“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:” (Romans 12:4)
Your hand can do nothing of itself, no less than a lamp has the ability to turn itself on or off, you are in control of you. What you think in your brain causes actions to occur in your body, save of course for those that have been affected by some malady of sorts. We are in complete control of our physical flesh. You walk where you want to walk, you speak as you desire to, your arm reaches for what you want, there is no one controlling you but you.
But now I speak for a moment in this short letter to you of Spiritual matters, specifically to you who have the Holy Spirit inside of you. The subject matter is our thought processes and how much control we have over them, and, as stated, you are in control of your flesh, but what of these thoughts?
Who is controlling your thinking, who is in all actuality in charge of your life, you or God?
“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Prov. 16:9) “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:6)
Here is the question for today, here is your contemplation point, is the Almighty directing your steps, whether you like it or not, so to speak, or do we, as the verse offered here from Proverbs says, have to acknowledge Him first before He will direct those steps?
When the Most High hardened Pharoah’s heart, did He just show Pharoah who he was inside, what his true character and nature was, or did the Lord intentionally change the way this man thought in that current situation? When you think good thoughts, holy, righteous and true contemplations, is that the Holy Spirit? And when you think of sinful attributes and desires, is that you? “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3:10)
There is nothing that we can do of and in ourselves that can be considered good in the eyes of the Lord, yet we will be rewarded for our works. Whose works are they then if Isaiah 64:6 stands as a truth, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
How do you know which thoughts are yours, and which are of the Holy Spirit?
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Phil. 4:8)
Is that us thinking?
When we contemplate the truths of the Scriptures, we cannot discern them properly, only the Holy Spirit can show us truth, yet we are commanded to be holy, which mean that we must seek for the truth.
We seek, He reveals.
It is another one of those items that I believe men of God have sought answers for since day one, and we do no dishonor to the Lord by doing so, for we are commanded to seek His face, and that means to attempt to understand with our finite minds as much as we can about the infinite God of Glory. The foundational question is literally this, how much of your thought processes are of you, and how much of them are from the Lord, and how can you discern the difference.
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
Thoughts are being placed into the minds of every person that has been crucified with Christ by an external force, namely the Holy Spirit, we are receiving what only those who have been born-again can receive, the mind of Christ. What you do with these influx of new ideas, new ways of thinking is completely up to you, that is a close as this poor servant of God can explain it to you at this time, this is the best that I can offer you of the free will of man and the Sovereignty of God Almighty when it comes to the way we think today.
The mind of the child of God rejoices in this, the flesh fights against it at every moment. “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25) “For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Gal. 5:17)
There are no contradictions in the Scriptures, there are only areas that require more contemplation, and more fervent prayers than others. And in the end my friends, we walk by faith.
