Vain Thoughts of Sin

By Pastor Nick Bibile

Jer 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

You think of God when you come to church, your thoughts are focused on heavenly thinks. How about when you are outside of the church?

The Hebrew word, vain is aven aw-ven'. This word has different meanings like, trouble, sorrow, idolatry, wickedness, iniquity and emptiness. The primary meaning has two facets: stress when you are troubled which moves to sin, (Mr 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.) Then the other is emptiness, which moves on to idolatry. (Ps 39:6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. )This word aven aw-ven' is used eighty five times.

In short, thoughts of vanity are thoughts of sin and the result is trouble and sorrow.

Here we see God’s word to Judah, God is armed to punish Judah of her sins, God’s voice thunders through the prophet Jeremiah for Judah to repent of her sins. Judah was appeasing God of her external show of obedience but not from the heart. The Lord did not ask Judah to wash their hands or to cleanse their outward behavior but the washing of the hearts from sinfulness. Repentance is an inward feeling and not an outward show. Many times man does not see his sins. Because man’s heart is deceitful above everything.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Joel 2:13 And rend your heart, and not your garments,

Hypocrites thinks that their outward performance to God will pacify God and God will forgive their sins, but the Prophet cries out, “How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?”

Jeremiah prophesied the coming judgment of God but Judah was in peace, false prophets were in abundance saying God will not judge, just like today we hear from the pulpits, false ministers crying out and saying God is love, peace but will not expose the sin of man, will not talk of the wrath of God, all what you hear is a sugar coated gospel. In the same way Jeremiah proclaiming the coming judgment of God but years pass by no judgment of God and people too continuing to sin as they do not see the judgment of God.

Jeremiah’s preaching did not convict the people; they did not even blush of their sins, as they did not obey God’s word. This is what they said.

Jer 2:35 you say, ‘I am innocent;
surely his anger has turned from me.’
Behold, I will bring you to judgment
for saying, ‘I have not sinned

Sometimes God’s judgment will take a long time, during this time God sends his servants to the world, calling people to repent. What was the sin of Judah? Vain thoughts lodged in them. What are thoughts? Inward motions and acting of the soul. Thoughts that your mind desires. Thoughts are internal acts of the mind of man. All those reasononings, consultations, purposes, resolutions, intents, desires and cares of the mind.

Hypocrites can fool many people by their good external performances as their works may look very good in front of others but their thoughts are just the opposite, the thoughts can be wicked, sinful, greedy, prideful and selfish. But God knows both the works and the thoughts.

Isa 66:18 For I know their works and their thoughts.

Ps 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Sometimes these thoughts will grow and the fruits of the thoughts are actions. These thoughts will manifest and breakout in action and this is called works of disobedience.

Gen 6:5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Heart is the seat or the center of all affection and the fountain of all action. The heart sets the mind to work, heart will invent, plan and design the thoughts; we call them the thoughts of the heart.

Mt 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.

What are vain thoughts? Vain thoughts are sinful thoughts. Let’s go more deeper and expose some of these vain sinful thoughts.

If you think you are a good person by nature that’s a vain thought. If you trust in your church for salvation, that’s a vain thought, if you trust in your opinions trust in yourself that’s a vain thought. If you trust in ritualism that’s a vain thought. If you think of the world’s glory, material things, comforts, honor, pride, greed and thinking of Christ is limited then these are all vain thoughts. If you think you can go to heaven by your good works that’s a vain thought. If you are prideful will not cry for mercy for your sins, will not fall at the feet of Jesus of our sins, those are vain thoughts, If the word of God convicts you of sin and you compromise, that’s a vain thought.

Jeremiah cries out to nation saying, “How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?” Vain, empty, sinful thoughts are welcomed and they lodge, live in the hearts of many.

The heart is like a home with many rooms. There are guests who will come to this home and lodge in different rooms, guests of different kinds and they will entertain in these rooms. When you are getting fed from this world and your hearts kept open for the world, then the devil and his demons have an open direct access to your heart. These evil forces will tempt you and it is sad to say that many are welcoming these fun loving, pleasurable, lovable daintiest pleasures and they lodge and their hearts. They will defile those rooms in your hearts.

Where does these vain thoughts come? They come from the world. Just imagine the influence of the media today of a society. Millions of dollars are spent to target the minds of the masses through temptation, these temptations does not come in black and white anymore but in high definition, LCD or plasma TV with stereo sound. The media is manipulating the minds of the people today.

The media is influencing peoples minds so great as people turn to the media to see what is truth and what is false. There are no absolutes but the media has the final opinion. They have made the truth the word of God a lie. Media will not promote the word of God but they will suppress the truth.

