The Christian Mind

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward manis perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding andeternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen aretemporary, but the things which are not seen areeternal. 2 Corinthians 4.16-18

The Christian Mind
Harry Blamires (1916-)
“For the Christian mind earthly well-being is not the summum bonum, as pain and death are not the worst evil. Eternal well-being is the final aim and end of things here. This means that success and prosperity within the earthly set-up cannot be regarded as the final criterion. Nor indeed can happiness within time be regarded as a final criterion.”

Comfort, convenience, prosperity, success, fun, health – these are the things we’re encouraged to aim for in the secular arena. Our minds are washed daily with the idea that we must be happy, and happy now, and therefore whatever we require to be happy must be available to us, abundantly, inexpensively, and continuously. Government assumes the role of God in seeking to make sure people are happy, by increasing entitlements, working to level the income playing field, and making sure our children are educated to the proper secular and materialist ends. This is not all evil. It just isn’t the whole story, not even the most important part of the story. The Christian mind does not live for earthly wellbeing first of all, but for the greater realization, in the here and now, of the eternal glory and Kingdom of Christ. Through a variety of circumstances, our outward person may perish – and will – but we can still know renewal and glory, if we keep our minds focused on the things which are not seen, but which are more real than those that are.

Think through Acts 2-6. How can you see that those first believers were committed to the unseen things of Christ more than to the seen things of this world?

Kingdom Vision
Two books can help you begin to strengthen your vision of Christ and His Kingdom. Order a copy of The Kingship of Jesus (click here) to grow in your understanding of what in the world Jesus is doing as He sits at the Father’s right hand. And what He’s doing is bringing His Kingdom to earth as it is in heaven, which is the subject of The Kingdom Turn (click here). Let these two books challenge your vision of what Christ can do as He makes disciples and builds His Church.

Renewing the Mind
We are currently running a multi-part series on Renewing the Mind in our daily ReVision series. The fourth installment is entitled, The Mind of Christ in His Word: Part 2, and is available as a free PDF download by going to the website, www.ailbe.org, clicking on today’s ReVision column entitled, “The Cure for Doctrinal Revulsion” and clicking the link at the end. I urge you to follow this entire series, and to consider using it with your leaders. If you are not subscribed to ReVision, you can do so at the website. Or you can download each week’s PDF study in a format suitable for group or personal use.

Join us in giving thanks to God for the people He moves and enables to support The Fellowship of Ailbe with their prayers and gifts. Does He want to use you? You can contribute to The Fellowship of Ailbe by using the Contribute button at our website, or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thank you.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All quotations from The Christian Mind are from Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind (Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1963, 1978).