A Christian mind

Christian conversion means a total renewal. Complete salvation means the renewal of heart, soul, strength and it definitely includes our mind.

In 1963, Anglican theologian Harry Blamires laments,
“There is no longer a Christian mind. There is still, of course, a Christian ethic, a Christian practice, and a Christian spirituality. As a moral being, the modern Christian subscribes to a code other than that of the non-Christian. As a member of the church, he understands obligations and observations ignored by the non-Christian. As a spiritual being, in prayer and meditation, he strives to cultivate a dimension of life unexplored by the non-Christian. But as a thinking being, the modern Christian has succumbed to secularization. He accepts religion - its morality, its worship, its spiritual culture; but he rejects the religious view of life, the view which sets all earthly issues within the context of the eternal view which relates all human problems - social, political, cultural - the doctrinal foundations of the Christian Faith, the view which sees all things here below in terms of God's supremacy and earth's transitoriness, in terms of Heaven and Hell." (The Christian Mind, pp 3-4)

50 years later, thinking Christians are still few and far between. Why?

Because developing a Christian mind takes time and effort. It requires reading, knowing and submitting to the authority of the Bible. It requires a wrestling with the secular thoughts and culture.

Our fallen humanity is used to mixing lies and packaging man’s wisdom as gospel truth. Its premise is this-worldly and its arguments persuasive. But with prayer and obedience to God’s Word, we “have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Cor 10:4-5)

May Harry Blamires not be able to indict us with the same words 50 years from now.

God's Spirit Speaks

Read Job 1:1-5

Job 1:5
When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.

This morning I woke up to this particular verse – even before I opened my Bible. The verse just came as I was washing my face. What was I thinking then? Actually I don’t think I was thinking at all – to be honest. (It usually takes me about a good half an hour after I wake up for my brain cells to start working).

So – what was happening here? I believe that this is God’s Spirit speaking to me – period. I have known this passage and verse before but today the Spirit is trying to tell me something. Of course I immediately prayed for my children (the plain text says so). Then during my devotion, weird (not really – God is just real – not weird), the devotional prayer book I have been using directed me to Job again!! It was Job again but Job 16:19-21 – talking about our intercessor in heaven – our Lord Jesus…

3 things hit me again today (well, Job 1:5 was more like a lightning bolt hit)…
1. God’s Spirit speaks to our spirit – question is “are we sensitive to His prompting and whisper?”
2. God’s Word is “alive and alive, sharper than any double-edged sword…” (Heb 4:12)
3. God’s fellowship is so very real – I won’t trade my relationship with Him for anything.

But this experience comes to nothing if I do not apply His word. So I
1. Pray for my children – biological and spiritual children
2. Pray that I will be like Job – to be consistent in my prayer-life and discipline and love for my children. To be like Job – that God may ‘boast’ of me to Satan 
3. Praise God for the Spirit’s active intercession for me (Rom 8:26,27)