"THINK ON THESE THINGS"

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4: 8

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:

Proverbs 23: 7a

INTRODUCTION

he sum of a man's character cannot exceed the apex of his thought life. No man, no church, no denomination, no society, no nation, no empire, no civilization, no generation has ever transcended the pinnacle of their own thought patterns. You are what you think.

It is petty-mindedness therefore that has given birth to an Age of Pettiness. The failure to escape the gravitational pull of petty-mindedness has produced a generation of Americans and Christians who, bereft and bankrupt of all nobility, are, at best, petty people. The bickering, belligerent "Bible-believer", straining at gnats and swallowing whole camels of theological absurdity, the gossiping Fundamentalist, thriving on the latest rumor to orbit some celebrity preacher, the self-centered Evangelical, endlessly enthralled with ecclesiastical entertainers and hell-bent on defending his "Christian liberty" at all costs, these are all symptomatic of a season of smallness, the likes of which the world has never seen.

Consequently, we can say with confidence that the return to greatness demands a return to greatmindedness, the godly-mindedness characteristic of the Founders of our beloved Republic. And this great-mindedness is not to be found in the endless quibbling over manuscript evidence, the rumor mill of the local preacher's fellowship or the concerts of the latest contemporary Christian music artists. It is to be found in a return to the Word of God.

It is here in Scripture that we soar on eagle's wings to the summits of all that is noble, all that is good, all that is best. It is here in Scripture that we survey the endless plains and fertile fields of the transcendent birthright of the eternal, the world to come. It is here in God's Word that we plumb the depths of Divine sagacity, the hidden treasures of wisdom and of knowledge and dilate our understanding with truth of a supernatural character, unknown and impossible to the carnal mind (I Corinthians 2: 14).

In one passage, we stand with Isaiah in the very throne room of God, to hear Seraphic voices crying out "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6: 1 - 3). In another we rise in Davidic crescendo as the sweet Psalmist of Israel recites in silver notes of honeyed splendor the Golden Alphabet of Divine attributes. In yet another we mount up with the Apostle Paul to the third Heaven and survey the sweeping grandeur of his inspired thought as he unfolds the doctrines of adoption, predestination, calling, justification and glorification (Romans 8: 1 - 30). We tarry with him awhile in Ephesians to marvel at the majesty of mysteries hidden since the foundation of the world (Ephesians 3: 8 - 12), then renew our wonder again as John the Beloved unlocks the secret chambers of "things to come" (John 16: 13).

This is why we are commanded to meditate upon Scripture "day and night" (Joshua 1: 8), and are assured of blessedness if we will do so (Psalm 1: 1 - 3). Here in Philippians 4, that same commandment is given, if not specifically, at least inclusively. For it is in the Scriptures that we will discover the divine standards, definitions and examples of all that is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy. Of these things, found in God's Word, the Apostle commands us by inspiration of the Holy Ghost to "think on these things" (Philippians 4: 8).

I. THE AUTHORITATIVE MANDATE

First then, we recognize this verse as an authoritative mandate. It is not merely a suggestion. It is not merely that sort of non-authoritative gracious Fatherly counsel that the false apostle C. I. Scofield would reduce our New Testament to. It is a commandment. It is authoritative. It is the mandatory assertion of the Divine will imposed upon all of God's children, regardless of their own wills or wishes, demanding obedience and coupled with assured chastening in cases of disobedience.

Christian, you have an authoritative commandment to "think on these things". You are ordered to do so. You have no choice. It is positive wickedness for you to reduce your Christianity to a one-day event that ends at 12:00pm sharp on Sunday so that you can rush home to worship your true gods on ESPN. You are commanded to pay attention and think upon these things while the preacher is ministering God's Word from the pulpit, and your responsibility continues all the way to the following Saturday evening when you anticipate the service to come in the morning. You have a God-given imperative to "think on these things".

II. THE ACTIVE MEDITATION

This is to be an active meditation. This commandment cannot be obeyed passively. Right thinking is not something that happens to you or that is done to you from outside. Your pastor cannot do it for you. Your Christian parents cannot do it for you. You must do it yourself, actively. Of course you will have to depend upon the Holy Spirit to aid you, but still, you can only obey this verse actively. It does not happen to you passively from outside as the result of someone else in your life who is spiritual.

