Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ

II Corinthians 10:5 (NASB)

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 

The context for II Corinthians 10:5 is Paul’s writing about Christian warfare just as he did to the Ephesian church in Ephesians 6.  A Christian faces daily attacks by evil forces that are powerful and can be like strongholds (fortresses). What are examples of strongholds in the lives of Christians?  Strongholds are thinking patterns that keep you from being and doing God’s best.  Strongholds include guilt, doubt, low self-love, wrong images of God (e.g. He is cruel or distant or unloving), life-long habits like sexual immorality and other evil bondages.  Strongholds can also include what Paul calls “speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God”.  These strongholds are what Christians face in trying to spread the gospel to unbelievers who are victimized by lies and deceptions about who God is, who Jesus is, who they are as potential children of God, and the claims of the Bible.  If you have tried to witness to a family member or friend or neighbor who is resistant to your witness about the gospel of Christ, you know clearly how powerful these strongholds, speculations and lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God can be.

In order to remove strongholds from your life you must adhere to the truth, the Word of God.  Whatever you might be thinking about yourself and whatever others are saying or speculating to be the truth, you must compare these to what the Bible says.  To be obedient to Christ is to obey His Word.  While you may never be obedient 100% of the time, this certainly can be the goal of your life, especially when you know that you are facing strongholds attacking you personally or attacking others of whom you are praying about their salvation. 

Another aspect of approaching this pinnacle of obedience in your thought life is to meditate on what Paul wrote in Romans 12:2---be transformed by the renewal of your mind ---every day pray about this.  Your mind must be reprogrammed to stop thinking so much that is impulsive and baseless compare to God’s standard.  What if you were to think about God and His Word before doing or saying anything that you know is evil?  Of course you would not do it if you claim to be a Christian.  How can you discipline yourself from this day forward to think spiritually more of the time?  The more time you spend in God’s Word, the more saturated your mind will be with His Word.  Remember that the only offensive weapon against the attacks and schemes of the devil is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).  Such discipline will enable you to taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

What do you think of this very challenging thought---taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ?  Makes you stop and think, doesn’t it?  How close are you to meeting this challenge?  Don’t be intimidated if you know that you have a long way to go.  Remember that you have the Lord to help you.  “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). 

Regardless how old you are, God gives you a ministry

Titus 2:2-8 (NLT)

Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.   Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.  Instead, they should teach others what is good.  These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.   In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely.  And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. 

When I saw the word “older” written in this passage, I was reminded of this funny story: A woman approached a little old man rocking in a chair on his porch.  She said, "I couldn't help noticing how happy you look, what's your secret for a long happy life?"  He replied, "I smoke three packs of cigarettes a day, drink a case of whiskey a week, eat fatty foods, and never exercise." "That's amazing," the woman said. "How old are you?' "Twenty-six,"

Titus was a young man who Paul converted to the Christian faith.  We don’t know much about Titus as he is not mentioned in Acts as so many early Christians are.  However, Paul mentions Titus in his letter to the Galatians (2:1-3) and several times in II Corinthians (2:13, 7:6, 7:13-14, 8:5-6; 8:16-24, and 12:18) where it is obvious how important Titus was in ministry.  Paul viewed Titus as someone who could be depended on to accomplish important tasks and was an excellent role model in trying circumstances.  Thus, as Paul writes his letter to his younger colleague, he gives him these instructions for teaching sound doctrine to other people. 

Note what are to be characteristics of “older men”--- self control, worthy of respect, wise living, sound faith, and filled with love and patience.  When you first see the word “older”, you think of someone really old, like in their 80s-90s.  No, old age in ancient Greece was viewed to be 50 and older.  Paul writes in verses 6-8 that even young men are to live wisely just like old men.  Furthermore, mature Christians like Titus are to serve as examples, as Paul teaches, by doing good works, reflecting integrity (purity), sound doctrine, and being truthful so that you are beyond reproach in whatever you say and no one can say anything negative about you.

Paul also gives instructions to older women to serve as examples to younger women by loving your husband, loving your children, live wisely, be pure, work in the home (hmmmm, that will raise eyebrows in today’s society), do good (be kind) and be submissive to your husband (also controversial unless husbands earn such respect via your sacrificial loving attitude and actions toward your wife). 

The encouragement of this passage for older folks reading this is that God gives us a vital ministry regardless how old we are.  If you are over 50, be encouraged that you have a role to play as a mentor and example to younger Christian people, even to those who are not Christian yet.  Old age is not an excuse to retire as a Christian.  Old age is a time for a Christian to influence others in their Christian walk that you could never do as a younger person.  Do not let old age deter you from serving the Lord in special ways and be useful in His kingdom as Paul so clearly points out in this passage to his friend, Titus. 

JR Miller wrote that “those who are growing old should show the ripest spiritual fruitfulness.  They should do their best work for Christ in the days which remain. They should live their sweetest, gentlest, kindliest, most helpful life in the short time which they have yet to remain in this world. They should make their years of old age—years of quietness and peace, and joy—a holy eventide. But this can be the story of their experiences only if their life be hid with Christ in God.  Apart from Christ, no life can keep its zest or its radiance!”[1]  Might these words encourage and inspire you!

