[Manna - December 12]
As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7
IT...behooves the Lords consecrated people...to carefully
strain out the impurities, and see that they do
not enter into our hearts, our thoughts, realizing that
with them in, the result will be to work to our defilement,
to a greater or less degree.
Whoever maintains
purity of thought will have comparatively little
effort in maintaining purity of word and of action. Whether the impurity come from one direction or another—from the world or the flesh or the devil—its attack
must first of all be upon the mind; and if repelled
there the victory is won; if not repelled we cannot
know what the consequences might be, as the Apostle
James declares: "Lust [selfish desire of any kind],
when it has conceived [in the mind] bringeth forth
sin [develops sinful words or deeds], and sin when it
is finished bringeth forth death." Z. '01-325 R2891:5