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Sermon: Thralldom
...or
how not to become a thrall
by Chris Cumming
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The title for this sermon is, “Thralldom” or how not to
become a thrall. Have you ever been a thrall? I guess we have to ask
the question first, “What is a thrall?” If we have been a thrall, what
was the cause and what steps can we take to never be a thrall again?
Today we will answer these questions as I encourage all of us to avoid
being a thrall. Let us begin with some definitions.
Thralldom
The state of being a thrall; bondage; slavery; servitude. The antonym
to [or opposite of] "thrall"
is mastery.
Thrall
A person who is morally or mentally enslaved by some power and/or
influence.
The definition of, “Thralldom” here is easy to grasp. One is either a
thrall in bondage or they are masters of their domains [physical,
mental, emotional and spiritual].
However, there is much more involved in the definition of, “Thrall.”
Clearly the thrall is enslaved but then it says, “by some power and/or
influence.” The list we could create for powers and/or influences is
legion. If we were to set ourselves to this task, we would have to make
four separate and surely, overlapping lists. We would need a list for
the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. What elements in each
area could morally or mentally enslave us? Let me quickly give you an
example or two of each:
1] Physical: An addiction to liquor, smoking, drugs, gambling,
sex or food would be definitely enslaving.
2] Mental: The addictions I just mentioned for Physical could
affect us here. We could list here all the anxiety, attention, memory,
mood and mental disorders. Then there are childhood psychiatric
disorders, stress and trauma disorders.
3] Emotional: We could list any number of behavioral disorders.
Some call this, “acting out.” One example I am learning more about is
passive-aggressive disorders. These manifest in many ways and generally
are the result of things that happened in childhood, such as divorce,
loss of or abandonment of a parent, and various means of abuse or
neglect. Any of these things can enslave a person and can interfere
with the life of a Christian.
4] Spiritual: Up to now, this is where we have had [and
will continue to have] our focus. We are doing everything we
can to avoid false doctrines, backsliding and generally going off into
vain jangling.
If these examples seem a little complex, let me give you a more
simplified list of elements that can and do exert power and influence
over us.
1] The world, which is full of influence—individuals, leaders,
media, entertainment, literature, education, philosophies, worldly
religions, corporations, friends and family.
2] Satan, who rules the world and runs the list I gave you from
the world and who is the prince of the power of the air.
3] Our human nature, which embodies our childhood and full life
experience, which affects the way we think and reason. That is,
everything that has ever happened in your life from birth has made you
what you are today. I am talking about your birth, your upbringing and
family life, your education, early religion and every relationship you
have ever had. You are the sub-total of all these things. Many
elements can affect the way you think.
Virtually every one of these elements reside in thoughts. Indeed, even
a behavioral disorder will generate a thought. What does the Bible say
about all this? What does the Bible say about our thoughts? Turn to
our key verse for this sermon. It is found in 2 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ;
Commentary:
First the general and then the specific:
The reference here is to the pride of human reason, which takes upon
itself to judge of things supernatural and spiritual on purely natural
principles. This was working perilously in the church of Corinth; but,
says the apostle, the weapons of our warfare are able to cast all that
to the ground, and bring every thought
(‘every conception’), like a captive, into absolute obedience
to what Christ demands in thought and action.
~Popular Commentary of the New Testament
Notice this from the Forerunner Commentary covering verses 3-5:
In the New Testament, the most common Greek word for self-control (temperance,
KJV) is enkrateia. Its root meaning is "power over oneself"
or "self-mastery." Self-control, in its widest sense, is mastery over
our passions. It is the virtue that holds our appetites in check,
controlling our rational will or regulating our conduct without being
duly swayed by sensuous desires. Moderation is a key element in
self-control. ~Forerunner commentary
The verse is broken out in 3 parts:
1] Casting down imaginations.
2] And every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God.
3] And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
1] Casting down imaginations.
