TEXT: Proverbs 4:23

SUBJECT: Richard Baxter on Your Thoughts #1

Tonight, with the Lord’s blessing, we take up a new Puritan study called Richard Baxter on your thoughts. It’s made up of two parts: first he tells you how to get rid of your bad thoughts, and then, how to furnish your mind with good thoughts.

What you think pretty much determines what are. The Proverb says,

Words can be faked; deeds can be deceptive. But not thoughts. What you think is what you are. This means if you want to grow in grace, you’ve got to replace your bad thoughts with good ones. You know that, of course, but how do you do it? How do you move from the theory (which is easy) to the practice (which is hard)?

The old Puritan can help you on this one. Let’s see what he has to say. Before we come to the "how to" part of the study, let’s be sure to define our terms. What are "bad thoughts"? If you asked a hundred Christians, I bet nearly all of them would say either sexual lust or grudges. And, of course, these are bad thoughts. But they’re not the only ones. Baxter has a long list; here’s a sample.

First, he has evil thoughts about God,

Next, he has evil thoughts about ourselves,

Then on to evil thoughts about other people,

To top it all off, he adds, "Idle thoughts".

Bad thoughts, therefore, are not limited to fantasies of sex or revenge, but include every thought that displeases the Lord. II Corinthians 10:5 says you’re to bring, "Every thought captive to the obedience of Christ".

Are bad thoughts really that bad? We say they are, but do we mean it? Do you resist evil thoughts with the same vigor as you resist evil deeds or words? You ought to, for bad thoughts are really bad.

1. They are known to God, Ecclesiastes 12:14.
2. They are judged by God. Did you know the Flood destroyed the world—not so much for what men were doing—as for what they were thinking? The Bible says so, Genesis 6:5,

"Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually".

3. They grieve God, Ephesians 4:30, cf. v.29.
4. Bad thoughts are so bad that they make holiness impossible. The Scribes and Pharisees valued holiness. To obtain it, they prayed, fasted and gave alms to the poor. These were good things, of course, but they didn’t please God. Do you know why? Because they were done "to be seen of men". In other words, the thought behind the deed was bad. And, consequently, so was the deed.

In sum: If bad thoughts grieve God and pollute the holiest works, they must be really bad. Remember that, and you’ll be more serious about getting rid of them. Here’s Baxter,

That’s Number One.

Some bad thoughts seem to come out of nowhere. But others are the result of looking at or listening to things you shouldn’t be. This includes pornography, of course, and gossip. And things more innocent too. For example, if buying too much is your problem, stay away from the store, throw away the catalogues, and don’t shop online! "Covetousness is idolatry," the Bible says. And "Flee idolatry".

Staying away from temptation will not rid you of every impure thought. But if you don’t, your thought life can only become worse. Here’s Baxter,

Legalism wants so make everyone the same. If I can’t go to the beach without being tempted, then you can’t either. But that’s not right. Everyone is different; everyone has his own set of temptations. You know what yours are--stay away from them!

That’s Number Two.

We all have five senses—sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. They’re gifts of God, of course, and good for us. But we have to use them wisely. The ears that can hear the best sermon can also hear the worst gossip. Thus, you’ve got to be careful what you listen to, what you look at, and what you touch, taste, or smell.

This is not easily done, especially today when we’re surrounded by advertising. But do it we must. If we want our thoughts to please the Lord. The best time to do it is "ahead of time". Don’t wait to see the pretty girl to think, "I better not look at her". Make that decision before you see her. That’s what Job did. He "Made a covenant with his eyes that he should not look upon a maid" (Job 31:1).

This is not a one-time decision. It has to be done every day. Before you go to work or school in the morning say, "I will not look at this, listen to that, touch the other", and so on. And don’t just say it, pray about it; ask the Lord to help you. Psalm 119:37 is a good place to start,

Baxter says,

That’s Number Three.

What does the Bible say about bad thoughts? It says, "Lust, when it is conceived brings forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death" (James 1:15). A good example is Achan. When Israel took Jericho, the soldiers were commanded to take no spoil. No one did, except for Achan. This led to big problems in Israel, until at last the man was caught with the loot. Why did he take it? He confessed, "I saw, I coveted, I took".

This does not always happen. Thank God! Not every angry thought leads to murder. But just about every murder comes from an angry thought. I know a good man who fell into adultery with his best friend’s wife. After he repented, I asked him how it happened. You know what he said? "Well, one thing led to another". Lustful thoughts led to playful words, which led to "innocent" hugging which led to things…not so innocent.

Do you want to be an adulterer? To betray your wife and devastate your kids and ruin your reputation? If not, don’t think lustful thoughts. Because that’s where it starts—not in the bedroom, but in the mind.

Here’s the Puritan,

Baxter has a lot more to say on the subject, but this is enough for the moment. If you want to overcome bad thoughts just remember how bad they are, stay away from the things that tempt you to them, keep a close watch on your senses, and remember where they’ll lead you if you’re not careful.

You’ve heard godly counsel. Now do something with it. May the grace and power of God be with you. For Christ’s sake. Amen.