December 29, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

Romans 1:21 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.

Consider this.  Jesus made an astounding statement to the woman that He met at the well in John chapter four.   He said: But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:23, 24) No longer was man to worship God based upon the works of their hands in the keeping of the law, rituals, rites, washings, animal sacrifices, etc.  The Lord said that it is now time to worship God the Father in spirit and in truth. 

Spirit and truth is a matter of the mind and soul.  Of a certainty those who worship the Lord God today will invest themselves in religious duties.  However, these duties are not worship; they are a result of worship.  Today, in order to properly worship God, men must overcome the vain imaginations of their foolish hearts. A good definition of this word ‘vain’ is “based on nothing”. 

Individuals today basically fall into one of two categories concerning the things of Almighty God.  One category is made up of people who believe the Word of God. Everything they hold as truth concerning the Lord can be defended only by the contents of the Word of God.  It could be said that the Word of God is their final authority for all that they believe and practice.  By faith they accept and attempt to live up to the highest ideals of Scripture.  The other category is made up of people who believe that which they choose to believe, which belief system is, in and of itself, based upon no ultimate authority. Feelings, societal peculiarities, outcome based initiatives, situational ethics, financial pressures, and many other evolving and ever-changing physical conditions determine what is believed by this group of people at any given point in time.  

To worship God in spirit and truth, one must have the proper spirit and know the truth. This is why verses like John 14:17 are so vital to worship today. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.  Vain imaginations are just that, imaginations that are vain.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today.

Dr. William Howe