Casting down imaginations - Destroying
all vain reasonings. ~John Wesley
Explanatory Notes
Casting down imaginations - Rather, as
margin, reasonings (consilia, Vulgate,
counceilis, Wiclif).The rendering ‘imaginations’ comes from
Tyndale. Paul refers to the efforts of human reason to deal with things
beyond it, the best corrective of which is and always will be the simple
proclamation of God’s message to man.
~Cambridge Bible
Casting down imaginations - Margin,
reasonings. The word is probably used here in the sense of device, and
refers to all the plans of a wicked world; the various systems of false
philosophy; and the reasonings of the enemies of the gospel. The various
systems of false philosophy were so entrenched that they might be called
the stronghold of the enemies of God. The foes of Christianity pretend
to a great deal of reason, and rely on that in resisting the gospel.
~Barnes Notes
Casting down imaginations - Reasonings or
opinions. The Greek philosophers valued themselves especially on their
ethic systems, in which their reasonings appeared to be very profound
and conclusive; but they were obliged to assume principles which were
either such as did not exist, or were false in themselves, as the whole
of their mythologic system most evidently was: truly, from what remains
of them we see that their metaphysics were generally bombast; and as to
their philosophy, it was in general good for nothing.
~Adam Clarke
The knowledge of God - The doctrine of
the unity and eternity of the Divine nature, which was opposed by the
plurality of their idols, and the generation of their gods, and their
men-made deities. It is amazing how feeble a resistance heathenism made,
by argument or reasoning, against the doctrine of the Gospel! It
instantly shrunk from the Divine light, and called on the secular power
to contend for it!. ~Adam Clarke
Casting down imaginations - Or
"reasonings"; the carnal reasonings of the minds of natural men against
God, his providences and purposes, against Christ, and the methods of
salvation, and every truth of the Gospel; which are all disproved,
silenced, and confounded, by the preaching of the word, which though
reckoned the foolishness and weakness of God, appears to be wiser and
stronger than men; and whereby the wisdom of the wise is destroyed, and
the understanding of the prudent brought to nothing:
~John Gill
Casting down imaginations - The
sophistries [sof-uh-strees] (false
reasoning) of philosophy. By these weapons the soul is
rescued, delivered, and brought to the obedience of Christ.
~People's New Testament
2] And every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God.
And every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God. - Every exalted opinion respecting
the dignity and purity of human nature; all the pride of the human heart
and of the understanding. All this is opposed to the knowledge of God,
and all exalts itself into a vain self-confidence. People entertain vain
and unfounded opinions respecting their own excellency, and they feel
that they do not need the provisions of the gospel and are unwilling to
submit to God. ~Barnes Notes
Note:
This commentary is important, for it is pointing out two distinct
elements:
1) “All the pride of the human heart and of the understanding.
2) How we act—what we do on that understanding.
Throughout our lives, we have often taken in false information [physical,
mental, emotional or spiritual].
Sometimes it is just false facts and in some cases we have been
preprogramed from childhood to think and respond in certain ways. Those
thoughts and those actions will therefore be wrong, false and/or
negative. Many, if not all of these would be flying in the face of God,
His truth and real facts. God is saying that we are to cast down these
things.
The false facts we carry around can, for the most part, be easily
corrected. What is hard is getting rid of all the programming we have
existing in our hearts and minds. There is a way to destroy them as we
will see.
3] And bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience
of Christ.
