The Christian Mind

But Jesus called them to Himselfand said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10.42-45

The Christian Mind
Harry Blamires (1916-)
“There is nothing – not even the priesthood, episcopacy, or a religious profession – which cannot be perverted into a mere means of appeasing a hungry vanity, into an instrument of constant self-service. In an age in which the Church over the world has made a staggeringly compliant compromise with secularism we have reason to recall the elementary revolutionary paradoxes of the Christian message. The last shall be first and the first shall be last.”

We remember that, in this section, Harry Blamires is dealing with the second attribute of the Christian mind, its awareness of evil. The greatest evil is pride, and the greatest mistake a church can make is to cater to the rampant narcissism of the age by turning its worship and ministries into instruments “of constant self-service.” Jesus Christ was the last of all men – despised, rejected, beaten, and crucified – because He was the greatest Servant of God ever – denying Himself, taking up His cross, and giving His life for us. Paul, following Jesus, points to that example of self-denying service to God and others and instructs us to have that kind of mind working in us (Phil. 2.1-11). The first order of business, for those living out of the mindset of Christ’s way of thinking, is to put oneself last in all things, and seek the glory of God in loving service to others. We know this, but do we do it?

Suggest some Scriptures you might memorize, and teach others to memorize, to help keep you focused on serving others with the mind of Christ.

Introduction to Christian Worldview
Our course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, uses twelve diagrams to provide a comprehensive framework for thinking and living Christianly in the world. It’s free, online, and available for you to study by yourself or with your leadership team, at your own pace and on your own schedule. For more information and to register, click here.

Mission Partners Outreach
Thinking and living like a Christian begins in our daily lives, as we are going about in the world to which God sends us each day. Our Mission Partners Outreach program can equip you to equip your church members to identify and work their Personal Mission Fields from the vantage point of a Gospel worldview and Holy Spirit power. I’m looking for some men to go through this program with me. If you’d like me to take you through this free, six-month program, and help you see how it could be used in your church, drop me a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Our heavenly Father supports The Fellowship of Ailbe through the prayers and gifts of those who benefit from and believe in our work. Does the Lord want to use you in this way? Please look to Him in prayer over this question. 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).