How to Control Your Thought Life

Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here's Adrian Rogers. Take God's word and turn to the book of Psalms, the heart of the Bible. And Psalm 119, which is the great Psalm on the Word of God.

And in a moment, we're going to begin reading in verse 9. The subject is on how to control your thought life. And you know that we live in a world that has gone wild. And the problem primarily is the thought life. If you think back when God destroyed the first civilization with the flood.

The reason that he did it was because of the thought life, the thoughts of men's hearts. The imagination of men's hearts was evil continually before the Lord.

Some time back, U.S. News and World Report had an alarming issue. Matter of fact, I saved the issue. On the front of that issue was a picture of a youngster. He looked like he's in his early teens.

Maybe 13. He's in his Blue jeans, he has a pullover t-shirt. He has a tape player and he has earphones on. And the caption Ask this question. This is on the front cover.

Do you know what your children are listening to.

Now this is not in a religious journal, this is U.S. News and World Report. And here's some of the things that that article said in this secular magazine: Day and night, America's youth are enticed. by electronic visions of a world so violent Sensual and narcotic. that childhood itself seems to be under siege.

The pleasures purveyed to the young today through records, television, videos, and films. are so provocative that parents are in an uproar. psychologists are warning of dire consequences. Entertainment producers are fearful of threats to free speech. And politicians are pondering solutions.

The question First Amendment rights. Bottom line, they say we've got a problem, we don't know what to do with it. Then the article goes on to say violence, the occult, rebellion. drug abuse, promiscuity. are constant.

Themes.

Now, that means that over and over and over again, your young people, our young people, are being bombarded by these things.

Now Satan is very sinister. Very clever. diabolically wicked. And he wants to capture the hearts and minds of an entire generation, and by and large, he has done it. The mind Is a valued prize over which a battle is being waged.

And why? Obvious. When he has your mind, he has You. Proverbs chapter 4 and verse 23. Keep your heart with all diligence.

For out of it are the issues of life.

Now, when the Bible uses the word heart, it does not mean the organ that pumps your blood. It literally means your thought life. Your mind, the core. of the individual. Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 23, verse 7: For as he thinketh in his heart.

So is he. One philosopher said, Let me compose the songs a nation sings. And I don't care who makes its laws. That is, it is music. that has this powerful force.

But then set music to pornographic images. such as MTV. And there you have Satan beginning to build a system, a web. That will destroy the minds of young people and is destroying the minds of adults as well.

Now, let me say this before I get into this message on how to control your thought life. Your mind is not your brain. Your mind is not your brain. Your brain is to your mind what that piano is to a piano player. And your brain is what your mind thinks with.

Now, some of us only have a spin it, and some have a grand piano.

Some of us don't have as good an instrument as others, but you're... If you have a very powerful brain, And a very wicked mind, do you see what a combination that is? Do you see what a person with a bad mind and a good brain would turn out. He becomes a clever devil, a more dangerous thing.

Now The Bible makes it very clear that it is the mind. That must be controlled. Again, Romans chapter 8, verses 6 and 7. We're going to get back to our text in just a moment, but I'm just trying to set the stage and tell you that the mind is the instrument that we need to deal with. Romans 8, verses 6 and 7.

For to be carnally minded is death. The word carnal means fleshly-minded. A carnivorous animal is a flesh-eating animal. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal or the fleshly mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

And then Colossians 1 verse 21, and you... That were sometimes alienated, and enemies in your mind. By wicked works. Yet now hath he reconciled. And again, Jesus said in Luke 13, 3, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

And what does the word repent mean? Metanoia. It means a change. of mine. That's what repentance is.

Let me give you three steps. out of this passage of scripture. that we've looked at. that will help you in this day when your mind is being bombarded. In order to have a pure Thought life, and it is possible.

Ask a little boy to finish this quotation. Cleanliness is next to He finished it this way, cleanliness is next to impossible.

Well, that's not true. It is possible. And you can have a clean thought life. You can live victoriously. but not by isolation.