And every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God. - every proud thought of the heart,
every great swelling word of vanity, every big look, even all the lofty
looks and haughtiness of men, with every airy flight, and high towering
imagination, reasoning, and argument advanced against the Gospel of
Christ; which is here meant by the knowledge of God, and so called,
because it is the means of leading souls into the knowledge of God, even
into a better knowledge of him than can be attained to, either by the
light of nature, or law of Moses; to a knowledge of him, and
acquaintance with him in Christ the Mediator, in whom the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God is given; and with which knowledge of God
eternal life is connected, yea, in this it consists; it is the beginning
of it, and will issue in it. ~John Gill
The obedience of Christ - Subjection
to idols was annihilated by the progress of the Gospel among the
heathens; and they soon had but one Lord, and his name one. In like
manner the doctrines of the reformation, mighty through God, pulled down
- demolished and brought into captivity, the whole papal system; and
instead of obedience to the pope, the pretended vicar of God upon earth,
obedience to Christ, as the sole almighty Head of the Church, was
established. ~Adam Clarke
This next one really says it well and gets to the heart of the matter.
And bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ. - The figure here is evidently taken from
military conquests. The idea is, that all the strongholds of paganism,
and pride, and sin would be demolished; and that when this was done,
like throwing down the walls of a city or making a breach, all the plans
and purposes of the soul, the reason, the imagination, and all the
powers of the mind would be subdued or led in triumph by the gospel,
like the inhabitants of a captured city. Christ was the great Captain in
this warfare. In his name the battle was waged, and by his power the
victory was won. The captives were made for him and under his authority;
and all were to be subject to his control. Every power of thought in the
pagan world; all the systems of philosophy and all forms of opinion
among people; all the purposes of the soul; all the powers of reason,
memory, judgment, fancy in an individual, were all to come under the
laws of Christ, All doctrines were to be in accordance with his will;
philosophy should no longer control them,
but they should be subject to the will of Christ. All the plans of life
should be controlled by the will of Christ, and formed and executed
under his control - as captives are led by a conqueror. All the emotions
and feelings of the heart should be controlled by him, and led by him as
a captive is led by a victor. The sense is, that it was the aim and
purpose of Paul to accomplish this, and that it would certainly be done.
The strongholds of philosophy, paganism, and sin should be demolished,
and all the opinions, plans, and purposes of the world should become
subject to the all-conquering Redeemer.
~Barnes Notes
Note:
With this explanation we are beginning to see a procedure for both the
“casting down of imaginations” and “bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ.”
Before we can come up with a working procedure, we must know the primary
principles we will invoke:
1. Identification of object - We must identify whether the
thought or action is of the Word of God – God’s Will.
2. Identification of cause – We must identify what it is
manifesting the thought or deed.
3. Casting out – We must develop a method of casting out wrong
thoughts and eliminating negative/evil causes.
4. Living by Assiduity – Giving everything to God and asking
Christ to be the Captain of your warfare.
Let us look at two more commentaries on the last part of our key verse
[2 Corinthians 10:5]:
And bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ. - An amplification of this spiritual
power, which conquers the enemies in such a way, be they ever so crafty
and mighty, that it brings some of them by repentance to Christ, and
justly avenges others that are stubbornly obstinate, separating them
from the others who allow themselves to be ruled.
~Geneva Bible Translation Notes
Note: This commentary is speaking to how God destroys real human
enemies/armies or otherwise brings them to repentance. The commentary
then says that what God does to wrong thoughts and actions [enemies
of both us and God] is an amplification of this spiritual
power. We are fulfilling this verse by spiritual power.
And bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ. - or "carrying captive the whole
understanding"; that is, so illustrating it with divine light, that it
clearly sees Christ to be the alone, able, willing, full, and suitable
Saviour, and so becomes obedient to him, both as a Saviour and a King;
such an enlightened soul looks to him alone for life and salvation,
ventures on him, and relies upon him, and is desirous and willing to be
saved by him in his own way; he receives and embraces all his truths and
doctrines with faith and love, and obeys them from the heart, and
cheerfully and willingly submits to all his commands and ordinances; for
though he is taken by the grace of God, and all his strong holds,
reasonings, and high thoughts are demolished by the power of God in the
Gospel, and he himself is carried captive, yet not against, but with his
will, to be a voluntary subject of Christ, and cheerfully to submit to
the sceptre of his kingdom. ~John Gill
Note: This John Gill
commentary gives us an interesting way of viewing our mission of casting
down imaginations. We immerse ourselves into this subject with the Word
of God, as well as, independent study into the causes of our thinking
and by getting professional help if needed. We then look to Christ to
complete this mission as we “embrace all his truths and doctrines with
faith and love.”