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[1] http://www.gracegems.org/Miller/problem_of_christian_old_age.htm

Carefully self-analyze what you do and what you say

I Timothy 4:16 (NASB)

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

I met a mature Christian man recently—not a pastor, but a spiritual leader of his church—who told me that his life’s verse is I Timothy 4:16.  I must admit that I had no clue what I Timothy 4:16 stated, but after this man recited the verse and emphasized how diligent he tries to be a disciplined Christian, I had to study and write about it. 

I Timothy 4:16 concludes a section of Scripture (I Timothy 4:6-16) that my NASB translation entitles “A Good Minister’s Discipline”.  You can read that Paul advises Timothy to be a good servant.  To be a good servant Timothy must nourish himself with God’s Word.  God’s Word will enable him to be disciplined for the purpose of godliness.  His godliness will enable him to teach what he is learning, and to be an example, despite his youthful age, of proper speech, conduct, love, faith and purity.   Besides teaching and exhortation what Timothy learns from the Scriptures, Paul emphasizes that how important and essential it is that Timothy serves as an example of what a Christian should say and do.  People are going to be observing him so he must show them that he is progressing in his faithful example.  Note Paul’s strong words in verse 15---take pains and be absorbed in what Paul has written to Timothy in verses 6 through 14 so that Timothy’s progress will be evident to all. 

Then, in verse 16 Paul writes very clearly that Timothy must be very careful to analyze himself constantly (“persevere”), both his behavior and his teaching, so that as a spiritual leader he continues to grow (ensure his salvation) and enables those who are following him to grow also.  The Greek word Paul uses for salvation is “sózó” that means to “be made whole”.   Theologically, salvation has three stages:

1.   Justification - Salvation of man's spirit (I Peter 3:3)

2.   Sanctification - Salvation of man's soul (I Peter 3:9)

3.   Glorification - Salvation of man's body (I Peter 3:5)

Paul may be referring to all three stages in his words to Timothy and/or emphasizing the second stage, the process of sanctification that occurs from the time a person is first saved in Christ until he/she dies.  By paying close attention to your attitudes and actions daily, you are being sanctified, you are progressing spiritually and becoming more and more like Jesus Christ and fulfilling His purpose for your life while on earth (John 17:18-19).

How often do you assess your personal life?   Especially if you are a Christian leader, how careful are you to self-evaluate your lifestyle and leadership in detecting any flaws or compromises?  Are there any of the virtues that Paul addresses in I Timothy 4 (plus study I Timothy 3) where you know that you are weak and must improve?  Are you serving as a role model of the Christian lifestyle that others are watching and wanting to emulate?  Don’t get discouraged if you know that you are not where you should be according to Paul’s exhortations to Timothy.  Likely, Timothy wasn’t there either; otherwise why would Paul write these words?  You admit your weaknesses and ask the Lord to help you improve.  You saturate your mind with His Word, let His Word take root in your daily life, you surround yourself with faithful Christians (including one to whom you can be accountable), and you keep on pursuing what God is calling you to do and to be.

Paul simply is advising young Timothy to be careful with his life.  Always pursue to improve in all aspects of your life, but especially the spiritual.  Seek to be an example of Christlike character to others, but never think that you’ve “made it”.  Never think of yourself as wise since Proverbs 26:12 says that if you think you are wise, there is more hope for a fool than for you.  Rather, think of yourself humbly (Matthew 5:5) and always be like the man described in James 1:19-27.  God will bless you everyday; your life will be filled with joy and you will be the kind of role model for Christ that the world around you needs to see everyday.    

 

Praying gives you peace

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.    

                                      

This verse reminds me of some of life’s truisms like “To err is human”, “Life begins at 40”, “The early bird gets the worm” and so forth.  There also are hundreds of funny truisms like “Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it”,  “For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism”,  “No one is listening until you make a mistake”,  “the severity of the itch is proportional to the reach”, and “If at first you don't succeed, then sky-diving definitely isn't for you!”

Truisms are brief, sometimes funny, timeless truths that very few would dispute yet don’t take them seriously.  This passage from Philippians is an example of a truism.  Everyone on the surface would agree that you shouldn’t worry and instead you should pray, yet most people worry and few people pray and experience the true peace of God.  You are to stop worrying as you tend to blow things out of proportion, but by the time you read this a couple of days or more after his sermon, you have worried about many things!  You know what are the right things to do, yet you don’t do them!  Why?

Why do people worry so much?  Worry is a coping mechanism, but worry is not from the Lord.  If you are worried about something, if you are anxious about anything, you are not trusting the Lord.  That’s why this verse contains the counter---don’t be anxious, but do pray.  Prayer is relinquishing your anxiety to the Lord.  We all intellectually understand this truth, yet for some reason, we still worry too much and worry much more than we pray. 

Have you ever noticed that people who suffer the most worry less than those who suffer little?  Have you not interacted with someone who is experiencing or has experienced lots of troubles, yet they seem less worried than you?  Why is that?  Perhaps the major reason is that people who suffer most also pray the most.  Prayer is the antidote of worry.

Most worrying results from circumstances over which we have no control.  Think about it---what do you worry about the most?  Death, illness, loss, aging, what other people think, actions and safety of family members, finances, failure, etc.  What is common about all of these worries?  There’s little or nothing that you can do about them, they are out of your control.  So why spend excessive or even a little time worrying about what you cannot control?  Instead give over these worries and anxieties to the Lord through prayer and claim the promise He makes that by doing this, you will experience His peace that you will not even begin to understand or explain.     

“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” -- Winston Churchill