This involves a choice. You must choose to think right thoughts. Until you make the positive decision to meditate with the mind of Christ upon Scriptural truth, your carnal mind will naturally gravitate towards carnal things. So you must choose to reject that and to actively think with the mind of Christ upon the revelation of Scriptural truth.

III. THE AXIOMATIC MATTER

It is noteworthy that the word used here is "think", not "imagine". The Apostle Paul is not calling us to speculative suppositions or to wishful thinking. This is the whole problem with Ruckmanism, the (falsely) so-called "Bible-believer" movement. Their whole position is built on speculation, not revelation. There's not a word in Scripture to suggest that God would ever re-inspire his word, much less to imply that the very letters of the King James Bible have some sort of mystical, Cabbalistic allegorical meaning. To assert any of this is to found your whole position on mist and sand (and doctrines of devils), because there is no Scripture to support these (false) teachings. It is pure speculation.

The same is true for Dispensationalism. Take for instance, the (falsely) so-called "Age of Promise". Where does the Bible say that God's promise to Abraham introduced some sort of new "dispensation"? It doesn't. You have to read that into the text. In other words, you have to speculate. Or to put it bluntly, you have to add to God's Word what it certainly does not say. In fact, the obvious revelation of promises to Adam and Eve and to Noah make it plain that no new "dispensation" was introduced here. It was merely the further revelation of what was already in existence and application since the Garden of Eden.

Take again the so-called "Dispensation of Grace". Where does the Bible say that Grace began on the day of Pentecost or anywhere in that vicinity? It doesn't. The obvious fact that men such as David and Solomon did not die for the sins that they committed, but were counted as heroes of the faith and used to give us inspired Scripture assures us that salvation was by Grace before the birth of Christ, just as it is now and will be until the end of the world. So to say that a "Dispensation of Grace" began on the day of Pentecost is simply to superimpose speculative reasoning upon the Word of God. This is rightly rebuked as the sin of adding to Scripture. Conversely, to speak of the "Dispensation of Law" beginning with Moses on Mount Sinai and ending with the day of Pentecost is to superimpose speculation onto God's Word as well, to add to the Bible what it does not say.

Take again the so-called "Kingdom Age". Where does God's Word say that the offer of the Kingdom was withdrawn and that now we are waiting indefinitely for the Kingdom to be established? It doesn't. Rather our Saviour stated plainly that " the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17: 21). Elsewhere he stated that "the kingdom of God is come upon you" (Luke 11: 20). And the Apostle Paul explicitly states we are translated "into the kingdom of his dear Son" (Colossians 1: 13). In both of the verses in Luke, present-tense verbs are used, and in Colossians, a past-tense verb is used! So you cannot squirm around that the fact that the Kingdom of God is already "come upon you" and reduce it to some future "dispensation". To do so is to exalt speculation over God's Word and to add to the Scriptures.

But so sum up: we are not to imagine speculative theories such as Dispensationalism, Ruckmanism, Seventh-day Adventism, Mormonism or any other false cult that adds to God's Word. Instead, we are told to "think". This is meditation that is grounded in truth, on fact. Anything else is a sandy, manmade, non-inspired, non-authoritative addition to Scripture.

IV. THE ALL-INCLUSIVE MESSIAH

Where can we find all of these things in the Word of God? Would you meditate on what is true? Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14: 6). Would you meditate on what is honest? "God, that cannot lie, promised" eternal life before the foundation of the world (Titus 1: 1 - 4). Would you meditate on what is just? Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is "the Just One" foreseen by the Old Testament prophets (Acts 7: 52). Would you meditate on what is pure? Our coming Saviour "is pure" (I John 3: 3). Would you meditate on what is lovely? "His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem" (Song of Solomon 5: 16). Would you meditate on something of good report? "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (I John 1: 5). Would you meditate upon that which is virtuous? "And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all" (Luke 6: 19). Would you meditate upon that which is praiseworthy? "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing" (Revelation 5: 12).

Beloved, there is no easier way to obey this commandment than to meditate upon our Lord Jesus Christ. "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Colossians 2: 9). And in meditating upon Christ as revealed in Scripture you will become like him (II Corinthians 3: 18). And when God's people become Christ-like again, this Age of Pettiness will end and a new Age of Greatness and Nobility will bless the world with the glorious light of the Gospel to the great praise of our Saviour's matchless name. Amen and amen.