Stepping in the Light

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting 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.” II Corinthians 10:3-5

We are constantly enveloped in a spiritual battle. As Christians, our enemies are the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our carnal nature pervades our thinking to the point that we cannot depend upon our own thoughts, even after we are saved. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Therefore, we cannot trust our own thoughts completely, but we must constantly compare them with the Word of God. Paul said in Romans 8:6-8, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” We must be extremely careful about what we allow ourselves to think. Paul said in the passage above that we must cast down or destroy every imagination that is against God and bring every thought into obedience to Christ. This should be our plan of attack every day. It is a constant process because we are sinful creatures by nature, but it is a weapon that is “mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.”

“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” II Corinthians 9:6

In context, the Apostle Paul is speaking specifically about giving financially to the work of God; but he is utilizing one of the laws of nature as an illustration. When planting seed, the rate of return will vary based on factors like soil quality, temperature, sunlight, and rainfall; but you will always reap in proportion to the amount you sow. The more you sow, the more you will reap. If you like the result of reaping and you want to reap more, then you must find a way to sow more. You must somehow obtain more seed and invest more effort, energy, and time in the process of sowing the seed. Paul was pointing out that this particular law of nature also applies in the spiritual realm. If you want God’s financial blessings, you must learn to give. In Luke 6:38, Jesus said, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” This applies to giving to those in need as well as giving to the work of God. If you want to see souls come to Christ, you must go out and share the gospel with the lost. If you want to see Christians grow in grace, you must work to share the truths of God’s Word with them in a way that they can understand them and apply them to their hearts. Determine what it is that God would have you to sow and sow bountifully!

“A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 22:3

One of the most important rules of driving safety is scanning the road ahead for potential dangers. If you are driving down the freeway at 70 miles per hour, your vehicle travels over 100 feet per second. The average overall stopping distance on dry pavement at 70 miles per hour is 315 feet, which is longer than a football field. Experts suggest looking ahead 10 to 15 seconds for possible hazards as you drive, so at highway speeds, you should be looking about a quarter of a mile ahead of your vehicle. This gives you time to react appropriately and avoid a potential collision.

This particular driving skill is an excellent illustration of the biblical principle of prudence mentioned in the passage above. Prudence is the ability to foresee potential problems in life and govern our decisions and actions accordingly. A prudent person is one who makes good long-term decisions. He is thinking about the potential effects of any given action and making decisions based on any future ramifications rather than the immediate results. A prudent person foresees the evil of living in poverty and works to provide for the present as well as saving for the future. A prudent person sees that living in sin, though it may seem to be pleasurable in the moment, has disastrous consequences and takes steps to avoid the sin and protect himself and his family. Are you living with prudence?

“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2

The first part of the verse speaks of the way of man. These are his actions, which, taken in totality, add up to his course of life or mode of living. The second part of the verse speaks of man’s heart. This indicates his thinking, his motives, and his intentions. Man is looking at his actions, and he generally feels that they are good. Man thinks that his actions are justifiable, even when he knows he has done something that others might view as questionable. However, God is looking at man’s heart. God sees our thoughts as well as our actions, and He knows why we have done what we have done. The verse says that God ponders our hearts. The word ponder indicates that God weighs, tests, and evaluates our hearts. Man has already decided that the things he does are OK, but God continues to evaluate his actions in the light of his motives. Of course, one day we will all stand before God, and He will judge us according to our works. Our opinion of ourselves will not matter on that day; only the Righteous Judge’s assessment will be of consequence then. What does God use as the standard for His judgment? God judges us by His Word. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart,” (Hebrews 4:12). We must test our actions by God’s Word rather than our own opinions.

“Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” Proverbs 16:3

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that has been diagnosed in young people in one form or another since the 1970s and has been a source of great debate with regard to its definition, its causes, and what is considered proper treatment. One of the characteristics that often leads to a diagnosis is difficulty paying attention. Some deny that ADHD is actually a mental disorder, while others insist that it is real and that medications should be administered regularly as a proper treatment. Regardless of our opinions of ADHD, it is true that many people struggle to pay attention in certain situations. We can attribute this to a lack of interest, a lack of focus, or even a lack of character; but sometimes it can be caused by a spiritual problem. Our thoughts are an indicator of our spirituality. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways,” (James 1:8). The Bible has a lot to say about controlling our thoughts (see Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 23:7; 25:28, and II Corinthians 10:5), but this passage approaches the issue from the opposite direction. It says if we commit our works to God, our thoughts will be established. This requires a mental decision to allow God to set the direction for our lives. As we commit our works to God, we set new goals, and those new goals establish new thought patterns for us. When we find ourselves confused in our thinking, we can clear our thoughts by centering our focus on the work that God has given us to do.

