Think on Things that are True

1. Read: Philippians 4:8

2. About the Text:

1) The book of Philippians has much to say about joy.

2) Chapter four gives Christians several things to do to have more joy.

a. We must make an effort to rejoice.

b. We must behave well.

c. We must recognize the Lord’s presence.

3) But Paul emphasizes controlling our thinking, and thinking is hard work!

4) How and what we think is a significant factor for developing joy.

5) Paul lists eight areas in which we may control our thoughts.

6) Let’s discuss thinking on things that are true.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. What is truth?

1) Pilate once asked this question of Jesus.

2) Essentially, truth is the alignment of words with reality.

3) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” (John 14:6).

4) What was he saying?

5) He was the unique combination of God’s Word oriented within a human life.

2. To know the truth, we must know Jesus.

1) We must know Jesus’ life, teaching, and example.

2) This is revealed to us in God’s word, the Bible.

3) Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).

4) How can we know what is true?

5) “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).

3. It is important that we desire truth for our lives.

1) Most people like to think that what they think is true!

2) The sad fact of the matter is that we deceive ourselves frequently (Jeremiah 17:9).

3) The biggest barrier to me knowing the truth is me – my desires, prejudices, and thoughts.

4) “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23).

5) Truth must be more precious to us than any other thing.

a. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field” (Matthew 13:44).

b. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it” (Matthew 13:45-46).

1. Everyone has untruthful thoughts.

1) Have you ever wrongly suspected that someone stole something from you?

2) Have you ever judged someone unrighteously?

3) Have you ever been wrong about anything?

4) Why? Because you had untruthful thoughts.

2. Our pride prevents us from having truthful thoughts.

1) “When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).

2) We want to think that we are right.

a. About something – some statement of fact that we believe.

b. About someone – what someone else has told us – think about Jacob’s brothers telling him that Joseph was dead.

3) We think that we are right because of pride in our own abilities to judge.

a. We often are motivated to judge situations with little to no evidence – think about how the brothers showed Jacob the coat of many colors stained with blood.

b. Our senses often deceive us to believe one thing or another.

3. We must be humble enough to admit that we could be wrong.

1) It takes humility to learn! –

a. “The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way” (Psalm 25:9).

b. “Blessed are the meek, ??For they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

2) Maybe we do not know the truth about some matter.

3) Maybe we know some of the truth, but not all the truth about some matter.

4) Maybe we know all the truth about a matter, but do not understand how to make correct application of that truth.

5) I could be wrong in any of these areas.

4. We must accept correction when it is available to us.

1) “He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, But he who refuses correction goes astray” (Proverbs 10:17).

2) “A fool despises his father’s instruction, But he who receives correction is prudent” (Proverbs 15:15).

3) “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

4) “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5).

1. We must be honest with ourselves and with one another.

1) “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience” (Luke 8:15 KJV).

2) Honesty means to tell ourselves the truth.

3) The Bible sometimes refers to this as being “upright.”

4) The word “faithful” is also used in this regard.

5) We must be honest, upright, and faithful enough to be open to the truths that we do not want to hear.

2. This means accepting that God’s word tells us about our true nature.

1) “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:14-15).

2) “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart” ( 1 Peter 1:22).

3. This means telling the truth to ourselves about ourselves.

1) Are we the person that we think that we are?

2) Do we overestimate ourselves?

3) Do we underestimate ourselves?

4) Do we tell ourselves convenient lies?

4. This means telling the truth to others.

1) “The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment” (Proverbs 12:19).

2) “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).

5. This means putting away those who do not tell the truth.

1) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15).

2) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

1. To think on things that are true we must . . .

1) Know the Source of Truth

2) Correct Untruthful Thoughts with Truthful Thoughts

3) Be Completely Honest with Ourselves

2. Invitation