God and Reason (10)
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4.8
Submitting our minds to God
Reason is an important tool for knowing God, learning from Scripture and creation, and for helping others hear and understand the Good News of Jesus Christ. Reason also can aid us in constructing a Christian worldview that reflects the way Jesus thinks about and works in the world.
We accept that reason cannot enable us to plumb all the depths of the mysteries of God and His will. There are aspects of the divine economy and Word of God of which we cannot make complete sense. God’s thoughts are simply far above our own (Is. 55.8, 9). The full explanation of various mysteries lies beyond our ability to understand, and we must learn to rest our reason in the mind of God, accepting what we can understand as far as we can understand it, and trusting in God for the full outworking and resolution of mysteries which lie beyond our ken.
Here I’m thinking of such mysteries as the divine Trinity, the Incarnation and atoning work of Christ, the work of the Spirit in bringing us to salvation, election and predestination, the interface between soul and body, and between divine Word and the material cosmos, free will and total depravity, and many more. We must use our reason to gain as full an understanding of these mysteries as is possible for the human mind. But we must not expect to achieve complete knowledge of these, as if we could explain them fully and convincingly to others.
God intends for us to submit our reason to His, once we have reached the limits of reason’s powers, and to trust His wisdom, goodness, might, mercy, and love. He alone can enable us to receive these mysteries by faith, even though we cannot make full and complete sense of them in our own minds. But by seeking to develop the mind of Christ, which we have by being born again in Him (1 Cor. 2.16), we may expect to grow in the use of reason for framing and living a Christian worldview.
Thinking like Jesus
We have the mind of Christ. We should expect to see the world as Jesus does; to think like Jesus about people, work, culture, creation, and much more; and to use our mind to bring the world, as much as we can in our own spheres of influence, into line with the character of Christ and His rule.
By training our mind to think in line with the teaching of Scripture, we will have light from God to bring to bear on all other areas of creation, culture, and life where God is revealing His glory, so that we may have wisdom to reconcile and restore all of life to the Lord (Ps. 36.9).
As Christians we hope in the glory of God—hope to know that glory, even beyond the limits of reason, and hope to show that glory in every area of life (1 Cor. 10.31). Living for the glory of God in all our relationships, roles, and responsibilities, we expect to pique the interest of others, so that they ask a reason for the hope they see reflected in us.
Thus, the more we apply reason to studying God’s Word, the more our reason will be in shape to enlarge our Christian worldview, and the more reason we may have to expect that others will ask a reason for the hope they see in us.
Growing in the mind of Christ
So, how can we grow in the mind of Christ? Paul’s instruction in Philippians 4.8 is a good place to start. Use his teaching as filter and grid for looking out on the world, and you will nurture the mind of Christ to think about all of life as He does.
Start jotting down things that you read, observe, or hear that conform to the tenets of Philippians 4.8. Meditate on these things. What makes them true, noble, just, pure, or lovely? Why would this be something good to learn more about? To talk about with others? How can you give praise and thanks to God for what you have observed or learned?
Train your mind to select what occupies it according to Paul’s guidelines—and all the counsel of God in Scripture—and gradually, line upon line and precept upon precept, subject by subject and situation by situation, you’ll begin to think with the mind of Christ about everything in your world. And where you discover things that are not in line with the mind of Christ, there you can begin to pray and take considered steps to try to bring more of the glory and goodness of God to light in the land of the living (Ps. 27.13).
We have the mind of Christ, so we should expect our reason to refract His. But we’ll have to work hard to realize this objective, and to nurture the kind of Christian worldview that finds us realizing more of the presence, promise, and power of God’s Kingdom every day of our lives.
For reflection
1. How can you know when you’re thinking with the mind of Christ?
2. What are some disciplines you have found helpful for growing in the mind of Christ?
3. In what ways would you like to increase in the mind of Christ?
Next steps—Preparation: What practical steps can you take to begin thinking more consistently and comprehensively with the mind of Christ?
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Two books can be helpful in applying reason to the times in which we live. You can download a free PDF of both Understanding the Times and Winds of Doctrine by clicking those links.
This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues readings from our book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. In our Crosfigellteaching letter, we are studying examples of the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. And in our daily Scriptorium column we are working our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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