I Can't Control My Thoughts! (12 of 21)
Series: The Promise of a Sound Mind
Eddie Snipes
One of the most common concerns I hear are people who fear they have entertained a thought which makes them guilty of the 'unpardonable sin'. We'll talk about this scenario in a moment, but first, I want to look at why such things find their way into our minds.
Has a negative thought ever popped into your head without warning? Perhaps it's something you have struggled with, but sometimes it may be the most off the wall thought and not something you would willingly think upon. At times it comes at a moment of anger, or in a moment of temptation, or it could be something out of the blue - an idea you may be shocked would find its way in you.
Sometimes our thoughts are the result of spiritual warfare. This isn't always the case, but at times it is. Judas, one of Jesus' disciples, experienced such a thought. The Bible says the devil put it into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. Of course, Judas never bought into Jesus' teaching, so he was already vulnerable. We can see that many evil thoughts and ideas can have their origins in demonic sources, but this is not always the case.
Let's stop for a moment and think upon this. There is a danger of going too far with this idea. Not every thought is an attack of the devil. Often, our mental process is the result of our own habits. When we dwell on anger, we will be susceptible to angry and vengeful thoughts. We can also yield our minds to the enemy by submitting ourselves to sin. This was the case with Judas.
Judas never accepted the role of being a disciple. In fact, the other apostles stated that he was greedy and a thief from the beginning (John 12:6). He was the one who kept the money for the twelve disciples and made a habit of taking money for himself. He looked at Jesus as a means of gain. His idea of ruling with Christ was based on his assumption that Jesus would be setting up an earthly kingdom.
When Jesus ...
Series: The Promise of a Sound Mind
Eddie Snipes
One of the most common concerns I hear are people who fear they have entertained a thought which makes them guilty of the 'unpardonable sin'. We'll talk about this scenario in a moment, but first, I want to look at why such things find their way into our minds.
Has a negative thought ever popped into your head without warning? Perhaps it's something you have struggled with, but sometimes it may be the most off the wall thought and not something you would willingly think upon. At times it comes at a moment of anger, or in a moment of temptation, or it could be something out of the blue - an idea you may be shocked would find its way in you.
Sometimes our thoughts are the result of spiritual warfare. This isn't always the case, but at times it is. Judas, one of Jesus' disciples, experienced such a thought. The Bible says the devil put it into the heart of Judas to betray Jesus. Of course, Judas never bought into Jesus' teaching, so he was already vulnerable. We can see that many evil thoughts and ideas can have their origins in demonic sources, but this is not always the case.
Let's stop for a moment and think upon this. There is a danger of going too far with this idea. Not every thought is an attack of the devil. Often, our mental process is the result of our own habits. When we dwell on anger, we will be susceptible to angry and vengeful thoughts. We can also yield our minds to the enemy by submitting ourselves to sin. This was the case with Judas.
Judas never accepted the role of being a disciple. In fact, the other apostles stated that he was greedy and a thief from the beginning (John 12:6). He was the one who kept the money for the twelve disciples and made a habit of taking money for himself. He looked at Jesus as a means of gain. His idea of ruling with Christ was based on his assumption that Jesus would be setting up an earthly kingdom.
When Jesus ...
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