The Church At Brierfield

God wants us to have thoughts that are pure and not contaminated by sin.  (Phil. 4:8)  Our thoughts can be contaminated by our own sinful desires as well as from the influence of other people and the world system around us that is controlled by Satan.

Something that is pure is free from defilement or corruption.  Pure thoughts are not corrupted by the world and its philosophies.  They are based on truth and not error.  They are right and not wrong.

The source of all pure thoughts is God.  We can be confident that all thoughts that truly result from God and the bible are pure thoughts.  He put His Holy Spirit in each person who believes on Jesus, helping us think pure thoughts.  The Holy Spirit does this by revealing to us the mind of God and His will for us.  He teaches us about Jesus and produces the mind of Christ in us.

As we allow the Holy Spirit to fill and control us, our thoughts become more and more pure.  As we take control of our own lives, our thoughts become less and less pure.

* See also Think On These Things.

He will render to each one according to his works:

God is an impartial judge.  He is not influenced by race, nationality, religion, gender, appearance, education or class.  At the final judgment, He gives to each and every person exactly what they deserve based on how they live their lives.

Romans 2:5 – Romans 2:7

God wants us to think thoughts that are right, righteous and just.  (Phil. 4:8)  These kinds of thoughts are in line with God’s law.  They are approved of by and acceptable to Him.  They are thoughts for which God would not judge any person.

In addition to what is just before God, we also need to think thoughts that are just before other people.  Our thoughts need to be in line with man made rules and laws as well, things that are right and fair in the eyes of men.  The exception to this is when the rules and laws of men contradict the laws of God.  God’s laws come first.

Often times we find ourselves in positions of authority or influence over other people.  We need to make sure our thoughts toward them are not wrong or unfair.  Our thoughts must be in accord with what is right, just and lawful.  Any judgments, opinions, or advise we give should be impartial, unbiased, fair, without prejudice and most importantly, right in the eyes of God.

* See also Think On These Things.

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

The first four verses of this chapter have addressed the moral person who judges other people’s sins while sinning themselves.  Of course this covers all moral people because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  (Rom. 3:23)

The moral judge who does not recognize and admit their own sin has a “hard and impenitent heart.”  A hard heart is a stubborn heart that refuses to submit to God’s standards of morality and to admit it’s own sinfulness.  Impenitent means refusing to acknowledge and repent of sin.  An impenitent heart is completely lacking of remorse for sin.  An impenitent person will defend their sin, claiming that God’s standards are not relevant.

As a result of their stubbornness, they are storing up wrath for the future just like we store up money in bank accounts for future needs.  On the “day of wrath”, when God judges mankind, this stored up wrath will be revealed.  It will be a horrible day for those whose hard hearts have kept them from repenting of their sins.

Romans 2:4 – Romans 2:6

Much of what our minds are filled with is trivial and not worthy of spending our precious time on.  Many other things we think about are selfish and self-centered.  There are things we would be embarrassed for other people to know.  There are also things other people would be shocked know about us.

God wants us to focus our thoughts on things that are honorable.  (Phil. 4:8)  Honorable things are serious, noble, worthy of respect and consistent with high character.

We tend to fill our spare time and thoughts with trivial amusements.  We would be much more fulfilled and entertained during those times if we focused on honorable things that are worthy of respect, such as God and the needs of other people.

* See also Think On These Things.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

In the previous verse, Paul asked the moral person if they thought they could somehow escape from the judgment of God.  No matter how moral we are, we can’t fully live up to the law of God.  As a result, we cannot escape His judgment.

God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience toward us as sinners is amazingly great.  We deserve His judgment and wrath everyday.  Each moment that we continue to live is evidence of His excessively rich mercy toward us.

Paul now asks the moral person, who thinks they are acceptable to God, if they are taking God’s kindness, forbearance, and patience lightly.   Are they thinking they deserve His kindness when they really don’t?

Instead of making us overconfident in ourselves, thinking His kindness is evidence of our righteousness, it should lead us to repentance.  God’s patience is intended to give us a chance to realize that we are sinners, admit our sin to God and believe on Jesus to save us from our sin.

Romans 2:3 – Romans 2:5

The United Negro College Fund has had the slogan “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” for as long as I can remember.  It is indeed a terrible thing to waste because what we think determines what we do.  God is also concerned that we not waste our minds and our lives as a result.

What determines whether or not we are wasting our minds?  It is determined by what we think.  What then should we think?  God says we should think on true things.  (Phil. 4:8)

True things are factually accurate and based in reality.  Anything that originates from God and the bible can be trusted as true.  It is the Holy Spirit’s job to reveal these true things to us.  Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”  (John 16:13)  John, also referring to the Holy Spirit, wrote “But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything—and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you—abide in him.”  (1 John 2:27)

Thinking true things also means not thinking false things.  False things are factually inaccurate and usually deceptive.  Anything that originates in the world should be suspected as being false because Satan is the ruler of this world system.  He is a liar and the father of lies.  In his first conversation with a person, he lied to Eve and convinced her it was true.  As a result of her false thinking Eve brought death on herself and every other person born into this world.  We must be careful because lies are always presented as being true.

In order to change our thinking, we need to make an honest and objective assessment of what we normally think about.  To do this, make a list of the things that occupy your mind regularly.  With the help of the Holy Spirit and the bible, determine whether those things are true or false?  Then purposefully stop thinking false thoughts by replacing them with true thoughts.  The best way to fill our mind with true thoughts is to spend time every day reading, studying or memorizing the bible.

* See also Think On These Things.

Do you suppose, O man–you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself–that you will escape the judgment of God?

The implied answer to this question is no.  Yet, people suppose everyday that the answer is yes.  Believing that because they live a moral life God will not judge them.  They recognize it is wrong when people steal, murder or commit adultery.  They don’t do these things themselves but they do other things that God says are sins.  From His perspective they are doing the same kinds of things.  As a result, they will not escape the judgment of God.

We do not escape the judgment of God by recognizing the difference between right and wrong.  We escape His judgment by recognizing and believing in Jesus, the Son of God.

Romans 2:2 – Romans 2:4

Obviously, the things that we think about are very important.  They have a significant impact on how we feel and the way we act.  In order to become what God wants us to be and to experience fullness of life in Christ, our minds must be renewed and transformed.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  (Rom. 12:2)

But that is not the way you learned Christ!–assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.  (Eph. 4:20-23)

As believers in Christ, our thoughts should be different from the world’s and from what they were before we new Christ.  Our natural tendency is to think selfish, sinful and corrupt thoughts.  We have to purposefully focus our thoughts on Christ and godly things.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  (Phil. 4:8)

We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things.

What things?  The things mentioned in verse 1, correctly judging the wrong doings of others while doing wrong also.  We can be confident and sure that the judgment of God will condemn all religious and moral people who agree with God’s law at one point and violate it at another point.  All of our goodness is not capable of making us acceptable to God.  In fact, it tends to make us unacceptable because we reveal our knowledge of good which justifies God in condemning us for our sin.  Only believing in the death of Christ to pay the price of our sin can make us acceptable before God.

Romans 2:1 – Romans 2:3