Developing a Christian Mind

The Bible commands us to think in a distinctively Christian way.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Romans 12:2).

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

In Thinking Christianly: New Patterns for New People, Dr. Albert Greene explains:

Because a Christian mind is more than a mechanical skill, such as driving a car or operating a computer, there is no simple set of steps which can be offered...There are steps to be followed of course, steps like reading the Bible, prayer, meditation, etc. But the Christian mind is primarily the result of a deepening relationship to God in Christ by the Holy Spirit. It involves the deepest resources of your heart. Here are some suggestions, however, which may be helpful in moving in that direction:

Seek to develop a longing for God; (Psalm 42:1–2; 63:1–8), for coming to know Christ as the person who is our only hope of salvation and our only Master. It means taking His yoke upon us and learning of Him (Matthew 11:28–30). We do this primarily through learning to hear His voice in the Bible and responding to Him in prayer.

Endeavor to see His glory and hear His voice in creation. This means a radical break with the popular viewpoint which sees the world as "stuff" controlled by "natural laws." God made our world and our way of living in it with the intent that it should speak to us about Him. We need to learn to hear Him in it.

Give increasing thought to what it means to be created in the image of God and what is the task which God has given to each of us in our human lives.

Pay increasing attention to the biblically sound revelation that truth does not consist of factual information: truth is a person. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Furthermore, truth in the biblical sense is something which must be done to be known (1 John 4:6). Christian experiential knowing is radically different from mere secular intellectual knowing.

True Wisdom

What the secular world calls wisdom excludes God, stresses human self-sufficiency, makes humanity the highest authority, and refuses to recognize God’s revelation in Jesus Christ. God calls this worldly wisdom foolishness:

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18).

For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe (1 Corinthians 1:21).

…but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles (1 Corinthians 1:23).

For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength (1 Corinthians 1:25).

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness" (1 Corinthians 3:19).

The Gospel and the message of the cross must never be accommodated to philosophy, science or any other so-called human wisdom. (Galatians 6:14). Again, God commands us in Romans 12:2 to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is our mind that God demands and that the world deforms. The Bible has a great deal to say about the mind, the heart, the soul, the spirit, the truth, knowledge, wisdom and understanding. The first and greatest command is to love God with all of our minds. We are told to have the mind of Christ; we are commanded to let Christ's mind be in us. Second Peter tells us that God's divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of God. The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

The way to obey Christ and keep from conforming to the world is through the study of the Scriptures. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness (2 Timothy 2:15–16).

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10).

Wisdom is for the person who sees its value and therefore diligently seeks it. The wise person listens to instruction (Proverbs 9:9), and from God’s discipline (Proverbs 3:11), accepts God’s commands (Proverbs 10:8), listens to the godly counsel of parents and others (Proverbs 10:1; 13:10), and treasures wisdom more than silver, gold or precious jewels.

Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise in the way the Lord judges wisdom....But God chose the foolish things of this world to shame the wise, and He chose the weak things of this world to shame the strong. He chose what the world thinks unimportant and what the world looks down on and thinks it is nothing in order to destroy what the world thinks is important (1 Corinthians 1:26—30)