The Bible gives a clear definition of a person and his character. “For as he thinkest in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7
We can change our way of thinking, and then we become a different kind of person. We hear stories that a sinner changed and became a saint. Paul changed from a persecutor of God’s church to its greatest advocate. These stories thrill our hearts, but there are more stories of the opposite type: How often a saint becomes evil. The angels in heaven turned to demons, and the highest of them became Satan. These changes happened when they changed their way of thinking.
Jeremiah saw these kinds of changes taking place among the people of God. He writes, “How is the gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter.” Lamentations 4:1-2
The Hebrew title for Lamentations is “Ah, how!” Who can answer this question? How does this change take place? It is a mystery. Why does a Christian boy or girl change from faithfulness to God to the love of the world, and to gratify the lust of the flesh, and to lose his salvation and eternal life?
In the time of Noah the whole world had changed to be so evil that God had to destroy them all in the flood, except the family of Noah.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5
Because the thoughts were evil, then the words and actions were evil accordingly. Therefore, Satan is winning souls to himself by contaminating their thoughts by wrong kinds of literature, images, movies, and conversations. What we see and hear affects our minds and thoughts. One condition for receiving eternal life that God has given is for us to avoid seeing and hearing wrong things. “He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppression, that shaketh his hands from holding bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; he shall dwell on high.” Isaiah 33:15-16
Then how important it is to hear what God is speaking to us, and this we can do by attending religious services in God’s church and in reading His word and the Spirit of Prophecy books. “Incline your ear, and come unto Me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” Isaiah 55:3
When we listen to God and obey His counsel, we will do right. Our own mind and thoughts are not good. “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” Isaiah 53:6
It is very clear that if we follow our own thoughts and wisdom we will go astray, and we will be fools to do it.
Paul writes, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.” Romans 1:21
What can God do with the people who have become vain in their imaginations? Paul continues, “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lust of their own hearts to dishonour their bodies between themselves.” Romans 1:24
God will not go against our thoughts. He gives us freedom to choose what we want to think, and this – our decision – will determine if we will be holy, and fit for life in heaven, or corrupted followers of Satan.
Jeremiah also gave the same message to the people of Israel. “And the Lord saith, Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, neither walked therein; But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalin, which their fathers taught them: Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them.” Jeremiah 9:13-16
All these disasters came upon them because of walking after the imagination of their own heart.
Terrible are the results of evil thinking. By following their own thoughts, wars have been started, murders have been committed; millions of broken homes are also the result of wrong thoughts. Sins of every description have been committed by letting the imagination wander in wrong channels. Their thoughts betrayed them. This is the reason why Jeremiah writes, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it.” Jeremiah 17:9
The mind can be developed, without limit, to the perfect image of God; or the powers of the mind can be paralyzed by sin, perverted, and darkened.
Sister White writes, “The perils of last days are upon us. Satan takes the control of every mind that is not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God.” –Testimonies to Ministers, p. 79
When we understand that our thoughts do change us, then we will make sure that no evil thought will enter into our minds.
“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.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
We need to decide what we want to be, and then start thinking about it and it can happen. If our decision is to be God-like, and we think about it constantly, it will happen. God will cleanse the world of all pollution, so that nothing that is defiled will remain.
“At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.” Jeremiah 3:17
When they do not walk in the imagination of their evil hearts, then their works are pure, their actions are good.
Paul writes about the people who love God, that they do not think evil thoughts, “Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” 1 Corinthians 13:5
It takes an effort to train our minds to dwell on holy thoughts. The same way an alcoholic and a smoker with great effort can overcome their bad habits, we can also overcome vain and evil thinking. What is necessary is to follow the advice of Paul, “Pray without ceasing.” 2 Thessalonians 5:17
When we do this, the Holy Spirit will dwell in us and the fruit of the Spirit will be seen in our lives; perfect peace will fill our hearts and sweet comfort will take place of worry and anxiety.
May the Lord help each one of us to have pure minds and hearts, and then we can see God face to face. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8. AMEN.
Timo Martin