tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594466655926701168.post1828084349124703613..comments2024-01-20T06:33:12.603-08:00Comments on Created to Give God Glory: Your Actions Will Follow Your ThoughtsCreated to Give God Gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298394573836878999noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594466655926701168.post-32629863771600486842011-08-22T21:59:38.049-07:002011-08-22T21:59:38.049-07:00Hi Prentis,
I like your Velcro and Teflon metapho...Hi Prentis,<br /><br />I like your Velcro and Teflon metaphors. Well put.<br /><br />Indeed, our actions follow from our thoughts. Often, when Scriptures talked about the heart and the mind, they were NOT referring to the biological pump and the physical brain!<br /><br />The heart often refers to the very seat of the soul, and the mind, that which is part of the soul, the reason or intellect, which is part of the elements of the soul. The major elements of the soul included, reason, emotion, and desire or passion which together made up the personality (The real you is NOT referring to the physical you, but the soul). That is why there is such a phrase as "the thoughts of the heart". <br /><br />Proverbs 4:23 - "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The NLT translation puts it this way: "Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life."<br /><br />Before God sent the Great Flood, this was recorded of what God said (Gen 6:5) - "The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the THOUGHTS OF HIS HEART {cap, mine} was only evil all the time."<br /><br />David's warning/advice to his son Solomon (1 Chr 28:9 - "... for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts."<br /><br />Well, in New Testament, the picture of thoughts from the heart can be seen also, for eg. Matt 15:19 - "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." Luke 2:35 - "so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”" Heb 4:12 - "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."<br /><br />In recent times, there has been a lot of talk of the need of the mind being renewed or transformed (Rom 12:2), without clearly explaining what is meant by the “mind”. It is definitely NOT pure mental ascent. It cannot be, for these verses tell us of what God looks at: 1 Sam 16:7 – “…The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Matt 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”<br /><br />Anthony Chia, high.expressions<br />PS: By the way, the "think" (logizomai {G3049}) in Phil 4:8, is more of reckon inward, impute, internalise or meditate and receive it in, than merely "thinking".Anthony chiahttp://high-expressions.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com