Not anymore. Our young people today are becoming roadkill on the Information Superhighway. I mean, the things that are in cyberspace now, the filth, it's vile. How are you going to capture The thought life. We still have some people today who tell us, well, Television that Radio music, that doesn't affect the lives of our young people.

You know who's been saying that? The Liberal Crat, all that doesn't bother them. All this filth and this pornography. Uh the free speech crowd. And now Some of that same crowd are saying, you know what, these people are saying on these radio talk shows, that's just changing what everybody is doing.

And they're talking about all of this information that's coming on these radio talk shows and how that's controlling America. You can't have it both ways. I'm not trying to take the side of somebody on a radio talk show who advocates violence. I'm totally against that. I'm just saying that methinks some people are a little hypocritical when they talk out of both sides of their mouths.

Of course, we know what people see and hear affects them. Of course it does. Else, why would people advertise? Because what people see affects them, and they know that it'll cause people to buy their product, whatever it is.

Well, here are the three steps. Number one. Purification of the mind. Your mind has got to get clean to begin with. Look in verse 9.

Wherewithal shall a young man Cleanse. His way.

Now, first of all, you have got to get your mind clean. You've got to get a starting place. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way God asks the question and then God answers the question by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Now look at the word way if you will. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? The word way has the idea of a a groove. A rut. A track.

You see Satan gets a groove in your mind. Satan gets away a track in your mind. You get a one-track mind, a muddy rut. in your mind. Have you ever been around people?

I used to do construction work. working my way through college and seminary, been around a lot of construction workers. I've been around men, no matter what anybody would say, they would turn it. to something dirty, something filthy. Make a dirty joke out of almost everything.

Have you been around people like that? You know, people like that. Anything you do, they can turn it, they just have a rut in their mind. They have a one-track dirty mine. And that's what he's talking about.

Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, this groove that's in his mind? How is he going to get rid of this thing? It's sort of what I would call a secret addiction. And then look at the word cleanse. The word cleanse.

How is a man going to be cleansed? How are you going to get your mind clean to begin with? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. The word of God is the cleansing agent. Jesus said in John 15 verse 3, ye are clean.

Through the word which I have spoken unto you. And the word he uses for clean is the word we get our word catharsis from. You know what a catharsis is, it just cleans you out on the inside. The Word of God is a catharsis. The word of God can cleanse your mind.

You let the cleansing tides of Calvary and the freshening breezes of the Holy Spirit. Blow through you, wash through you, and cleanse you by the word. The Bible speaks of the washing of water by the Word.

Well, how does the Word cleanse us?

Well, it points us to confession and repentance, 1 John 1, 9, if we confess our sin. He's faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to. Cleanse us. I want you just to get a mental image of Jesus Christ. On the authority of the Word of God coming into your heart, into your life, and just doing spring house cleaning.

The other day, George and I got out in the garage. She said, Adrian, we've got to clean out the utility room. Oh no, it was Memorial Day. That's supposed to be a fun day. What?

We got to clean out the utility room. And we said, now. This will save This will pitch. This will give away. Have you ever done that?

Well, what an experience that is.

Well, just picture the Lord Jesus doing that in your mind. Just say, come on in, Lord. Throw this out, get rid of that, and tell me what to keep. He will do that. The Lord Jesus needs to do just spring cleaning in your heart and in your mind.

And listen to me. I don't care what your thought life has been. I don't care what you've been reading. I care not what you've been watching or what you have been thinking or what kind of a rut there is. Tonight Before you go to bed.

Your mind can be as clean as the driven snow.

Now you have to learn that. Don't ever get the idea that it's too late for you or that you can't get your heart and your mind clean. It can be absolutely cleansed. One time I was in another city. I was walking down the street and I walked past one of these houses, these adult houses.

They call them adults, is really for infantile people. When these adult porno palaces. Purveyors of filth. And there in the window of that thing, there was something that was so gross and so vile, and my eyes fell on it. It was like a wound.

I mean literally like a wound. I felt. BAN! I went up to the room. Got on my knees and I said, Lord, you need to just heal my mind.

