2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB95
We are destroying speculations, and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
That verse should literally say, “we are taking every thought captive “INTO” the obedience of Christ.” The joy of being lovesick and the pleasures of loving Jesus reach their highest levels as we participate in the obedience of Jesus. John 14 tells us that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments. Obedience is an expression of delight and affection, not duty and religion. God created us for the most intimate union/fellowship, and therefore He is not looking for robots. He is looking for ravished ones who love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. As the bride of Christ, we are invited not just to offer radical obedience to Him; we are invited to join Him in His radical obedience. It is not a call to imitate His obedient lifestyle but to literally participate in His obedient lifestyle. Let your imagination run wild with that one, and when you do, it will dramatically raise the bar in your own mind of what your personal walk with God should look like. Once you’ve been captivated and fascinated by the idea of riding the Lion of Judah’s expression of an obedient life, then you will be provoked to bring EVERY thought captive into the obedience of Christ. You will live with a joy-filled and holy intolerance at the first thought of any compromise that would cost you the experience of the thrill of a lifetime called “the obedience of Christ.” The obedience of Christ is the victorious Christian life, but much more than just victorious; it is the glorious Christian life. In the very same verse that tells us that Christ came that we might have life (His radical life of obedience) and life more abundant, we are also told that the Thief has come ONLY to still, kill, and destroy. John 10:10. In light of that, every thought – which represents some form of thievery – must be taken captive into the obedience of Christ because we do not want to miss one moment of this joyride. During this Lent, may your vision be LENGTHENED as to how massive the good news of our inclusion into the life that Jesus lives truly is.