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” II Corinthians 5:20-21

An ambassador is a representative. We normally think of an ambassador as a person who represents his country’s government to the leaders of another government. An ambassador facilitates communication between his country and other world leaders. He works as a “go-between” to bring people together, diffuse conflicts, minimize differences, and work through problems. He meets with foreign leaders and presents the position of his superiors on critical issues. He listens to those foreign leaders and asks well-prepared questions to help him understand any issues that they may have, and then returns to his own country and carefully explains to his own government’s leaders what those issues are and what the foreign leaders believe would be necessary to resolve them. Paul said that we are ambassadors for Christ; we represent Him. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. God wants every person to be saved, and our job as Christians is to be the representatives that help people come to Christ. It is our job to communicate the gospel to the lost and help them to understand God’s love for them. And then as we learn about their questions and issues, we must go to God on their behalf and ask Him to help us guide them to the truth.

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” II Corinthians 4:8-10

Paul’s life as a missionary was full of peril and hardship. As if the physical rigors of travel were not enough, Paul was mocked, scorned, hated, persecuted, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, and left for dead; but he continued to press on in his efforts to reach the lost. There was trouble on every side, but he was not distressed. At times, he was perplexed, but never in despair. When he suffered persecution, he knew that he was not alone because God was with him. Many times he felt he had been cast down, but he never allowed himself to be destroyed. Paul recognized his troubles, but he refused to let them get the best of him. It was impossible to ignore the negative in his life, but he remained focused on the positive. He said, “I’m not distressed, not in despair, not forsaken, and not destroyed.” That sounds like someone who is determined to make the best of his situation. All of us face discouragement. We all have our hardships and difficulties. But we never have to allow ourselves to be defeated. We do not have to quit. We do not have to allow Satan to destroy us. Paul said that the challenges he faced made it possible for other people to see the life and power of Jesus Christ in his life. When you continue on in spite of hardship, others can see Jesus in you.

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” II Corinthians 3:18

Paul says here that when we read the Word of God, we can see the glory of the Lord, and we are gradually changed to be more and more like His image as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. This is a lifelong process, so it doesn’t happen if we just open the Bible randomly and read one verse. He says it happens “from glory to glory,” or from one transformation to the next. The example Paul uses in the preceding verses is what happened when Moses came back down from the mountain where he had been meeting with God. Moses had been in the presence of God so long that his face was literally shining. His face shone so brightly that the people could not bear to look at him, and they asked that he put a veil over his face. Paul said that some people seem to have a veil over their faces when they read the Bible because it doesn’t have an effect on them. He is encouraging us to read God’s Word with an “open face” so that the truths of scripture will take effect and make a difference in our lives. We should have a desire for the truth to have an impact on our lives. Be honest with yourself. Is the Bible changing you? God wants us to always be growing spiritually. These changes happen slowly, but they should be happening. We should be becoming more loving, more patient, and more compassionate each day.

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19

The word abomination refers to something that provokes disgust or hatred; something that is detestable. When God makes a list of seven abominations, He mentions a proud look first. Our carnal nature is inherently filled with pride. The Archangel Lucifer was cast out of heaven and became known as Satan because his heart was lifted up with pride. Pride causes us to do stupid things. Lucifer rebelled against God. It is one thing for a human being who has never seen God in person to rebel in his heart, but what Lucifer did was quite another. Lucifer was referred to in Ezekiel 28:14 as the “anointed cherub that covereth.” This seems to indicate that he was the angel who stood closest to the throne of God in heaven. Satan knew first-hand how great and powerful God is, but he chose to rebel against Him in spite of that knowledge. When we are filled with pride, we are following Satan’s example. Samuel told Saul in I Samuel 15:23 that “rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” God always hates pride, even when it is in the heart of a Christian. James 4:6 tells us that, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.”

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” Proverbs 3:5-7

We trust people to varying degrees, depending upon how well we know them, how their actions make us feel, and how highly we regard their character. We trust other drivers that we don’t even know to stay in their lane as we go down the road. We may trust someone we don’t know to wash a vehicle for us. If we know them well, we might even allow them to borrow our car to run an errand. If we really have confidence in someone, we may trust them to babysit our children for a few hours. Our trust in God is to be much more encompassing than all of these examples. We are to trust Him with all of our hearts. The verse says that we should not lean to our own understanding. There is a certain way that we view life. We have our own individual value system, and we are very particular about the things that are most important to us. God has a plan for our lives that sometimes runs counter to our way of thinking. He knows what we need, and He knows when we need it. He knows what will make our lives most productive and enjoyable. He knows how to give us what is truly good for us. When our situation in life does not seem to match up with our understanding or our desires, we have to be willing to trust in the Lord. Whatever disappointments we may face today, God wants us to trust in Him to see us through.