"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)

Although humanistic intellectuals often scoff at the Christian intellect, the fact is that it is only the born-again Christian who is able really to understand spiritual truth, for "the god of this world hath blinded the minds |or 'thoughts'| of them which believe not" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

By the miracle of the new birth, however, received through faith in Christ, the believer is "transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). In fact, "we have the mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16).

The potential of a renewed, Christ-honoring, scripturally submissive mind is tremendous. In the first place, said the Lord Jesus, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God . . . with all thy mind" (Matthew 22:37). Secondly, one must have implicit faith in the Word of God: "Neither be ye of doubtful mind. . . . O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 12:29; 24:25). One should also "put on . . . humbleness of mind" (Colossians 3:12) and seek to discipline
his mind--that is "gird up the loins of your mind, be sober" (1 Peter 1:13). Along with this should be developed mature thinking--"in understanding be men" (1 Corinthians 14:20).

That potential is implicit in the great truth that in Christ "are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Colossians 2:3). We therefore should seek to bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Certainly we should not allow our minds to dwell on the vain imaginations of those "professing themselves to be wise" (Romans 1:21-22) in the "wisdom of this world" which will soon "come to naught" (1 Corinthians 2:6). It is we, not they, to whom God has given a "sound mind"! HMM