You need just to cleanse. My mind, and I just accept. You're cleansing. And he did. He did.

The Lord. The Lord can purge and cleanse theirs. Jesus said, Ye are clean. Through the word which I have spoken unto you, God will do a catharsis.

Now, that's so very important that in order to maintain a clean thought life, you've got to come to a place where you start and get. Cleans.

Now, here's the second thing. Not only after there comes that cleansing, that's step number one. and that is purification. After that comes determination.

Sorry about that, but if you're looking for a cheap way, an easy way, I can't give it to you. But now look in verse 10. With my whole heart, Have I sought thee? Oh, let me not wander from thy commandments. If you don't mean business about this thing, you're not going to win.

I mean, if it's not worth it to you to have a clean thought life. If you're half-hearted about it, Forget it. There is no way possible That you're going to have victory in this area until you have a wholehearted victory. Till you make up your mind that with every inch, every ounce, every nerve, every fiber, every sinew, every corpuscle of your being, you will say, Dear God, I will to be true. Do you know the scourge of the century?

It is half-hearted Christians. They want to serve God and dabble in the world. There's a battle for your mind. And if you're half-hearted, you will lose it. Hey, give you some scripture.

James 1 verse 8. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. James 4 verse 8. Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners.

and purify your hearts. Ye double minded. A double-minded man is unstable. Do you want God? Do you want purity of heart?

Do you want? Purity of heart. If you don't, My preaching is absolutely in vain. It will fall off your back like water off a duck's back. Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 29.

But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy heart. And with all thy soul, and the soul means the mind, the emotion. And the will. Number one, get clean. Purification.

Number two, determine. to stay clean. Get it settled. Job said in Job 31, verse 1, I made a covenant with my eyes. Not to look upon a maid.

If you don't make a decision, nobody will make it for you. God can't force himself upon you. Forty years ago. Are longer. I read about an ermine.

You know, the ladies. wear these ermine coats. The airman has a snow-white coat. I learned the way that They trap the ermine or catch the ermine. At least they did according to the story that I read.

They would find the hole in the ground where the ermine would run to hide, and when the ermine would be chased. By the dogs. And they'd find that hole, know that if the dogs began to chase the ermine, he'd run for the hole and burrow underground. And they couldn't get him out.

So they would smear filth. Around the door of that ermine's house, around the parameter of that hole, they would take crude filth and smear it around that entrance. And when the airmen would run, being chased by the dogs, he'd come to that place. And see that. and know that he would defile his snow-white coat if he went in there.

and turn around and face the dogs. And die. rather than to defile himself. That's the kind of determination you're going to have to have, sir. I mean, you you say, look.

I will be pure.

Now if you don't say that, I mean if you don't make it totally In your heart and in your mind, I don't know any way possible you're going to stay clean and pure today. It used to be you had to sneak out around the barn to see things, you don't have to do that anymore. It's there. And if you don't have the determination, if you don't have the gyroscope on the inside, if you don't have the compass on the inside, if you don't have the policeman. Off the street corner, and in your heart, if you have not made privately and personally a decision.

You're going down. First of all, get clean. That's so important that you get clean. Do you know what was wrong with our utility room? I'll tell you what was wrong with our utility room.

Now, this confession. And Joyce says, Adrian, you don't have to tell everything. But our utility room got in a particular state.

Well, we used to have it pretty neat. We had everything labeled and boxes and everything, but then one time the holidays came or whatever, and the company was coming, we just started carrying stuff out there and stacking it in that utility room. And stacked here and stacked here and stacked here. And then after a while, we got where we'd open a door and throw stuff in. You know what I mean?

I mean, it gets to a certain state. What difference does it make? Just put it in there and walk out and shut the door. Your mind will get that way. But when you get it all straight...

And it's all clean. then you don't want to mess it up again, isn't that right? Then you want to keep it that way. That's the reason you've got to get your mind clean so you can keep it that way. If you don't get it clean, I mean, if you don't have the assurance that it's clean, the devil just throw anything in there and you'll accept it.