Ro 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.

Ro 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

Ps 139:20 For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

Ps 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Whatever you see, whatever you hear is invited to the heart and these empty, vain, imaginations, sinful thoughts begin to breed in the heart and they lodge in the hearts of many.

Ga 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Satan and his demons are working 24X7 to promote ungodliness and using the media as a tool to accomplish this task. Profanity, filth, sin, wickedness, entertainment that goes after the world is promoted. Media is lodged in their hearts.

2Ti 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Mt 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

During the time of Jeremiah, false prophets were gaining popularity as they were preaching peace instead of judgment of God; they preached what people wanted to hear, they preached to the flesh not to the soul. Satan has not changed his tactics since those old days, he is doing more craftily today as many false prophets are preaching false doctrines, and these false preachers are gaining popularity. When you lie continually all the time, then the lie becomes like a truth to the people listening. Today there is a Mormon running for the presidency in this country. Even the conservative media is calling Mormonism as Christians! Fifty or sixty years ago the country would explode if they hear a Mormon running for Presidency but what is happening today? The media is has brain washed the people so good and the Bible is not the final authority anymore. The false prophets are increasing day by day.

Satan’s goal is to bring doubt about the true word of God to the people. Remember how the enemy deceived Adam and Eve bringing doubt to their hearts? Remember after the death of Jesus suddenly the disciples saw Jesus walking on water towards them, Jesus saw their minds as they did not believe it was Jesus.

Lu 24:38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

They were troubled as vain thoughts would have come to their minds, the enemy puts vain thoughts so men will be troubled of the true word of God.

Jer 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

La 2:14 Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.

These men may come near to God in their performance and works but their vain thoughts draw the heart away from God, so there is no growth, no sanctification, his thoughts are far away from God.

Isa 29:13And the Lord said:
"Because this people draw near with their mouth
   and honor me with their lips,
   while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men

Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

The media is also promoting, “How to be Rich and to Stay Rich” This is very pleasing to the flesh. The worst vanity is to fulfill the lusts of the flesh. They imagine and dream of how they can get rich in this world. Many fancy these imaginations and thirst after them. They are drunk in the world. Their mind is not on Christ but of the earthly places.

Ps 49:11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

Ps 49:17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. 20 Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

Luke 21:34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

On the other hand when the Christian is tempted by the world and the devil and the demons keep knocking on Christian’s heart so they can enter, Christian goes to the scriptures just like how Christ Jesus went to the scriptures against the enemy.

2Co 10:4 (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.

Pr 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD: but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

Oh, how many have fallen to the trap of Satan and his demons, they have become slaves to the enemy as they have invited those lusts, the riches and the beauty of the world and these guests are lodging in their hearts and their hearts falls down and worship them as they love them and have affection for them.

Mr 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Why is it many people who attend church will not remember the sermon that was preached, they don’t remember the scriptures, they don’t remember the spiritual things. But they will remember the sports they watched on T.V, all the current status of the sports, they know all what is going on with politics, they know all those nice stories, jokes they heard during that week, but they cannot remember even 10% of the last week’s sermon, they forgot the scriptures that were used in the last sermon. Why do people forget the most important spiritual but remembers all the worldly things?

Lu 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

The guests whom Satan and the demons sent are choking them the word of God, others things are substitute to the word of God. Many who think they are Christians who are wrapped up with this world are not true Christians.

Ro 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Life does not come out of the grave. Clean thing will not come out of an unclean thing. You must be born from above. You must have a new heart with the new heart comes a new mind. Not outward repentance but an inward repentance.

Jer 4:14 O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved.

Thomas Goodwin the puritan who lived in 1600-1679 gives some very good advise on this subject. I am going to paraphrase He said once you discover the vanity in your heart be humble to the word of God. Pride will never get you to heaven.

The second advise he gives is, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov 4:23)

A heart is sanctified there are true affections towards God only when true grace is given to a person. When God gives a new heart the old man is crucified, now those old guests who lodged in the heart are crucified and new holy guests are invited. Now there is holy, sweet heavenly thoughts that delights the heart of the believer.

Mr 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.

Pr 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

God is the most glorious, most majestic, most alluring, most holy, most worthy. How we need to think of God and our Lord Jesus Christ above all and to mediate upon heavenly thinks as our citizenship is not of this world but heaven. But when the enemy tempts of this world with glorious vain things we can say, “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. (Ps 119:113)

The devil will bring distractions from God in order to bring attraction of this world, Christ told us to watch and pray, so we will place a guard at the door of our heart. Pray daily, morning and evening asking God to give you grace and to help you in your walk and to protect you from the temptations of the enemy.

Ps 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.