1. Redeemer Lutheran Church1

2. 2 The Validity of the Christian Mind & The Necessity of a Christian Mind “There is no longer a Christian Mind. Un- fortunately the Christian mind has succumbed to the secular drift with a degree of weakness and nervelessness unmatched in Christian history. It is difficult to do justice in words to the complete loss of intellectual moral in the 20th century church. One cannot characterize it without having recourse to language which will sound hysterical and melodramatic.” - Harry Blamires

3. Redeemer Lutheran Church3 The Validity of the Christian Mind & The Necessity of a Christian Mind “For the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” - II Corinthians 10:4-5

4. Redeemer Lutheran Church4 The Validity of the Christian Mind & The Necessity of a Christian Mind “The greatest danger besetting American evangelical Christianity is the danger of anti-intellectualism... The mind as to its greatest and deepest reaches is not cared for enough.” - Charles Malik

5. Redeemer Lutheran Church5 The Validity of the Christian Mind & The Necessity of a Christian Mind Christian Mind (a definition) *The proper use of the intellectual faculty which God has given of us. *The proper use of the intellectual faculty which God has given of us. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart..soul..strength...and with all your mind.” - Luke 10:27 (quoting Deut. 6:5) “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart..soul..strength...and with all your mind.” - Luke 10:27 (quoting Deut. 6:5) - Jesus’ summary of the Law *Shorthand for loving God with our minds.

6. Redeemer Lutheran Church6 The Validity of the Christian Mind & The Necessity of a Christian Mind Greeks - elevated the mind, the Ratio, above all else - Rationalists Christianity - rational (i.e. makes sense to our minds) but not rationalistic (i.e. elevates the mind above all else

7. Redeemer Lutheran Church7 The Neglected Mind II.The Consequences of Neglecting the Mind A.We lose the emphasis on Christianity as Truth B. We fail to answer our own questions C.We fail to answer the questions of non-Christians

8. Redeemer Lutheran Church8 The Neglected Mind D.We fail to answer our own children’s questions E.Application of our Christian Life to ever smaller areas of life and thought F.We have become conformed to the world

9. Redeemer Lutheran Church9 The Nature & Development of a Christian Mind How can we develop for ourselves a Christian Mind? The Christian Mind is... 1.Committed to the truth of God’s Word and its absolute authority.

10. Redeemer Lutheran Church10 The Nature & Development of a Christian Mind “The Christian mind has an over- whelming sense that the truth it clings to is supernaturally grounded, revealed, not manufactured, imposed not chosen, authoritative, objective and irresist- ible.” “The Christian mind has an over- whelming sense that the truth it clings to is supernaturally grounded, revealed, not manufactured, imposed not chosen, authoritative, objective and irresist- ible.”

11. Redeemer Lutheran Church11 The Nature & Development of a Christian Mind “If the Christian comes before the secular mind claiming less for Christian truth than is its view, he not only betrays the faith, he contributes to the erosion of the Christian mind.” - Harry Blamires

12. Redeemer Lutheran Church12 The Nature & Development of a Christian Mind 2.Passionately committed to Truth A.Objective truth “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile... [and] we are to be pitied more than all men. But Christ has in-deed been raised from t he dead.” - I Corinthians 15:17-20

13. Redeemer Lutheran Church13 The Nature & Development of a Christian Mind B.Salvation truth “Oh! the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!... For from him and through him, and to him are all things.” - Romans 11:33,36