Monday, February 29, 2016
Taking every thought captive for obedience to Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 10.3-5).

Vision
Freedom of Mind – in the Mind of Christ
As followers of Jesus, we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2.16), and among the myriad of topics that occupy the mind of Christ, certainly that of freedom, rightly understood, looms large (Jn. 8.32). The Christian view of freedom entails, first of all, being free from the guilt, condemnation, and power of sin. Where that freedom is neglected or minimized, people, cultures, and societies become slaves to the lie of human autonomy and the best thinking of fallen people (Rom. 1.18-32; Prov. 14.12).

Certainly the recent history of our own society demonstrates the truth of this, and you don’t have to be a believer in Jesus Christ to notice. Writing in City Journal, Myron Magnet expresses concern about “the entropy of our beliefs and institutions” in the current climate of political correctness and “tolerance.” He laments the loss in America of a vision of freedom, lodged first of all in the freedom of thought and belief, a vision, he insists, which has been undermined by progressive politics, cultural sensitivity, and academic elitism (“Liberty – If You Can Keep It,” City Journal, Winter 2016).

Mr. Magnet explains that, like many European countries, America is suffering under “the soft despotism of the bureaucratic welfare state.” We like our entitlements, and we have become comfortable not having to think for ourselves or take anybody else’s views or beliefs seriously. He reminds us that “Western civilization arose on why. We had better keep asking it, draining every fetid pool of political correctness that lies in the way of an answer.”

As Barry Alan Shain and others have demonstrated, the vision which dreamt the American Experience into being was largely shaped by a Christian worldview (The Myth of American Individualism – subtitled, “The Protestant Origins of American Political Thought”). As the vision of our Founding Fathers fades further and further into the distant past – and as original-vision-keepers such as Justice Antonin Scalia depart the scene – Mr. Magnet warns that the prospect of a Brave New America, managed by a 1984 elite, looms larger and larger.

Myron Magnet is correct in saying that freedom begins in the mind. We know that the mind is part of the soul, where Christ does that transforming work of driving back the darkness of sin and unbelief, and shining the light of truth and life. If we are to preserve the freedoms won and bequeathed to us by our forebears, we will not do so by failing to pay attention to the projects of academics and pundits, blithely accepting the empty promises of politicians, or merely hoping, like Hezekiah, that the worst won’t come to pass in our lifetime (2 Kgs. 20.19). Rather, we must engage our minds, in the freedom we have in Jesus, for thinking through the issues of life, and for engaging them day by day with the Good News of His Kingdom.

The concern expressed by Myron Magnet sounds a clarion call for the Christian community. The “mind” and “freedoms” he sees as slipping away are those, in large part, established by our Christian forebears. Shall we be the generation to let these be trampled under by the feet of secular and progressive ideologues?

Let our churches become seedbeds of ideas about freedom, beauty, goodness, and truth; and let pastors and teachers equip the people in their care to think with the mind of Christ about all manner of things political, economic, social, and cultural; and let us renew our resolve to do all things for the glory of God and to seek and advance the loving rule of King Jesus.

And together let us nurture and encourage a vision of Christ and His Kingdom, glorious in expanse, welcoming in scope, lavish in promise, and beautiful in its prospects, that can fill our minds, and all our lives, with the true freedom only Jesus Christ can bring (Gal. 5.1).

It’s not enough to lament what’s being lost, or to hanker for “the good old days.” The reality of the Kingdom of God requires serious thinking and bold living on the part of Kingdom citizens and ambassadors, who are resolved to employ their minds, in the freedom of Jesus Christ, for making all things new (2 Cor. 5.17-21).

T. M. Moore

For reflection

1.      How can you encourage your fellow believers to think more consistently with the mind of Christ?

2.      The mind of Christ is also the mind of the Spirit, and this is shaped by submission to the Law of God (Rom. 5.5-9). How would you describe your understanding of the Law of God at this time?

3.      Begin reading our In the Gates column for more insight to the importance of the Law and its role in helping us to live out the mind of Christ.

Email a link to today’s column to a Christian friend. Follow-up by suggesting a time you can get together to talk about what it means to have the mind of Christ and a vision for His Kingdom.

The Week features insights from a wide range of topics and issues, with a view to equipping the followers of Christ to take every thought captive for Jesus. For more insight as to how the Law of God works to shape the mind of Christ, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store (click here).