Imagine

Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of Scripture from the book of 2 Corinthians, but first of all……

To imagine is the act or power of forming a mental picture of something that is not present, or especially something someone has not known or experienced. Many people try to create an idea of what God is like in their own mind, but the reality about God’s characteristics are found in His only begotten Son Jesus Christ, and throughout the teachings of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul spent many years casting down people’s misconceptions about God by preaching the truth. 

2 Corinthians 10 ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: ⁴  (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 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;

A misconception is a view or opinion that is incorrect because it’s based on faulty thinking or understanding. There are so many different religions in the world today, each of them professing to believe in God whatever that might be to them. Some of them are very obedient, adhering to their own particular religions. Obedience is a wonderful quality, but to enter eternal life, it must be placed in the right thing. The truth is, there is only one God, the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What we need to do is place our obedience fully in Jesus, because He is the only access point to complete forgiveness with God. He died as the Lamb of God, shedding His own blood for the sins of this world. To truly become wise in Spiritual things, one must come to Christ Jesus, and be filled up with the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 2 ² That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

³ In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

In the next passage, Paul was casting down religious imaginations, and trying to convert people to Christ so they could be saved. 

Acts 17 ²² Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. ²³ For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. ²⁴ God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; ²⁵ Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; ²⁶ And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; ²⁷ That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: ²⁸ For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. ²⁹ Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. ³⁰ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: ³¹ Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

The only way to truly understand Spiritual things, is through God’s Holy Spirit, which is only granted to those who believe and obey His Son Jesus Christ. 

1 Corinthians 2 ⁶ Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: ⁸ Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. ⁹ But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

¹⁰ But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

¹¹ For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

For thousands of years, people have worshiped the wrong things, and the Apostle Paul would refute those who lifted themselves over the knowledge of God in Christ.

Romans 1 ²⁰ For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: ²¹ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

²² Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, ²³ And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

Psalms 115 ³ But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. ⁴ Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

⁵ They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not:

⁶ They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not:

⁷ They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.

⁸ They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

Salvation can only happen when somebody places their faith in Jesus. 

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Colossians 2 ⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. ⁹ For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

¹⁰ And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

People can have some wild imaginations at times, even holding many religious opinions that greatly err. Paul was fighting against these things with the sword of God’s Holy Word. Although many people might imagine what God is like according to them, the truth is that everything we want to know about God is found in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Once you know the truth, people can put their misconceptions to rest, because after you possess the knowledge of God, there is no longer the need to…..

……Imagine

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc  where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.♥️