I now want to use the Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge to see what other
verses are linked to our key verse today:
Casting down:
1 Corinthians 1:19
For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring
to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
Note: We should be about the
same mission as God regarding our character and thought processes.
Imaginations: or,
reasoning
And every high thing that exalteth against the knowledge of God:
2 Kings 19:22
Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou
exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the
Holy One of Israel.
Job 40:11-12
11 Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is
proud, and abase him.
12 Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down
the wicked in their place.
Psalm 10:4
The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after
God: God is not in all his thoughts.
Note: Any element not of God
is against God and must be eliminated. It must be cast down.
And bringing into captivity:
Romans 7:23-25
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members.
24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this
death?
25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I
myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
Continue on into the next chapter.
Romans 8:1-6
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free
from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk
not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but
they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is
life and peace.
Note: The casting down of
imaginations/reasonings and the bringing into captivity of every thought
is accomplished by the Spirit of God with the Word of God.
Every thought:
Psalm 139:2
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my
thought afar off.
Note: God will lead us to the
knowledge regarding our thoughts.
Proverbs 15:26
The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words
of the pure are pleasant words.
Note: Pure words lead to pure
thoughts.
Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts:
and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and
to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart.
Note: Again, immersion in the
Word of God will aid us in discerning our thoughts.
To the obedience of Christ:
1 Peter 1:14-15
14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the
former lusts in your ignorance:
15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner
of conversation;
1 Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the
Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another
with a pure heart fervently:
How do we make this admonition work? How do we proceed?
How to Proceed [this will
accompany our final Procedure below]
1] Do a study in which you identify faulty beliefs and faulty reasoning.
2] Identify if you are invoking faulty beliefs and reasoning.
3] Keep a diary or journal where you identify and catalog reactions,
emotional and mental reasoning as well as beliefs.
4] Immerse yourself in the Word of God and compare everything in your
journal against it.
5] Cast out all false reasoning.
6] Bring every thought/reasoning into obedience to Christ.
Key finishing verses that make the procedure work.
John 16:13A
Howbeit when it, the Spirit of truth, is come, it will guide you into
all truth…
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if
there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Psalm 19:14
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable
in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
There is a text that has been around a long
time. I have modified it to fit this sermon and our key verse.
“Sow a righteous thought and you'll reap a righteous action;
Sow a righteous action, and you'll reap a right habit;
Sow a righteous habit and you'll ultimately reap the Kingdom of God.”
Let us finish with the final procedure to fulfill 2 Corinthians 10:5 in
our life.
Procedure:
1] Begin thinking about your thoughts and actions. Meditate on them.
Catalogue them or keep a thought/action journal.
2] Ascertain why you hold that thought and/or took that action [or
inaction]. Take special note of how you react to everything.
3] Cast down the negative thought or action. At this point they are
identified. Cast them down or out as they come. Do not accept bad
thoughts. Cast them out in the name of Jesus Christ, the Captain of
your warfare.
4] Give the underlying causes to God. He is the only being who can
ultimately destroy them.
5] Watch as your thinking and actions change.
6] Identify the thoughts and actions that reflect the gospel---God's way
of truth. Rejoice in these.
7] Give all thought and actions to God in Assiduity.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
1] Read Romans 6.
2] Here is that list of faulty thinking:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies Take special note of
the Informal Fallacies and the Faulty generalizations. Look at the
links in the “See also” section at the bottom. Lots of studies here.
3]
Regarding that video I mentioned, here is the excerpt from our
posted list of videos. We have 263 now.
Edification
videos – Edifying others -1
How you can break-up traffic jams and edify others. 7:01
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGFqfTCL2fs |
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