The key to dealing with temptation, experiencing victory, and living in freedom begins with your thoughts. What is your mind focused upon? It all begins with your heart. Who is sitting on the throne?
Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at http://www.thepuritycoach.com
The key to dealing with temptation, experiencing victory, and living in freedom begins with your thoughts. What is your mind focused upon? It all begins with your heart. Who is sitting on the throne?
Learn more about the ministry of The Purity Coach at http://www.thepuritycoach.com
The key to dealing with temptation, experiencing victory, and living in freedom begins with your thoughts. What is your mind focused upon? Whom you choose to worship determines what you choose to think about. What you choose to think about determines what you choose to do. What you choose to do determines the consequences that follow. It all begins with your heart. Who is sitting on the throne?
Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #168 . In this episode we continue our mini-series on Glorifying God as we discover how our thinking impacts our doing. This week’s Episode is simply entitled “Fixed.”
Let me repeat the opener to this episode: The key to dealing with temptation, experiencing victory, and living in freedom begins with your thoughts. What is your mind focused upon in the midst of the temptation? In fact, let’s take it a step further. What is your mind focused upon before the temptation? Whom you choose to worship (King Me or God) determines what you choose to think about. What you choose to think about determines what you choose to do. What you choose to do determines the consequences that follow. It all begins with your heart. Who is sitting on the throne?
God’s command is clear. “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2) The verb that Paul uses, “to set,” involves making something firm and immovable; fixed or planted. Almost as if it were set in cement. According to Colossians 3:2, your mind is to be firmly, immovably planted. It is not to wander away from that upon which it is set, no matter what enticing lure may come your way. A set mind is an immovable mind. A set mind is fixed and focused on one thing. A set mind is not going to be easily drawn away and enticed. As Paul says here in Colossians 3:2, that something that my mind is to be firmly and immovably set upon are the “things above.”
What are the “things above” our mind should be fixed upon? It is interesting that Paul uses the definite article here. Although in our modern English it doesn’t read well, by using the article in the sentence, we can see what Paul’s point is. It literally reads, “Set your minds on things THE above.” By writing it that way, Paul is making it clear that he’s not referring to an ambiguous “above” that we can define however we want. If that were the case, the type of “things above” we might set our minds on would probably not be the things of God. “The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.” (Psalm 10:4 NLT)
By using the definite article, Paul helps us understand that there is one singular thing our minds are to be immovably fixed upon – God and God alone. Remember, what you think directly affects what you say and do. Each and every thing you say and do should bring glory to God (see 1 Corinthians 10:31). This is why your mind must always be firmly and immovably fixed on God. When your mind is fixed on “I want, I need, I deserve, I desire, I have to have, I can’t live without,” your choice of words and actions will be self-centered and King Me oriented (which is idolatry – the worship of a false god). However, when your mind is fixed on God, your life will be lived for His honor and glory.
Note that Paul writes the verb “set” in the present tense, active voice, imperative mood. The present tense simply means that the action is being done now and never ends. It is continuous, ongoing, and always in the here and now. According to this verse, the action that is continuously being done is that our minds are being firmly and immovable planted on God. It also means that it’s not something I do once and then move on. I must keep on setting my mind on God. Maintaining my focus. Why? Because Satan is constantly putting his lures around us to try to drag us away.
However, setting my mind on God is not something that automatically happens for the Christian. This is why Paul uses the active voice. The active voice means you are the one doing the action. You are the one who is continuously and constantly setting your mind – firmly and immovably planting your thoughts on God. This is personal. I can do this for you, and you can’t do this for me. You must be the one choosing to do this yourself or it won’t get done.
The imperative mood tells us this is a command. This is our responsibility as a child of God. You and I must daily, moment-by-moment choose to fix our mind solidly on the things that will glorify, honor, and praise God. When you don’t do this, you are disobeying God which is sin (see 1 John 3:4). Our minds must never be allowed to just wander away from the goal of glorifying God in everything we think, say, and do (see 1 Corinthians 10:31).
In 1 Chronicles 22:19 we read, “Set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.” Are you firmly planting your thoughts on glorifying God? We are to “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chronicles 16:11 ESV) We are to know God, “and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.” (1 Chronicles 28:9 NASB’95) Jesus Himself said we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33 ESV)
If your mind were continuously, firmly and immovably planted on the things that glorify God, even the most tempting and enticing lure won’t draw you away. Your life would be different. Your words and deeds would be different. To glorify God consistently and faithfully in every part of your daily life, you must first choose to glorify Him in all of your thought life. Set your mind on Him.
OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue our miniseries on How to Glorify God. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin),, be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com
One of these powerful resources we are making available to you is my book called “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You see, saying “No” to temptation and choosing to live an upright and godly life is a daily decision you must make. Every time you are faced with a temptation, you are also faced with a decision: Do I give in, or do I stand firm in my faith and fight it? Do I yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit and live to glorify God, or do I focus on King Me and give in to my fleshly desires?
This book “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” presents, in a very clear and practical way, how to live a life that is holy and pure, how to say no to sin and live by the Spirit in a way that glorifies your creator, your Savior, your Heavenly Father. Again, the title of this book is “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You can find it on Amazon.com or on my website (ThePurityCoach.com) in our Resources section.
And if you have not yet subscribed to this podcast, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!
So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.