INTRODUCTION

1. In the image of God, we have been made with the ability to think and reason (Gen. 1:26-27).

2. God expects us to use this unique ability to our full capacity, but we are not to use it in defiance of God or in contradiction to the truth He has given to us in His word.

   1. Man's ways and thoughts must be set aside in favor of God's ways and thoughts just as Isaiah 55:7-9 states:

      ⁷Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  ⁸"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.  ⁹"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

   2. By his own thoughts, man often makes foolish decisions and finds trouble (Jer. 10:23).  Those who govern their thoughts by truth and the guidance of God's word avoid such trouble.

3. Presently, let us consider some mistakes people confess with the words, "I thought."

    

BIBLICAL EXAMPLES

1. Abraham thought wrong of Abimelech (Gen. 20:1-18).

   1. When Abraham and Sarah travelled in Gerar, Abraham said of Sarah, "She is my sister."  Therefore King Abimelech felt free to take her as his wife.

   2. God warned Abimelech in a dream not to touch Sarah because she was married.  God also recognized Abimelech's integrity, and Abimelech obeyed God and did not sin.

   3. When Abimelech asked Abraham why he had brought this trouble to Gerar, Abraham said, "Because I thought, surely there is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife" (v. 11).

   4. Abraham's thoughts were mistaken, for Abimelech displayed the fear of God in his actions.

2. Naaman thought wrong of Elisha (2Ki. 5:1-19).

   1. When Naaman came from Syria to Israel for healing from leprosy, Elisha sent his messenger to Naaman and said, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean" (v. 10).

   2. Rather than following these instructions, Naaman became furious.  He said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper'" (v. 11).

   3. If Naaman's servants had not reasoned with him, then he would have remained in his leprosy.  His thoughts about Elisha's actions were mistaken, and they nearly prevented him from being healed.

3. Saul thought wrong of Jesus Christ.

   1. Saul was a ferocious opponent of the church of Christ (Acts 8:1-3) a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent aggressor (1Tim. 1:13).

   2. All of that changed when Jesus appeared to him, saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" (Acts 9:4).  Saul was converted to Christ and began preaching the gospel as the apostle Paul.

   3. Later, when Paul was recalling his former ways, he said, "So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth" (Acts 26:9).

   4. Although Saul did not violate his conscience (Acts 23:1), his thoughts about Jesus had been mistaken.  Indeed, his thoughts caused him to persecute the very Son of God.

       

MODERN EXAMPLES

1. "I thought that all churches are the same in God's eyes."

   1. The denominational model of the church has taught many to think that there are many separate denominations that comprise the one universal church of Christ.  According to this thought, all of these denominations have equal standing.

   2. Contrary to this, the word of God declares that there is "one body" (Eph. 4:4), which is the church (Eph. 1:22-23).  Of course, there are many local congregations, but there is one church.

   3. In this body, there is to be no division, but rather there is to be unity of mind and judgment (1Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:1-3).  The New Testament does not teach nor condone the concept of a divided body of Christ, i.e., denominationalism.

2. "I thought that belief in Jesus is all that matters."

   1. The doctrine of salvation by faith only was made popular by Martin Luther and other Reformers.  This is a widely held belief among many professed Christians today.

   2. However, the Bible never teaches this idea.  In fact, James 2:24 says that "a man is justified by works and not by faith alone."

   3. Consider the example of the rulers who believed in Jesus but were afraid to confess Him because "they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God" (John 12:42-43).  Does anyone think that these men were saved by their belief?

3. "I thought I was a good person."

   1. People often think that they are good enough to be saved or at least not bad enough to be condemned.  Because they are not murderers, thieves, drunkards, etc., they think they are safe.

   2. The reality of Scripture gives a different perspective. It says, "All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one" (Rom. 3:12), and "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23).

   3. Without a proper grasp of this truth, a person is unlikely to sense his desperate need for salvation in Christ.  Everyone needs to be moved to say, "Wretched man that I am!  Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24).  The answer is Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:1).

4. "I thought I knew what to do to be saved."

   1. According to men, salvation comes by saying the "sinner's prayer," asking Jesus into your heart, answering an altar call, or following some other tradition taught by men.

   2. The Bible says nothing of such methods of salvation, but rather it advises one path to salvation through Christ (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  There is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph. 4:5).

   3. Eternal life is too important to leave to man's speculation. Get the truth from God.

5.  "I thought baptism wasn't necessary."

   1. For many years, some theologians have denied the necessity of baptism.  They portray baptism as nothing more than a ritual to reflect salvation or to initiate a person into a church.

   2. However, Scripture plainly teaches that baptism is a requirement for salvation in passages like Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, and 1Peter 3:21.  Who will you believe?  Man or God?

6. "I thought baptism was enough to be saved."

   1. There is sometimes a tendency for Christians to go too far and think baptism is the most essential step to salvation.  It is almost as if baptism alone makes one a Christian.  This gives the sense that one can be baptized, never do another thing is the service of Christ, and expect salvation.

   2. Scripturally, this is a false notion.  Baptism is only one part of the gospel plan of salvation. Salvation is based on faith and grace (Eph. 2:8) and requires confession (Rom. 10:10), repentance (Acts 2:38), and continual faithfulness and obedience (John 3:36; Col. 1:23).  You need them all.

7. "I thought the Lord's Supper was enough for worship."

   1. Some Christians have the idea that as long as they participate in any semblance of the Lord's Supper on Sunday they have fulfilled their obligation and need to worship.

   2. The New Testament shows that the church is to observe the Lord's Supper in the assembly on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1Cor. 11:17-34), but this is not the only essential activity for the assembly.  The church is also to sing, pray, teach, edify one another, and take up collections (Acts 2:42; 1Cor. 16:1-4; Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; Heb. 10:23-25).  None of this should be neglected.

8. "I thought I could get close to sin without sinning."

   1. Being in the vicinity of sin and sinners is not sin itself. However, getting close to sin and having fellowship with sinners opens a Christian to temptations and provokes lusts that lead to sin.

   2. Concerning adultery, Proverbs 6:27-28 asks, "Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned?  Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?" The answer in reference to adultery or any other sin is no.

   3. Likewise, 1Corinthians 15:33 gives this famous warning: "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'"  No one is exempt from this.

       

CONCLUSION

1. These confessions of mistaken thoughts could go on and on, but the point is that we are self-deceived if we guide ourselves by our own thoughts rather than by God's word. Saying "I thought" will not excuse us.

2. One of the saddest confessions will be made by those wait too long to obey God's will rather than their own.  In eternity, they will say, "I thought I had more time."  To them and all of us, the Scripture says today, "Behold, now is 'the acceptable time,' behold, now is 'the day of salvation'" (2Cor. 6:2).