| Introduction Thinking is so important. At the same time, there are so many things that influence the way we think, even things that we are not aware of. The Holy Spirit tells us in the Bible that "as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Pro. 23:7a), and that we must "keep our heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Pro. 23). These verses tell us that our thought life is of great importance for our spiritual wellbeing, both how we think about life and what we let influence our thoughts. So, we must be careful about thinking. The apostle Paul gives us direction as to where we should go with our thoughts and the worldly influences that try shape the way we think. I. There Is Definite Change in Tone in Chapter 10. A. Paul starts speaking in the first person singular almost as if he took the pen out his secretary's hand and started writing himself. B. There is a heightened sense of urgency in Paul's "voice" as he begins this chapter. 1. We see this, not only in the change to the first person singular, but also in the language of pleading. 2. Paul is very much concerned that the Corinthians have forgotten something of utmost importance: life is a war and God gives us the weapons we need to fight that war (more on this in a moment. 3. There is only three times in all of his epistles that Paul speaks with such intensity and personal involvement, here. Gal. 5:2– Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 1 Thess. 2:18 – Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. II. Paul Is Being Falsely Accused of Self-Reliance in His Ministry, 1-3. A. Paul had spent a long time with the Corinthians. 1. He had proclaimed Christ to them. 2. He had established the church they were part of. 3. God had specifically told Paul, "I want you here because I have a lot of people in this city," Acts 18:10. 4. He had spent a year and a half with them. 5. He writes not just as Paul, but as the messenger of Christ and of Christ's love to them – apostle called by the will of Christ B. Now, some people who knew him and who may have even grown in the church are attacking him 2. C. The apostle had thick skin, but this time they went too far because they were accusing him of living according to the flesh, that is, according to the standards of this world. 1. Paul had spent his whole ministry to that point calling people to Christ. a. For him to live was Christ and to die was gain. b. He counted all things as loss so that he could know Christ and the power of his resurrection. 2. And now some people who he had invested himself into are saying he is doing exactly the opposite – he is using the ministry for his own gain. 3. But even now, he pleads with them not in his own authority, but in the name of Christ, 1b. a. It is a masterful appeal because he brings up the two attributes of Christ that the false apostles were pointing to in Paul as marks of weakness: meekness and gentleness. b. That's why Paul quotes what the false apostles were saying about him: "… who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you." D. Paul will deal with the false apostles with all the boldness it may require, but he wants the true believers not to wait till he come to Corinth, but repent now, 2. E. This is something that is going to happen to you as well if you make your purpose to serve Christ. 1. Our Lord said if this world hated him, it will also hate you if you go out in his name. 2. The apostle guarantees elsewhere that anyone who seeks to live a godly life will suffer persecution. F. Paul's response at this point is not to defend himself, but to show that their argument made no sense, 3. 1. "Sure, we live in this world, but the war (the life) we fight is not of this world." 2. "So why use weapons from the world? That is as dumb as bringing a knife to a gun fight." "The weapons of the world embody the converse of God's rule: the lie in place of the truth, darkness instead of light, grief rather than joy, and death as a substitute for life." Simon Kistemaker III. As You Go about Your Thought Life, Remember the Weapons the Lord Has Given You, 4-6. A. Paul uses several analogies to describe life, but there are three that are most common in his writings and they all emphasize persevering to the end. 1. The life of a Christian is like a farmer working the ground. 2. The life of a Christian is like a runner in a long race. 3. The life of the Christian is like a warrior fighting his/her way to victory. a. This is the analogy that Paul uses here. b. In order to have a war, you have to have enemies. 1) Friends don't go to war with each other. 2) By using this analogy, Paul tells us that we have real enemies that are at war with us and we must be aware of that. a) The world – any system of thoughts opposed to biblical thinking. b) Satan – a real, powerful, spiritual being. c) The flesh – our nature apart from the work of the Spirit. c. So, Paul says, "you are at war and God has equipped us with weapons to win the war." B. Our weapons are not carnal, that is, they are not according our flesh, to our nature, to our own power. C. If you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you know that your hope is not in you, in your flesh. 1. You know that you are a sinner who cannot, on your own, please God. 2. But you also know that God the Father sent his Son to live a life of perfect obedience that you can't and at the moment you put your trust in Jesus, God sees that obedience as yours. 3. You also know that that same Jesus who lived perfectly and sinlessly died as a condemned sinner, not because of his own sin, but because of the sins of you who believe. 4. So, you stand forgiven in Christ before God because you believe in whom Jesus is and that what he did in his life, death, and resurrection, he did for you. 5. That's your weapon – faith in Christ. Col. 2:8-10 – Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. D. Your faith in Christ is a mighty weapon, 4. 1. It is powerful enough to destroy the fortresses of the enemy, the places where he feels safe and protected. 2. It is powerful enough to answer any anti-Christ argument or idea. a. There is no reason to fear that there isn't going to be an answer for what those who deny Christ claim. b. It really doesn't matter how many degrees one has or how loud he gets, Jesus Christ through his Word and Spirit will answer all their objections – if not in this life, at his return. "The message of the gospel penetrates manmade walls by means of men and women armed with wisdom, courage dedication, and faith." Simon Kistemaker E. The means by which we destroy the fortresses of the enemy and dismantle every false argument is the taking of every thought captive to Jesus Christ. 1. There may be a subjective element here in which each one of us must bring the thoughts in our heads into submission to Jesus – think good thoughts. 2. But I think Paul has a much bigger application here – every thought about everything must conform to obedience to Jesus Christ. "There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!" Abraham Kuyper a. Christ calls you to declare that Christ is sovereign over every area of thinking – part of the journey to maturity. 1 Cor. 13:11 – When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. b. The simplest and most ancient confession in the Christian Church, a confession that brought joy and death to many, is JESUS IS LORD. c. So, you take that confession and apply to every area of thought there is. 1) Jesus is Lord over how you think about your marriage. 2) Jesus is Lord over how you think about your singleness. 3) Jesus is Lord over how you think about money. 4) Jesus is Lord over how you think about friendships. 5) Jesus is Lord over how you think of your studies. 6) Jesus is Lord over how you think about the use of your phones. 7) Jesus is Lord over how you think about entertainment as a whole. d. We bring every thought captive to the lordship of Christ and by doing that we fight the war of life, destroying all his and our enemies. Rom. 8:31-35, 37-39 – What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who ishe who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shalltribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. e. We do all that by using the measure God has given us: his WORD! 2 Tim. 2:8-9 – Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, evento the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
God calls you to watch your heart (mind). He calls you think Christ's thoughts after him. He calls you to be very careful and thoughtful about the influences that you allow into your life. Be instruments in your redeemer's hands as he uses you to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Jesus Christ.
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