Gospel Centered Thinking - Pastor Dan Cravillion

Gospel Centered Thinking

2014-11-16

Romans 12:1-2, 21

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  2 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. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Explained what Gospel is & that the person & work of Jesus Christ is the “good news”

·      The Gospel converts & transforms (sanctifies) individuals.

·      The Gospel is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, instrument of God's power in our lives.

We must daily preach the Gospel to ourselves because we have spiritually unhealthy thoughts, emotional turmoil & eventually sin.  Mt 15:18-19, Jam 1:14-15, Gal 6:7-9

·      Sinful thoughts: if acted upon would clearly be sinful.

·      un-Biblical thoughts… things Bible says NOT true about us/others:

o   Thinking thoughts like- I’m hated by God, I’m a loser, worthless, God must have made a mistake, I’ll never be happy/victory, God isn’t worth it, nobody loves, etc. are unbiblical.

These spiritually unhealthy thoughts just come, but what we do with them is choice.

·      We either recognize danger & turn away OR allow & dwell on it:

o   We reap what we sow in our thought life.

§  Non-Theological way to put it would be: Garbage In/out, Gospel in/good Out

The Gospel is the foundation for “renewing mind” & taking thoughts captive. 2 Cor 10:4-5, Rom 12:1-2, 21, Prov 6:27

·      Thus is not ‘name it claim it’ or the power of positive thinking, but a process (sanctification) that is both proactive & reactive, both offensive & defensive.

We are to run away, and flee spiritually unhealthy thinking. 

·      “starve” or cut off sources that feed sinful, unbiblical thinking.

o   TV shows, websites (Pinterest), books,

o   Can’t flee from something that you still hold ‘precious” in your mind.

·      reflect on your sin, situations & evaluate thru gospel lens.

o   Biblical truth never requires you to deny reality.

§  But let the Gospel be the filter about what is true about yourself, the world, people, situations, and how problems solved.

• Change the channel of your mind & get interested in something else.

o   We move toward whatever we focus our attention on. 

• Like when we watch a food ad we may feel hungry, or a yawn causes others to yawn.

Run away from focusing on harmful, sinful, unbiblical thoughts & run toward (pursue) thinking about what is good/true/right.  2 Tim 2:22-23, Phil 4:8, Col 3:2-3, Rom 8:5-6

·      Feed your souls BEFORE spiritually unhealthy thoughts overwhelm you & produce bad fruit.

• One of the main reasons we should read and memorize scripture. 

§  Can’t get out what I don’t put in!!!

·      “What you feed in your life grows.”  John Wesley

·      When we forget Gospel- fear, frustration, and sin can overwhelm us. Fitzpatrick quote

No one is more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do.  Paul Tripp

·      So daily preach the Gospel to yourself so it will bear good fruit. Psa. 42:5, Lam. 3:21-24, Jn 15:4-5

·      Not a message or even a theology, but a person…Jesus.

o   Remind yourself of the person, presence, & provisions of Christ.

§  Think 1^st “What has Christ has done” not “What would JC do?”

·      Think less of yourself & your performance & more about Jesus & His performance for you.

“One reason we don’t grow in ordinary, grateful obedience as we should is that we’ve got amnesia; we’ve forgotten that we are cleansed from our sins. In other words, ongoing failure in sanctification (the slow process of change into Christlikeness) is the direct result of failing to remember God’s love for us in the gospel. If we lack the comfort and assurance that his love and cleansing are meant to supply, our failures will handcuff us to yesterday’s sins, and we won’t have faith or courage to fight against them, or the love for God that’s meant to empower this war. If we fail to remember our justification, redemption, and reconciliation, we’ll struggle in our sanctification. Christian growth, in other words, does not happen first by behaving better, but believing better–believing in bigger, deeper, brighter ways what JC has already secured for sinners.” Elyse Fitzpatrick

But all my deeds and my good name
Are just dirty rags that tear and strain
To cover all my guilty stains
I was fighting battles when You conquered hell
Living free but from a prison cell
Lord, I lay it down today

So I’ll stop living off of how I feel
And start standing on Your truth revealed
Jesus is my strength, my shield
And He will never fail me

No more chains, I’ve been set free
No more fighting battles You’ve won for me
Now in Christ, I stand complete

From Casting Crowns song All You’ve Ever Wanted