“Whatever is true… dwell on these things.”-{Phil 4;8}
Paul is teaching that we must learn to THINK on the Right things… if we are to be spiritually stable. So much of our spiritual, emotional instability, our seemingly roller coaster living, is a result of Thinking on the wrong things consistently, believing and acting on them!
“Dwell” the word means “to consider, calculate, evaluate.” It is a command and is continuous. It’s purpose in the passage is to produce spiritual stability.-{Phil 4;1-9}. And the key is what you and I continually think on! – {v8}. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”-{Prov 23:7}.
You are what you think! Truth transforms. Truth spiritually Stabilizes! Truth Liberates! Truth is to be Applied!
Truth is not optional. It is commanded and you or I are no exceptions!
Think on these– God is True.{Rom 3;4}; Jesus is Truth {John 14:6}; His Word is True {John 17:17}. If we continue in His Word then we will know the truth and the truth will set us free.{John 8:31-32}…. The Holy Spirit is True and “Guides us into all truth”-{John 16:13-14}, We are commanded to continually THINK on Truth -{Phil 4:8}, We are to “…speak the truth in love…”-{Eph 4:15}; and John said “I have no greater joy than to hear my children {believers} are walking in the TRUTH!”-{3 John 1;4}; And we are to “Hold forth the Word of Life.” Which is the Word of TRUTH!
The means to being transformed, changed more and more in the likeness of Christ in our thinking and doings is through hearing and applying the Word of God, the Truth!
“Sanctify them {to live in accordance with} in the Truth. Your Word is truth.” – {John 17;17}.The Word “sanctify,”consecrate, setting apart, is used of the Father setting aside the Lord Jesus for His mission in John 10:36. And the believers are set aside, sanctified, a word used for setting aside from the common,mundane, by God to God, for God’s exclusive use. It is a privilege to be set aside by God not from the world but to be in the world for Him and His use! He uses His Word for our good,equipped by His Word to achieve His end! The Holy Spirit “Guides us” in His truth, illuminates it so we understand, empowers us so we can be changed, conformed to the image of Christ and to daily live it out, being about His business…to Glorify Jesus Christ! -{Read John 16:13-14}! God’s Word is our friend yet the fight that goes on to keep us from it. The fight within us, the fight without, laziness, or thoughts that “you can’t understand it.” And “no,”we cannot in ourselves,”But God,…” enables us ‘In Christ,” so that we can because of the Holy Spirit, our residing Teacher who “Guides us into all truth” is within us! Answer the lie with Truth. Speak to yourself from the Word of Truth! That’s one way even now, you are using ‘The Sword of The Spirit.” Good job!
“And do not be conformed to this world, but BE {BEING} transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ” -{Rom 12:2}