Landmark of Faith #2 – The Mind

Our second stop on our trip together to the Landmarks of Faith, is the Mind. The mind is a very powerful element of our faith because we often find ourselves in a battle with the messages and ideas of this world. As Paul speaks about in his second letter to the Corinthians, we use our minds to help us live in faith as we surrender our thoughts to Christ. Paul says,

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:3–5)

In the very strange season of COVID-19 we find that it is easy to allow our thoughts to give way to fear rather than faith in Jesus Christ. While it’s easy to just rattle off “Faith Over Fear” in a text, or post a cool graphic of “Faith Over Fear’ on a social media post, it’s not so easy to live in faith during hardship. It’s those private moments when our circumstances keep us awake at night with worry or when we shed tears wondering when we can again be with family and friends. It’s in those moments that our mind must be filled with the truth of God. Consider this…

A mind devoted to truth is the commitment to and practice of studying, learning, and applying the Bible in life as the source of all moral and spiritual truth.

This landmark of faith speaks to filling our minds with truth from God. As we read, study, meditate, memorize, and apply scripture in faith, we allow the Holy Spirit to transform our minds. (Romans 12:2) This equips us to walk each day, no matter how difficult, in the truth of God, not the ways of the world. While the nature of faith is not often logical or reasonable, it absolutely requires a commitment of our mind and practices that will nurture our knowledge and application of God’s word.

As we finish exploring this landmark I’d like you to pray the following scripture in faith. Recognize that God’s Word has been given to us out of love and commitment so that we might live effectively for Him and lead others to Him.

Read 2 Tim. 3:14-17 – ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, ¹⁵ and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God ^p may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Take care of yourself and take care of one another as you devote your mind to truth!

Pastor Dan