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Commentary on "Good Thinking"

MARTIN L. CAREY

 

Day 5: Wednesday, February 2, 2011 - The Thoughts of Our Hearts

 

Overview

Today’s Lesson points out God’s omniscience, that He searches all men’s hearts and knows their thoughts always. Only God has access to our thoughts, intentions, and desires. For this reason, we can be assured that God knows our needs even when we are incapable of uttering a “sensible” prayer.

The Lesson also points out that Satan and his angels cannot read our thoughts and desires directly, even though they can observe and estimate what goes on inside of us. Satan has long knowledge of human ways, Ellen White says, so he can shape his temptations to take advantage of our weaknesses in character. Therefore, because God knows our thoughts and Satan does not, silent prayer is recommended: “Enjoy the understanding of an intimate dialogue that is between you and God alone. Nobody one else in the universe is privy to this communication.” When we allow Christ into our thinking processes, the Lesson says, we will be safeguarded from temptation and be spiritually blessed.

 

Observations—The Prince of Darkness Grim

There is a great deal of concern for Satan’s power in Adventist literature, and how to avoid his snares. Before we can enjoy God’s protection from Satan, however, we need to understand his power. If we think we can find protection from Satan’s influences by hiding our thoughts from him in silent prayer, we are fooling ourselves. It is critical for Christians to understand the power that Satan and his minions hold to keep us afraid and sinning. His greatest power is not to read our thoughts, he can’t. It is not even to frighten us with violence or physical death. Christians don’t fear those who can merely kill the body.

Satan’s power is stated by his name, which means “Accuser,” while “Devil” means “Slanderer” (Biblos, Dictionary, http://topicalbible.org/d/devil.htm). He points to our sins to demand our damnation. He can accuse and slander us because we are born his willing slaves to evil. His accusations are based on truth, for we are really guilty before God and deserve to die. Satan holds the power of death over us, not because he controls when or how we will die, but because he holds over us the “sting of death,” sin. None of us deserves to live, and God is not obligated by any law to save us from ourselves. To keep us under sin and condemnation, Satan only has to accuse us and keep us from finding deliverance from God’s wrath. So the real object of our fear is not Satan, but God and His absolute justice.

 

We Tremble Not for Him

Do we protect ourselves against the Accuser by practicing wholesome activities and avoiding negative thoughts? No, our problem with Satan is not a health problem. We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers of evil in heavenly places. Satan’s power is not broken by building healthy bodies and minds. Satan’s grim hold of sin-slavery is defeated by one little word: forgiveness. With the forgiveness of sins, Satan’s power against us comes crashing down. Here’s the reason:

“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Hebrews 2:14

The only reason we should not fear our accuser is because Jesus Christ became flesh and blood like us to be our Substitute. He delivered us from the slavery of fear, fear of punishment and eternal death. The sting of death isn’t destruction of our bodies; it is guilt for our sins. When He gave up His human life on the Cross, He defeated Satan and all the “principalities and powers” who held our guilt over us (Colossians 2:14). Without Jesus’ death for us, there would not be any safe place to hide from Satan’s accusations against us, because God knows everyone’s heart.

When we have been forgiven of all our sins, past and future, we do not fear that Satan might know our hearts or prayers, for his power was broken at the Cross. Our accuser has been cast down, disarmed of his best weapon—guilt. Now because of Jesus’ sacrifice for sin, Satan can threaten and rage all he wants, for his accusations have been made merely “slander” and lies. We, the sinners, are justified and counted righteous in Christ. Who can lay any charge against God’s chosen? It is God who justifies us! (Romans 8:33) And now standing righteous before God, He opens all the storehouses of grace to bless us and deliver us from sin.

When our minds are controlled by the victory by Christ for us, the Devil’s rage we can endure. We can shout our prayers from the rooftops and hope the entire universe hears them. Whatever the Devil can do to us was already done to Jesus, and can never be repeated. Pray silently if you wish, but never skulk around praying silently because Satan might hear you! Did Daniel hide from his enemies to pray? Then let us enter boldly and noisily before the throne of grace, for Christ is Lord!

 

Summary

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

 

GO TO DAY 6

 

Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised February 2, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Camp Verde, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

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