So you've got to get it clean, and then there has to be that determination. to keep it clean. First of all, purification. Secondly, determination.

Now that's still not enough. That is still not enough. You can get clean. And you can say by The grace of God and everything in me that is, I will keep my heart clean and pure, and you'll still fall if you fail on this third. and most vital thing.

purification, determination, and then Fortification. Look, if you will, now in verse 11. By word. Have I hid in my heart? that I might not sin against thee.

Now he's not talking about past sin and being cleansed from it. He's talking about future temptation. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin. against thee. It is the word of God hidden in your heart.

That is the antidote, the bulwark. that keeps the impure thoughts out. That you're not being overcome with evil, but you're overcoming evil with good. You must saturate your being with the word of God. These hath God married.

And no man shall part. Dust on the Bible. and drought in the heart.

Now you say Pastor Rogers, I? I have a wonderful Bible. Wonderful. I'm glad you have. But do you read it?

Do you memorize it? Do you apply it? Is it real to you? A dime. And a gold nugget.

are of the same value to you personally. If both of them are lying on the bottom of the ocean floor. What good is all of the treasure in this word of God if it's not? Taken and used. I mean, it can be there like a gold nugget, but somehow you have to get this into your heart and in your mind.

How does the Bible keep us pure?

Well, God is a holy God. And when you read the Bible, understand the Bible, and apply the Bible, What you're doing is thinking God's thoughts after Him.

Now put this verse in your margin, Philippians 4. Verses 8 and 9. Paul is talking to the Philippian church and telling them how to live victoriously in hard times. And then this is what he says. Finally, brethren.

Whatsoever things are true. Whatsoever things are honest. Whatsoever things are just. Whatever things are lovely. whatsoever things are of good report, If there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think.

On these Things. You have to think on things That are Proof. that are honest. that are just that are lovely. that are of good report, that are virtuous and praiseworthy.

Now, I've told you many times from this pulpit that God, in His infinite wisdom and great mercy, created us where we cannot be thinking two thoughts at one time. Isn't that wonderful?

So if we're thinking what is right, We cannot be thinking what is wrong. And therefore, it is so important that you have the word of God in your heart. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. Because the word of God, when it gets in your mind, it changes your attitude, and your attitude determines your action. The devil We'll work on your mind.

to take you away from the Word of God and from purity. And of course the Holy Spirit. lead you To the Word of God.

Now, let me tell you how, in a very practical way, I want to tell you how to take the Word of God and make it real to you.

So, tomorrow morning, When you have your quiet time, you can get the Word of God down in your heart and in your life and go out to face the day. in a way that will give you victory. Number one, began to memorize the Word of God. Don't give me that phony baloney about the fact you can't memorize, you're too old. You know why I don't believe that?

Because if you got $1,000 for every verse you memorized, you'd turn into a machine memorizing verses. Right. You would. I mean, just suppose. Say, man, I get $1,000.

All I gotta do is memorize this verse. Would you memorize it? Of course. It's just a value system.

So it's what you want to do.

Now he says, Thy word have I hid in my heart.

Now, what is hiding the Word of God in your heart? That is memorizing the Word of God.

Now, it's got to be in your heart. It can't be in a drawer, it can't be in a trunk. You've got to get it in your heart.

So, first of all, you memorize the Word of God.

Now, it's not enough to memorize it. You can memorize it and it still won't be powerful. Number two, you have to personalize it. Look in verse 12. Blessed art thou, O Lord.

Teach me thy statutes. Ask the Holy Spirit of God. To take the word that you've hidden. As you memorize it, then ask the Holy Spirit of God to personalize it to you. You cannot separate legitimately the word of God and the God of that word.

And ask God to teach you what it means. Pray over it. Many, many times in my sermon preparation, I just have to stop. Lay down my pen and say, God, I don't understand this. Lord, teach me your word.

Not What I'm supposed to be telling other people. Teach it to me. Personalize it. Step number three. Verbalize it.

Look in verse 13. With my lips. Have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth? It is so important that you speak the word of God. and just begin to quote the Word of God and share the Word of God.

