Higher Thinking - Sermon wrap-up (1)
By Alston Ng
LMS Hern Shung made his precarious ascent up the creaky aluminium ladder and, taking a moment to survey the congregation, he spoke with a voice that boomed across the Emmanuel Hall as though it came from the clouds. Well, not really from the clouds, but the dramatic tension was no less palpable.
This week, I caught up with Hern Shung to hear his thoughts and reflections on Phil 4:8, the verse on which he preached at The Saturday Service on 11 Jan, 2020.
In what ways does ‘higher thinking’ (according to Phil 4:8) differ from positive thinking?
Positive thinking is focused on the self and seeks self-improvement (i.e. How can I become better based on my own efforts), while ‘higher’ thinking is focused on Christ and looks upon Christ as the ruler and example of our lives.
In Philippians 4:8, Paul borrows the familiarity of the common Hellenistic virtues of the day, and he points them to a standard higher than even what the eminent philosophers in those days could imagine:
Christ is the fulfilment of all these virtues. Christ is the new standard that we are called to live and think by.
Being "good" will not get us into the kingdom of God; following Christ will. Because it is focused on Christ, ‘Higher Thinking’ is different from positive thinking.
Is 'higher' thinking simply banishing 'bad' thoughts from your mind?
Banishing bad thoughts from our minds is but a small part of higher thinking. Higher thinking is far more than that. The issue is that we often start from the "basic minimum standard".
So we're asking the wrong questions: "What must I do to not sin? What must I not do to incur God's wrath?" But we miss the point of it all.
The real questions we should be asking are: "What must I do to live worthy of God's righteousness?” and “What must I do to live a life pleasing to God?" If you see the difference, the starting point and the motivation changes, because we begin by asking the right questions. The first one has its eyes on the law; the second is reflective of a heart that has experienced grace.
How would you recommend we put Paul's exhortation into practice?
Paul gives us a hint of the solution in Colossians 3:1-2: "If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on the things that are above, not on things that are on earth." Three things Paul points out: 1. "Raised in Christ" - Remind ourselves daily of our new kingdom identity and who we really are. Recognise that we have been given the Holy Spirit to help us. 2. "Seek the things that are above." - Realign our priorities. Kingdom people live for higher goals. 3. "Set your minds on the things that are above" - Reset our vision. Fix your eyes on Christ and on the Word of God. Allow that to be the standard of how we are called to live.
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