Reading My Mind

During a recent prayer time I asked the Lord to reveal any sins I had not yet confessed. I was instantly reminded of some displeasing and ugly thoughts. Nobody else would have known about them. They were buried deep, dark-winged shadows that had flitted through my mind but were never acted upon.  

I guess some people believe that thoughts have no moral weight. But Jesus taught that our thoughts can be evil even if their intent is never fully realized. He warned about anger and lust in this regard, for example (cf. Mt. 5:21ff). He said that from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person (Mark 7:21-23).

Jesus knows my thoughts. Numerous times in Scripture the Lord Jesus reads the minds of people.

• But Jesus, knowing their thoughts…Matthew 9:4
• Knowing their thoughts… Matthew 12:25
• But He knew their thoughts…Luke 6:8
• But Jesus, knowing the reasoning of their hearts…Luke 9:47

Confessing my sinful thoughts gave me fresh appreciation and gratitude for my Savior. He died to atone for the wayward, carnal impulses of my mind, just as surely as He paid for my other sins. All of them were nailed to the cross (cf. Colossians 2:13).

How wonderful and unbelievably gracious is our Savior! His sacrificial kindness renews my desire to take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5b).