I don't mean in a holier-than-thou way. I mean just in a real friendly, natural, normal way. Say, you know, I was reading today the Word of God had something to say about that. And as you begin to verbalize the word of God, there's something about verbalizing it. That is such a blessing, and very frankly, God was good to me that he called me into the ministry.

Because I get to verbalize God's word. And I've learned this about the Word of God. The more of it you give away, the more of it sticks to you. You know, people say, well, how do you remember something?

Well, very frankly. I spend very, very, very little time, almost none at all, at rote memory. Most of my memorization of the Word of God comes through the usage of the Word of God. And as I use the word of God, it somehow just sticks to me as I verbalize it. and personalize it.

I memorize it. And I find myself knowing passages of scriptures that I didn't even try to memorize. As we share the word of God, it puts the devil on the defensive, it puts us on the offensive, and I'll tell you what else it does. Friend, it positions us. Once we let them know that we are bearers of the word of God.

Then we know that we have positioned ourselves, and it won't be quite as easy to look at that thing or to say that thing that we ought not to say. Verbalize the word of God. This book is what the Bible calls the word of our testimony. You remember over there in the book of the Revelation, it speaks of the devil and it says they overcame him by the word of their testimony. The devil is working on your mind.

Why don't you do what Jesus did, take the word of God and work on the devil with it? I mean run him through with the sword. It is so important that you speak the word of God. It is so important that you share the Word of God. It is so important that you sing.

The Word of God. Most all the songs that we sing here, someway, somehow, Put the word of God on our lips. All right, now. We're talking about here taking the word of God. as a weapon against Satan.

Get your heart clean. Number two, you need to determine that it's going to stay clean. Number three, you need to fortify yourself with the word of God.

Now, listen. You verbalize the word of God. Number four. You vitalize it.

Now look, if you will, in verse 14. I have rejoiced. In the way of thy testimonies. as much as in all riches. Do you know why people get off into pornography?

And they get off into deviant thought. It doesn't have to be pornography, it can be greed. It can be bitterness. It can be the occult. Do you know why?

They haven't found satisfaction. An impure mind is a mind that has not found its contentment in the Lord Jesus Christ. An impure mind is a mind That is looking for contentment somewhere else other than the right place.

Now, many Christians have not discovered the riches that they have in Jesus because they don't know. The Word of God. You see, The world loses its appeal to us. And the filth and the pornography loses its appeal if you have satisfaction. These people are reading these filthy magazines.

They've got a craving, they've got a satisfaction, they're trying to fill it. Because they never feel it. Because Once they get to a certain level of pornography, they want something more deviant, something more wild, something more wicked. And having, the Bible says, eyes full of adultery, they cannot cease from sin. But the child of God When he vitalizes the word of God, when he rejoices in God's testimonies.

He has the deepest needs of his life met. And he literally feels sorry. For these people feeding on this, he doesn't say, Oh, I can't do that because I'm a Christian, I wish I could. No. He doesn't feel like a second-class person.

I mean if you've just had a A wonderful meal. I mean a gourmet meal with all of the The trimmings. And it's wonderful. And you've eaten. to you sufficiently satisfied.

Then you go outside and somebody offers you a plate full of stale crumbs. on a dirty plate. No, thank you. I'm already satisfied. Amen.

You see, having found all in the Lord Jesus. What we need to do is not primarily to fight the world. If any man love the world, it is because the love of the Father is not in him. That doesn't say the love of the Father is not in him because he loves the world, but just the opposite. He loves the world because the love of the Father is not in him.

Who is the love of the Father? Jesus. When you fill up with Jesus, then this world loses its appeal to you. And the things of earth grow strangely dim. in the light of His glory and grace.

And when you've just been feasting on Jesus, you don't have to be in the back alley eating tin cans with the devil's billy goats. Because you can say, no, thank you, I'm satisfied. And what you do is you memorize the Word of God. You personalize the word of God. You verbalize the word of God.

