What Are You Fashioning in Your Mind?

“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” GENESIS 6:5

 

PONDER THIS

The word “imagination” is a very interesting word in this verse. John Phillips says the word “imagination” comes from a Hebrew root word which means “to make something or fashion something as a potter would fashion a vessel.” Don’t get the idea that in that day men were just having bad thoughts or that they were daydreaming. That’s not what the word “imagination” means. It means they had carefully crafted, wicked, ungodly philosophies. God had given them His Word, but rather than clinging to the Word of God they clung to these thoughts, these philosophies, and these theologies that they had fashioned. The days of Enoch were days of anarchy. They were days of apostasy. But they were primarily days of apathy.

How might people craft ungodly thoughts today?

How can we be careful that we craft godly thoughts instead?

PRACTICE THIS

Write out an assessment of how you spend your time. Consider how the way you spend your time leads you to craft certain thoughts. What needs to change?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

 

The Perfume of God on Your Life

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.” TITUS 2:11-14

 

PONDER THIS

A godly person’s faith speaks through the way he or she lives. It is more than knowing about the Bible stories or attending church; it is a life that is changed by Jesus.

How many holy people do you know? I know one. I’m married to her. Her joy, her actions, and her speech all point to her relationship with God. God has changed her life, and she lives as a new creation. After burning incense, when the priest came out of the temple, you could smell the incense in his garments. I know people like that: You just sense there’s something about their presence that points to a relationship with God. There’s a perfume of God in their lives. That is how we are called to live. Has your life been impacted by your relationship with God to that level? Has He changed your lifestyle? Has he changed your speech? This level of change is not just for the spiritual elite. It is the change that should happen in the life of every believer.

How has your faith in Christ changed the way you live? What areas have not been impacted by your faith?

Who has been an example for you of how a life can be changed by faith?

PRACTICE THIS

Thank someone who has been an example of faith to you and ask for insight on how to grow in living out one’s faith.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Ignorance Guarantees Ungodliness

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)

I am amazed at the power that the Bible attributes to knowledge.

Listen again to 2 Peter 1:3: “[God’s] divine power has granted . . . all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Literally, all the power available from God to live and be godly comes through knowledge! Amazing! What a premium we should put on doctrine and instruction in the Scriptures! Life and godliness are at stake.

Not that knowing guarantees godliness. It doesn’t. But it seems that ignorance guarantees ungodliness. Because, Peter says, the divine power that leads to godliness is given through the knowledge of God.

Here are three implications, a warning, and an exhortation.

1. Read! Read! Read! But beware of wasting your time on theological foam and suds. Read rich doctrinal books about “the one who called you to his glory and excellence.”

2. Ponder! Ponder! Slow down. Take time to think about what the Bible means when you read it. Ask questions. Keep a journal. Let yourself be humbly troubled by puzzling things. The deepest insights come from trying to see the unifying root of two apparently antagonistic branches on the tree of truth.

3. Discuss. Discuss. Be a part of a small group that cares passionately about the truth. Not a group that just likes to talk and raise problems. But a group that believes there are biblical answers to biblical problems, and they can be found.

Warning: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).“They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). So beware of the deadly effects of ignorance.

Exhortation: “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3).

John Piper 

When You Have Ungodly Leaders

PRAY OVER THIS

“And his mother’s brothers spoke all these words concerning him in the hearing of all the men of Shechem; and their heart was inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, ‘He is our brother.’ So they gave him seventy shekels of silver from the temple of Baal-Berith, with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless men; and they followed him. Then he went to his father’s house at Ophrah and killed his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. But Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, because he hid himself. And all the men of Shechem gathered together, all of Beth Millo, and they went and made Abimelech king beside the terebinth tree at the pillar that was in Shechem.” Judges 9:3-6

 

PONDER THIS

In this passage, there arose an ungodly leader named Abimelech. This man was a thorn bush, but he had an unholy ambition to lead the country. So, the first thing he did in Judges 9:1-2 was to build a coalition. He went to his friends, back where he was raised, and he said, “I want you to know that I am one of you. I am a part of this generation.” But his arrogance did not stop there. He also bought his constituents. With the favor of the people and a heart full of arrogance, the people paid him with money from Baal, the god of sexual immorality. At every step, arrogance consumed Abimelech; it affected how he led, how he treated people, and how he used his money.

Here is the hope for us today: the Book of Judges shows that God would rather forgive than judge. He is a God of mercy, and we must disabuse ourselves of the idea that there can be no revival and no restoration. In trying times, we look to God as our hope. We don’t seek to be the solution ourselves or invest in ungodly leaders. When we see arrogance in our world and in our lives, we must surrender to God and say “Lord, send a mighty revival and let it begin in me.”

When has arrogance guided your decision-making?

How have you seen arrogance hurt people?

PRACTICE THIS

Consider a time recently when you acted arrogantly. Consider what you need to do to repair any damage you may have done in that situation.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Ignorance Guarantees Ungodliness

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)

I am amazed at the power that the Bible attributes to knowledge.

Listen again to 2 Peter 1:3: “[God’s] divine power has granted . . . all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Literally, all the power available from God to live and be godly comes through knowledge! Amazing! What a premium we should put on doctrine and instruction in the Scriptures! Life and godliness are at stake.

Not that knowing guarantees godliness. It doesn’t. But it seems that ignorance guarantees ungodliness. Because, Peter says, the divine power that leads to godliness is given through the knowledge of God.

Here are three implications, a warning, and an exhortation.

1. Read! Read! Read! But beware of wasting your time on theological foam and suds. Read rich doctrinal books about “the one who called you to his glory and excellence.”

2. Ponder! Ponder! Slow down. Take time to think about what the Bible means when you read it. Ask questions. Keep a journal. Let yourself be humbly troubled by puzzling things. The deepest insights come from trying to see the unifying root of two apparently antagonistic branches on the tree of truth.

3. Discuss. Discuss. Be a part of a small group that cares passionately about the truth. Not a group that just likes to talk and raise problems. But a group that believes there are biblical answers to biblical problems, and they can be found.

Warning: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).“They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). So beware of the deadly effects of ignorance.

Exhortation: “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3).

John Piper 

Ignorance Guarantees Ungodliness

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:3)

I am amazed at the power that the Bible attributes to knowledge.

Listen again to 2 Peter 1:3: “[God’s] divine power has granted . . . all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”

Literally, all the power available from God to live and be godly comes through knowledge! Amazing! What a premium we should put on doctrine and instruction in the Scriptures! Life and godliness are at stake.

Not that knowing guarantees godliness. It doesn’t. But it seems that ignorance guarantees ungodliness. Because, Peter says, the divine power that leads to godliness is given through the knowledge of God.

Here are three implications, a warning, and an exhortation.

1. Read! Read! Read! But beware of wasting your time on theological foam and suds. Read rich doctrinal books about “the one who called you to his glory and excellence.”

2. Ponder! Ponder! Slow down. Take time to think about what the Bible means when you read it. Ask questions. Keep a journal. Let yourself be humbly troubled by puzzling things. The deepest insights come from trying to see the unifying root of two apparently antagonistic branches on the tree of truth.

3. Discuss. Discuss. Be a part of a small group that cares passionately about the truth. Not a group that just likes to talk and raise problems. But a group that believes there are biblical answers to biblical problems, and they can be found.

Warning: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6).“They have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 10:2). So beware of the deadly effects of ignorance.

Exhortation: “Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord” (Hosea 6:3).

John Piper