Our passage tells us that God is not in all the thoughts of the wicked (Psalm 10:4). It also points out that the thoughts of the wicked “are thoughts of iniquity” (Isaiah 59:7). Obviously, the wicked despise the Lord in their thoughts, but the Lord also despises the thoughts of the wicked. This is why we are told that “The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 15:26). King David, whom God called “a man after mine own heart” (Acts 13:22), added that the thoughts of the wicked were against him for evil (Psalm 56:5). These wicked thoughts are based upon pride (Psalm 10:4). Conversely, a man yielded to the Lord desires to bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Thoughts do not have to be wicked in order to be troublesome. Any thought contrary to faith will eventually cause a man to stumble. In Genesis 20:11, Abraham’s thoughts hindered his faith. He perceived that the fear of God was not in Gerar and decided to lie about the identity of his wife in order to insure his personal well-being. Rather than trusting God, he trusted his thoughts. Another example is Naaman. He refused to wash in the Jordan River because he thought that the prophet should have recovered his leprosy by coming out, calling upon the name of the Lord, and striking his hand over the place of leprosy (2 Kings 5:11). When a man trusts in his own thoughts over the words of God, that man shows a complete disregard for truth.
Only a foolish man thinks he can hide anything from the Lord. This includes his thought life. The Lord knows all man’s thoughts (1 Chronicles 28:9) which includes the good (Malachi 3:16) and the bad (Psalm 94:11). David expressed this truth to the Lord when he said, “Thou knowest . . . my thought afar off. . . . For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether” (Psalm 139:2-4). The Lord Jesus Christ often exhibited this capability during His earthly ministry (Matthew 12:25; Luke 5:22; Luke 6:8; Luke 9:47; Luke 11:17). Even the written word of God reveals this ability by being “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
If asked concerning the origin of thoughts, the average person would swiftly respond with “the mind” or some similar answer. This is not, however, the emphasis of scripture. Overwhelmingly, scripture indicates that thoughts proceed from the heart. This does not mean the beating organ within one’s chest since the scriptures use “heart” in a different manner. When God brought judgment in the days of Noah, He saw that the thoughts of man’s “heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). In Matthew 15:19, the Bible says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.” In Luke 24:38, the Lord Jesus asked the disciples, “why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” When one’s thoughts are not according to God’s will, it is a matter of the heart not being right with God.
Of course, God encourages man to think. This may come as a shocker to many but the Lord does not want man to blindly accept information without first giving it thought. During the Lord’s earthly ministry, He often asked men what they thought (Matthew 17:25; Matthew 18:12; Matthew 21:28). His purpose was not because He valued men’s opinions; but, rather, to cause men to think. The problem for the Lord is not that man thinks, but that man thinks and focuses upon the wrong things. God has specific things upon which He wants man to ponder. These involve things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praise (Philippians 4:8). As such, believers should focus their attention upon these righteous thoughts rather than those thoughts espoused by the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Timothy’s church leadership position put him in a role to influence the lives of others. Only the proper conversation could avoid adversely affecting other believers. Furthermore, Timothy was a young man and Paul knew that others might despise him for his youth. Therefore, Paul instructed Timothy how to eliminate this problem. He was to be the right type of an example to the believers. Paul gave Timothy several areas in which to be that example. One of these involved Timothy's conversation. Paul knew that it was important for other people to be able to look at Timothy’s life and glean an idea of what their conversation should resemble. Just as Paul had been an example to Timothy, Timothy was to be an example for others.
This world, though it consistently fails to recognize and know the Lord, should consistently recognize Christ's conversation through the life of the believer. Our conversation should always match, or become, the gospel of Christ and the new life that we have in Him. Our conversation should be holy because the Lord is holy (1 Peter 1:15). In 2 Peter 3:11, we learn that the dissolving of this world ought to cause us to walk “in all holy conversation and godliness.” In other words, our practical Christian life should resemble the change inside of us that took place at salvation. Others should see the Lord Jesus Christ in our actions and in our way of life.
God is as equally concerned with what we do as to how we do it. It is not only important that we have the right kind of conversation, but that our conversation be based on “simplicity and godly sincerity.” In other words, our conversation should be genuine and never extravagant. People behave for different reasons. Sometimes those reasons are godly, yet at other times they reflect ungodliness. Anyone can feign a good conversation for a short period; however, only with the Lord's help can one's motives consistently match his actions. Paul not only sought to have his conversation right before the Lord, but also desired a genuine change of heart to bring forth the proper conversation.
The Bible teaches us that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Following salvation, a man's life should display visible changes as he seeks to put off his former conversation. According to scripture, that former conversation fulfilled “the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Ephesians 2:3). By the grace of God, change is possible because every believer has been redeemed from his “vain conversation” (1 Peter 1:18). The apostle Paul is a great example. Before meeting the Lord on the road to Damascus, Paul's conversation or lifestyle involved mercilessly persecuting the church (Galatians 1:13). In his new life with Christ, he immediately began preaching the very faith he once destroyed (Galatians 1:23). When a person truly places his faith for salvation in the finished work of Christ, his conversation will change accordingly.
Modern usage of the word conversation generally limits the definition to two people involved in a dialog. However, the Bible frequently uses the word conversation in a different sense. In fact, our passage reveals that a conversation can occur without words. Several other verses confirm connecting works to a man’s conversation (James 3:13; 1 Peter 2:12). The Bible’s use of conversation can involve something that others can observe (1 Peter 2:12; 1 Peter 3:2) and consider (Hebrews 13:7). Obviously, a man’s conversation is more complex than a simple discussion held between two or more persons. Scripturally speaking, our conversation reveals how we live our lives in front of others. Though this world would apply conversation only to what we say, God never intended for its usage to be limited to that single aspect.
