How I Think Determines How God Accepts Me! (Only I can pick salvation)

My thought life determines my reality.  I get to chose the way I think about life. If I focus on what is hard…If I think too much about it… It will govern how I see the world.  If I think on what is lovely, beautiful, and of a good report, then goodness will govern how I see the world.

This is very important for faith.

Noah built an ark because he believed in something no one else could see:

Hebrews 11:6-7 NKJV — But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

This choice Noah made was in the midst of great hopelessness, selfishness, and fear.  Noah chose a hopeful direction because he spent time seeing the world God's way instead of telling God how he saw the world:

Genesis 6:5-9 NKJV — Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

Its up to me how to think.  God refuses to make that choice for me.  But, If I am willing to yield to God's hopeful thoughts, stop fighting with, for, or against the world, and just simply see how good God is, then I will literally be led out of the world's hopelessness and fear and into a right vision of what's really happening:

Philippians 4:4-9 NKJV — Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

One of the most important lessons I've ever learned is that God does not empathize with my fear, anxiety, and frustration.  In fact, these are all accusations against Him!  He sees them as such. I've got no real right to be upset with how things are… the world and all that is in it don't actually belong to me.  It all belongs to God:

Isaiah 66:1-4 NLT — This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that? Could you build me such a resting place? My hands have made both heaven and earth; they and everything in them are mine. I, the LORD, have spoken! “I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word. But those who choose their own ways—delighting in their detestable sins—will not have their offerings accepted.

When such people sacrifice a bull, it is no more acceptable than a human sacrifice. When they sacrifice a lamb, it’s as though they had sacrificed a dog! When they bring an offering of grain, they might as well offer the blood of a pig. When they burn frankincense, it’s as if they had blessed an idol. I will send them great trouble— all the things they feared.

For when I called, they did not answer. When I spoke, they did not listen. They deliberately sinned before my very eyes and chose to do what they know I despise.”

 Without leadership, there is no salvation.  Accepting Yeshua as Lord begins with accepting His thoughts as superior to my own!

 Billions of people are fighting billions of battles that God isn't fighting.  Arguments Jesus isn't having… struggles that are self righteous, not truly righteous. Almost all of these are in the name of goodness, or even Godliness.  That is what makes them so toxic to actual faith.  They are false flags… distractions to the one true battle all people are called to:  to resist the devil, watch him flee, and draw near to God.  Then God draws near to us… like Noah, walking with God.

 Imagine walking with God and telling Him how bad everything is… everything He made, everything He sustains, everything He hopes for, even paid for the redemption of… it’s a ludicrous thought, really.  That conversation wouldn't last long.  Then consider walking with God, and listening to the hope He has for humanity, for creation, the things He keeps living because of the hope He has… the things His son paid to redeem…. The joy in looking forward to the brilliance of His plan to NOT let the devil win… that conversation could last forever, because its true.

To fight a self-righteous battle, I have to identify an enemy who isn't me.  To fight the true war I'm called to, I literally am called to fight myself… my fear, doubts, shame, impatience, judgmental nature… all prompted by one spiritual enemy: the devil and his lies. God isn't saving me from the devil.  He's saving me from humanity's choice to be self-led at the prompting of the devil, an awful inheritance I was born into  Big difference.  This is why re-birth into God's leadership, beginning with my thought life, is strictly necessary.

The devil’s strategy is always to get me into the wrong conversation with himself and out of the conversation that is lovely with God.

No one will ever save the world by identifying what is wrong. It's all “wrong" without God.  Its only in identifying who's right that salvation can occur.  Much of the church is identifying someone other than itself to expose, gather others against, and defeat.  This is to wage war WITH the enemy, not against Him.

To wage war against the enemy, I am invited to resist where he prompts me to self righteousness, impatience, fear, shame, pride and the like.  I have a spiritual problem that manifests in physical symptoms.  Dealing with the symptoms and ignoring the root only lets the disease metastasize. The devil wants us all to run out of time, like himself, fighting the wrong battles.  God invites me to see the time and fight the real war, against my flesh and all its fear and hopelessness, impatience and anger it comes by so naturally.

Yes, sin crouches at the door, but I can sit at the feet of God!

Genesis 4:4-7 NKJV — Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? “If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

The way I think… the way I decide to see the world, either with God or distant from Him… determines everything about how He accepts me.  The way I think determines everything.

Romans 12:2 NKJV — And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Photo by AARN GIRI on Unsplash