Wrong Thinking

Introduction:

There is a lot of wrong thinking in our society today. Wrong thinking about what constitutes marriage, about drinking alcohol, about tolerance, about the Bible, and many others. In this lesson, we will focus on three areas of wrong thinking: sin, repentance, and God.

Body:

  1. About Sin
  • Some deny that sin even exists. This shows how powerful sin is. It deceives and corrupts the mind. If there is no sin, then any behavior is acceptable. This was indicative of the southern kingdom of Judah during the days of Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 7:9-10) “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’?” NKJV They viewed their behavior as fine and OK.
  • Some view sin as trivial, of little importance. Insignificant! What about sins of omission? (James 4:17) “Knows the right thing to do and fails to do it…” ESV What about daily Bible reading and study? (Acts 17:11) “These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. NKJV What about prayer times? (Ephesians 6:18) “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” – NKJV What about being concerned for the lost? (Psalm 119:136)“Rivers of water run down from my eyes, Because men do not keep Your law.” (Jeremiah 9:1)“Oh, that my head were waters, And my eyes a fountain of tears, That I might weep day and night For the slain of the daughter of my people!” NKJV
  • Some believe sin is justified due to human weakness. We can’t help but sin. We have no power to stop. Sin is just a natural part of the human condition, they say. But note what Romans 6:1-2 says. “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” NKJV We are not to be enslaved to sin. (Romans 6:6)“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.” It is not to rule over us. (Romans6:12-14) “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. NKJV
  • What is sin? “Sin is the endless, animal-like wails of the damned of the ages rising from the fiery darkness of eternal torment.” VoyageofFaith, Frank Chesser, Publishing Designs, Inc. 2010
  1. About Repentance
  • It is not just a simple admission of wrong. Many things may motivate a person to admit wrong that have nothing to do with biblical repentance. Saul’s so-called confession in I Samuel 15:24-26, 30 is a good example. “Then Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. ‘Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.’ But Samuel said to Saul, ‘I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.’ 30 Then he said, ‘I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” NKJV
  • It is not just a feeling of remorse or being sorry. Judas is a good example. (Matthew 27:3-5) “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ And they said, ‘What is that to us? You see to it!’ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.” NKJV He regretted the consequence of what he had done but there was no genuine repentance.
  • It is not a temporary change of heart or conduct. Real repentance involves real lasting change. (II Corinthians 7:9-11)“Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” NKJV
  • “Repentance is a change of mind about sin, the nature, power, ugliness and insanity of sin. Repentance is a transformation of one’s choices as it pertains to sin and a total adjustment of one’s priorities concerning sin.” VoyageofFaith, Frank Chesser
  1. About God
  • It is wrong to think that God is like man. (Psalm 50:21) “These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.” NKJV God’s ways are much higher than man’s. (Isaiah 55:8-9) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says 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.” NKJV Think about an ant in the hand of man. Does the ant possess the ability to understand the man? Can it inform the man of something the man doesn’t know? Can it defeat the man on the battle field? So is man in the hand of God.
  • It is wrong to think that God is solely a God of grace and mercy and not one of justice and holiness. But notice Hebrews 10:30-31“For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”and Hebrews 12:28-29. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptable with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.” NKJV God’s Word declares plainly about the Day of Judgment. (Matthew 25:41)“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:’ ” NKJV
  • It is wrong to think that God sees man like man sees man. Man believes he can solve all of life’s problems by himself and that he has all the answers. God sees man as sinful and lost! The solution is man must see God as Isaiah did. Isaiah saw the majesty of God as well as His glory. (Isaiah 6:1)“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple.” NKJV Note Paul’s words to Timothy in I Timothy 6:15-16. “which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.” NKJV
  • God’s royal robes filled the temple; there is no room for man’s will or desires. The seraphim cry out to emphasize His holiness.

(Isaiah6:2-3)“Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!’ ” NKJV The psalmist declared that God sits on the throne of His holiness. (Psalm 47:8)“God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.” NKJV Isaiah was able to see how unclean he was when he saw the holiness of God. (Isaiah6:4-5)“And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: ‘Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of Hosts.’ ” NKJV Isaiah saw his true self. Can you imagine Isaiah attempting to dethrone God, to argue with God, to tamper with God’s revealed will? Would a man like Isaiah attempt to remove the “except” of John 3:5“Jesus answered, and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ ” KJVor Matthew 19:9?“And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” NKJV Would he dare to use machinery or praise teams instead of congregational singing? A man who has seen himself like God sees him, will be glad to submit to every command of God.

Conclusion:

There is certainly much wrong thinking in our world about sin, repentance, and God. Right thinking about these three topics is essential to one’s salvation.

Bobby Stafford July 12, 2015