Pursuing Holy Thoughts, Part Two Series

-->We are to comply with and apply to our lives that which is pure, holy, and pleasing to God.

--->Rom.12:2 -- "...that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect."

--->Lk.6:46 -- "Why do you call me, ’Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?"

--Ja.1:22 -- "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves."

-->We need to remember two important truths here:

---->a) If the Bible teaches it, it’s true.

-------->1 Pet.1:20-21 -- "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

-------->2 Tim.3:16-17 -- "All Scripture is inspired b God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness..."

-------->In other words, ever word in the Bible is inspired, it’s literally "God-breathed," it’s directly from God’s mouth, and directly reflects His character and righteousness. It is true.

----------->ILL>In September of 1938, a man who lived on Long Island purchased a barometer. However, when it arrived at his home, he was extremely disappointed to find that the indicating needle appeared to be stuck. It pointed to the sector marked "hurricane." After shaking the barometer several times, he sat down and wrote a scorching letter to the company he had ordered it from, and took the letter the next morning with him and mailed it as he drove into New York city to go to work. That night, as he returned home, he discovered that not only was his barometer missing, so was his house...the barometer had been right. A hurricane had come through, and his house was gone.

----------->You see, the Bible is our accurate barometer of truth. It always tells us the truth, because God is holy, He can’t lie, He’s never wrong. As the quote correctly states it, "If God said it, that settles it."

---->b) If the Bible teaches it, it’s important.

-------->2 Tim.3:16-17 -- "All Scripture is inspired by God...that the man of God may be adequate, equipped..."

-------->In John 21:25, the last verse of John’s gospel) John tells us: "there are other things which Jesus did, which, if they were written in detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which were written."

-------->That means the Holy Spirit was "picky" in deciding what would become, be included in Scripture. That means what’s there isn’t there by accident.

-------->The Holy Spirit deliberately and specifically included what IS included...to teach us, reprove us, correct us, train and equip us...so we would be adequately prepared for every good work.

-----APP>So, we need to know what it says and obey what it commands. That’s how God is pleased.

SO...we need to CONCENTRATE, we need to CAPTURE and COMPARE, we need to CAST AWAY, and we need to COMPLY and APPLY. But, finally, we need to...

5) CONTINUE.

-->We need to continue this process for each thought from here on.