Redeemed Minds
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” -Philippians 2:5
“But we have the mind of Christ.” -1Corinthians 2:16
“Their minds were hardened… through Christ [this] is taken away.” -2Corinthians 3:14
“The peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus… s[o] think about these things.” -Philippians 4:7-8
When we turn to the Lord Jesus, we are redeemed. We are “transferred to the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son, in whom we have redemption.” (Col 1:13)
We are—heart, soul, mind, strength—redeemed. We are redeemed by decree and then we experience redemption through the work of Holy Spirit: “beholding the glory of the Lord (Jesus), we are being transformed into that same image, one degree of glory at a time.” (2Cor 3:18)
Our minds too are being redeemed.
This redemption of our brains, minds, thinking, and thoughts, is the process, as we’ve been exploring, of no longer being taken captive by empty philosophies, of rather being captivated by the glory of our Lord, and of then taking captive to obey Christ all thinkable-things. (Col 2:8-9; 2Cor 10:4-5)
Now let’s consider what it means to have minds that are redeemed. What are characteristics of a redeemed mind?
This is a way of thinking that gives the reality of redemption a seat at the table. Redemption gets factored in. It is a mind that hangs onto the fact of God’s redeeming work, while thinking about what it’s thinking about.
A redeemed mind considers things through the lens of the actions of redemption.
Hope, Love, and Suffering—these are what goes into God’s work of redemption. These are what Christ embodied in His work of redeeming us. So these are the things that redeemed minds apply when they consider the situations before them.
Redeemed minds look at problems and say, Well, we know there's hope with God.
Redeemed minds look at problems and say, Well, we know God loves all these people.
Redeemed minds look at problems and say, Well, we know God will use our faithful obedience. So let's pray and seek to bring a blessing.
We can observe these traits in our favorite Christian art. For example, some of my favorite writers consistently bring these to their stories—C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Frederick Buechner, Andrew Peterson's Wingfeather Saga, N.D. Wilson's multiple trilogies. Their stories take surprising turns because there’s always unexpected hope, unexpected love, and unexpected sacrifice.
But redeemed minds are experienced more often in our godly friends and their counsel.
Godly friends honor the seriousness of our problems, but they refuse to accept despair, they refuse to admit unlovability, and they refuse to let us off the hook. The best advice comes from redeemed people for whom redemption has become the shape of their thought process.
Because their hope is in God, they are more prayerful and humbler.
Because their hope is in God, they are more insistent that there is in fact hope, they are more persistent in their prayers and in patient analysis, and they come upon more creative possibilities and are ready for surprising opportunities.
Because redeemed minds know God's love, they are more just, more winsome, more eager, and more patient. Solutions to problems emerge amidst their commitment, their faithfulness, their waiting, their unwillingness to do harm.
Because redeemed minds understand the need for suffering and for obedience, they are willing to work. They are willing to “work harder than all the rest.” (1Cor 15:10) And while they work, God reveals insights, brings assistance, and—behold—God works further redemption.
Redeemed minds are not optimistic—they do not believe in themselves, or in human potential, the human spirit, or in the upward progress of culture. Redeemed minds are realistic—they live in this problematic world, yes, but with the redeeming love of The True God reigning over all in Christ. See, redemption is what is really going on—the redeemed way of thinking, that is true realism.
What problems are you up against at the start of this new year? What might change when you consider the situation from the angle that there’s always hope with God? Or when you consider that God’s love is available for, and at work for, everyone involved?
Something will undoubtedly shift, because Jesus changes everything. Thanks be to God.
Bonus Links related to Sunday's Sermon: (on Apple Podcast)
My Favorite Bible in a Year Reading Plan by Melissa Kruger
Have You Lost the Ability to Think Deeply? by Lydia Kinne
Photo on Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash