Think like God
The Key to a Better Life
by
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Chapter One
The Life of God
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WHAT IS THE LIFE OF GOD?
A
s we consider the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, we find that God’s life is first other-oriented.
And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17).
THE FATHER EXALTS THE SON
In Matthew 17, we see that the Father interrupts Peter who just spoke about making three tabernacles, that is one for the Lord, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. We have Moses which represents the law, and Elijah which represents the prophets, but God the Father makes the distinction between the Lord Jesus, the law, and the prophets by saying, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him.” Although this is clear that God the Father wants you to hear the Lord Jesus, yet today we hear a lot of people following Moses and Elijah and listening more to the law and the prophets than to the Lord Jesus Himself. Let us follow the desire of our Father in heaven and listen first and foremost to his beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
While He yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him (Matthew 17:5).
THE LORD JESUS EXALTS THE FATHER
My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all: and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand (John 10:29).
For I have not spoken of Myself: but the Father which sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak (John 12:49).
THE LORD JESUS EXALTS THE HOLY SPIRIT
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I depart, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).
THE HOLY SPIRIT EXALTS THE LORD JESUS
We can clearly see through the Scriptures that the first characteristic of the life of God is to be other-oriented.
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you (John 16:14).
The Lord Jesus is the perfect representation of our Father God. If there was anyone on earth that lived His life for others, that person was our Lord Jesus. He lived to save, raise from the dead, heal, deliver, feed, bless, comfort, and serve all people who came in touch with Him and who would be willing to receive from Him. He never got married or built a career for Himself, but He lived and died for us. He is the perfect picture of God for us.
He hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds: Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high (Hebrews 1:2-3).
He even gave us the secret of happiness, which is participating in His life.
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them (John 13:17).
The whole context is being other-oriented and serving others; therefore, happiness in life is to be other-oriented and serve others with no strings attached, regardless of what we do.
SELF-SACRIFICIAL LIFE OF GOD
The life of God is not just an other-oriented life, but it is a life of unconditional love and acceptance, a self-sacrificial life, as well as a life marked by everything being done from a willing heart.
I want to point out the self-sacrificial life from the following passages in the book of Revelation. The apostle John takes this symbol of power, which is the lion, and turns it on its head showing us in verse 6 that the lion is a lamb as it has been slain. The power of God is in the self-sacrificial power of the lamb. God Almighty, who could have used His power to cause people to follow Him, chose the way of love and sacrifice to conquer the world because that is the greatest power that ever existed. God is love (1 John 4:8).
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to lose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth (Revelation 5:5-6).
They follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Revelation 14:4 NAS).
In the following passage, the Warrior with eyes as a flame of fire, with His vesture dipped in blood and a sharp sword coming out of His mouth, followed by an army clothed in fine linen, white and clean, shows us that the Warrior is not coming from battle but He is going to battle. His clothing which is dipped in blood is dipped in His own blood, and the sword is the truth about His self-sacrificial love with which He does war against the lies that the nations believed. Those same nations are the nations over which He rules. The power of God is the self-sacrificial love on display for us through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And I saw Heaven opened, and behold a white horse: and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns: and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in Heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:11-16).
Why is it so important to think like God does? Thinking like God will result in living like God, and living like God will result in being able to do what God does. Just as you think in your heart, so are you.
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee: but his heart is not with thee (Proverbs 23:7).
THINK LIKE GOD
Imagine being able to think like God. Wouldn’t that be the most important thing you could do in your life?
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).
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About the Book
Jesus said in Matthew 16:23 that when we think like men, we become our own stumbling block. What we think and how we think are very important. Wrong thinking will inevitably trip us up. We need to get rid of our old way of thinking like mere men and have a fresh way of thinking. We need to think like God.
About the Author
John Blig, founder, president, and Senior Pastor of Oasis of Light Church in San Antonio, Texas, is also the Director of Charis Bible College, San Antonio. John has exceptional insight into the truths of God’s Word and has a passion for communicating God’s grace to the City of San Antonio, and to the world.