You vitalize the word of God. Make it real to you. And last of all, if you would conquer your thought life, You must internalize the word of God. Look, if you will, now in verse 15. I will meditate in thy precepts.

and have respect unto thy ways.

Now This verse is the sum total of all the others. As you internalize the Word of God.

Now, what does that mean? It is a step beyond verbalizing. It is a step. beyond vitalizing. It's meditation, internalizing the Word of God.

Meditation is one of the great doctrines of the Word of God. Look in verse 15: I will meditate. Look, if you will, in verse 23. Princes also did sit and speak against me. But thy servant did meditate.

In thy statutes. Look, if you will, in verse 48 of this same psalm. My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved. and I will meditate in thy statutes. Look, if you will, in verse 97.

of this same psalm. Oh, how I love thy law, it is my meditation. All the day. Look in verse 99. I have more understanding than all my teachers.

For thy testimonies are my meditation. Look, if you will, please, in... Verse 148. My eyes prevent the night watches. That I might Meditate.

In thy word. Do you think God's trying to tell us something? We are to internalize the word of God. The idea of meditating on the Word of God The Word of God becomes so real to you. That is like a tune that you can't get out of your mind.

Have you ever found yourself going around all day long humming a tune? You get something a little ditty in your mind and And you just hum it. All day long and That's the way the Word of God is. And when you meditate on the Word of God, when the Word of God really gets in, gets down. You begin to verbalize it and vitalize it and personalize it and memorize it.

Do you know what you become? You become what I want to call a second nature Christian.

Now what is a second nature Christian? Years ago, I bought a Volkswagen Beetle. That was a wonderful car. I love that little automobile. And I drove it around and visitation and everything down in Florida.

I was proud of that car. But y you shifted that, you know, this way. and so forth. When I bought it, I'd had an automatic transmission in the other car, but I had this little Volkswagen. And at first it was fun, gearing that thing.

You know, of course, it wasn't a racing car like I'd like to have, but anyway, I had folks. And so, you know, you gear it down, you go around corners and all these things, and you know, you're conscious of the fact you're shifting gears.

Well, you have one of those cars several months. You are never conscious of the fact you're shifting gears. You don't even think about it. It is absolutely second nature. You just do it.

Because you're used to doing it. And you know what? You don't have to constantly be saying, I'm not going to watch pornography. I'm not going to think dirty thoughts. I'm not going to do this.

it becomes second nature. When the Word of God gets into you. I mean, when the Word of God permeates you, when you begin to meditate on God's Word. Believe me. Then you become a second nature.

Christian. which is your true nature, the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? How in this day? When the sluice gates of hell have been opened on us, and it seems like a sewer has erupted in the land.

How are you going to do it? Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto. according to thy word. Purification, get clean.

Determination. Do it with your whole heart. Fortification. Thy word have I hid in mine heart. that I might not sin.

against thee. Isn't that a wonderful passage of Scripture? If you've never received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, What I've said applies to Christians. You cannot vitalize the Word of God in your heart without knowing. The author of that word.

And so if you're not certain that you're saved, I want to lead you in a prayer where you can ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and be your personal Savior and Lord. I want you to pray like this.

Now, just pray it fervently in your heart. Dear God. I know that you love me. And I know that you want to save me. And friend, he really does.

Jesus You died to save me. You promised to save me if I would trust you. I do trust you. Jesus. I believe you're the Son of God.

I believe you paid my sin debt with your blood on the cross. I believe that God raised you from the dead. And now I stake my eternal destiny on what you did. And I receive you by faith into my heart and into my life as my Lord and Master. I am sick of my sin.

I repent of my sin. I turn from my sin. And I yield everything to you. Lord Jesus. Thank you for saving me.

Begin now to make me the person you want me to be. Give me the courage. to make this public. and to follow you openly. In your name I pray.

Amen. If you would like to learn more about how you can know Jesus or deepen your relationship with him, simply click the Discover Jesus link on our website, lwf.org. For a copy of this message or additional resources, visit our online store at lwf.org or call 1-800-274-5683. Thank you.