not feel his love if I was upset or angry in some way.

I have since learned what folly all of that has become. There is no truth to such nonsense.

He loves me unconditionally, and this love is expressed in the perfect (and perfected) acceptance which I have received because of Jesus, who died for my sins, and who was raised for my justification (Romans 4: 16)

He is bringing every thought into captivity, slaying the condemnation of negative thinking. The shield of faith which quenches those fiery darts is based on the righteousness by faith.

I do not have to struggle with my thinking, for today and forevermore I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) and as Christ is today, so am I in this world (1 John 4: 17)

His Blood Ends the Traditions

"18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Peter 1: 18-19)

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for all our sins.

Not just an atonement, or a credit card of sorts, but the full and forever payment:

"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" (Hebrews 10: 12)

Therefore, any other tradition of men which tells you that the work is not finished -- that is a vain tradition.

We are set free from those traditions, whether a Twelve Step program, or religious exercises, or any other work of man:

"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2: 4-9)

Not the sacrifices or the works of penance or any other effort, but to receive and keep receiving the gifts of righteousness and abundance of grace -- that is what we are called to do now.

Still thinking according to the traditions of their fathers, the Israelites asked Jesus:

"What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. " (John 6: 28-29)

To believe means to see Him as your source for all things:

"For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ," (Philippians 1: 19)

then

"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 19)

and also

"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 32)

This revelation does not come to us through the traditions of the fathers, but the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John 1: 17)

His Precious Blood Cleanses Us For Ever

"18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Peter 1: 18-19)

Notice that Peter calls gold and silver, two of the most stable and precious elements in the universe, as corruptible when compared to the "precious blood of Christ."

Why should we care that the blood of Jesus is not corruptible?

His blood cleanses us, now, from all sin (1 John 1: 7), while the blood of bulls and goats could never suffice:

"For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Hebrews 9: 13-14)

Then the writer of Hebrews shares:

"For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10: 14)

This blood perfects us forever, in that in our conscience we need never again have a sense of sin and shame to bring us into bondage.

We need to understand that this blood is covering every aspect of our experience, and by this blood, a New Covenant is enacted, one which will never be undone:

"10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

 

12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 10-12)

 

We know that He will remember our sins no more, because the blood of His Son cleanses us forever more, and thus we are justified from all things (Acts 13: 38-39)

We Are Justified, Thus Never Separated

"38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

Yesterday, we read about the truth that we are more than conquerors in Christ.

Today, let us look over how much God our Father loves us, because of what His Son did for us.

We are persuaded, not right away convinced, that nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Rest in the truth that because you are in Christ, and Christ is in you, that therefore all of these promises are safeguarded in you.

Still, for many years I was confused.

If nothing can separate me from God, does that include myself, my sin, my bad thoughts?

Absolutely.

But how do I know this?

Because when Jesus died on the Cross, He paid for all our sins:

"13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2: 13-15)

When he died on the Cross for all our sins (not just the ones which we had committed, but also the ones to come), He also fulfilled and this rendered inoperative the Old Covenant of laws.

With Christ living in you and guiding you, there is no need for the rules on the outside, which inadvertently give rise to sin (1 Corinthians 15: 56-57)

Thus, through Jesus we are fully and forever justified:

"Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Act 13: 38-39)

When we understand that we have been fully justified, declared righteous before God in all things, then we can rest assured that nothing, not one thing, can separate us from His love.

More Than Conquerors Through Him Who Loved Us

"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)

We are more than conquerors in Christ, not will be, not were.

Right now, you are more than a conqueror.

Then the question arises: how come I don't see the victory in my life?

The answer depends on our understanding of the latter part of the verse: "through Him that loved us."

How did God our Father love us?

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)

He did not just die for our sins, but granted us His life, Himself:

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10: 10)

Paul shared what Jesus' love did for us:

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2: 20)

For this reason, Paul prayed that we would understand His love for us:

"16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 16-19)

So, if you do not see the "more than victory" in your life, ask for a fresh revelation of God's unconditional love.

Through Christ, Not Lamentations but Celebration

"40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

"41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
 

"42We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned." (Lamentations 3: 40-42)

 

 When Jeremiah uttered these desperate, sorrowful pleas, Jerusalem had been invaded, the Babylonians conquered the Israelites, and many of them were dragged off to Babylon as slaves.

 

Today, whenever we read the prophets of the Old Testament, we must remember that Jesus Christ has cut a New Covenant for us, and thus everything in the former must be read through the light of the latter.

 

Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the LORD.

 

Under law, men and women had to search themselves and turn to God.

 

Under grace, under the New Covenant, God has comes to us:

 

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 8)

 

Jesus came for us when we did not care, and He now sits at the right hand of God the Father serving as our justification (Romans 8: 33-34), the mercy seat for our sins (1 John 2: 2)

 

Instead of trying our ways, God has given us new ways:

 

"12Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2: 12-13)

 

The New Covenant announces that He places His laws, His direction in our hearts and minds:

 

"10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

 

11And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

 

12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more." (Hebrews 8: 10-12)

 

 

We are not trying to get to Him anymore.  He does not count our sins against us , either, because they have all been paid for.

 

When Jesus returns, this is what He will find in us as far as we are concerned:

 

"That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5: 27)

 

Not lamentations, but a celebration of the perfect work which Jesus has done for us!

Who the LORD is: Your Blesser and Keeper

"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:" (Numbers 6: 24)

Many people have a harsh, wrong idea of God.

They see him as angry and vindictive.

Now, when the Israelites entered into a provisional covenant based on the law, He had no choice but to curse them when they failed:

"8And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. 9And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD." (Exodus 19: 8-9)

The consequences for not obeying were severe:

"58If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; 59Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.  (Deuteronomy 28: 58-59)

Now, God already had a better covenant in place, which he announced through His prophets:

"17Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. 18And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. 19And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 21But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD." (Ezekiel 11: 17-21)

This New Covenant was fulfilled on the Cross, when Jesus shed His blood and took all are sins and diseases upon Himself:

"And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many." (Mark 14: 24)

Through the blood of Jesus, we are cleanses of all sin and fully justified:

"24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4: 24-25)

He died for our sins, and rose from the dead as the full testimony to the world that we are forever made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21)

Now, we can know and believe that He is our God, that He is keeping us, and that He is out to bless us, not curse us:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1: 3-6)

Blessed, chosen, favored -- the Lord is your blesser and keeper.