The Call to Think Christianly
Thinking Christianly: Part 1
The Heart and Mind Together
The Christian life is much more than thinking Christian thoughts or even doing Christian things. It’s a life of trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, living in obedience to his commands, and reflecting his character in every aspect of life. Yet, thinking Christianly - aligning our minds with God’s truth - is foundational to this calling.
Paul reminds us in Romans 12:2, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Transformation begins with how we think. We cannot live rightly if our thoughts are disordered or worldly. Thinking Christianly equips us to discern God’s will and align our entire lives with his purposes. Loving God rightly means loving him not only with our hearts and souls but also with our minds (Matthew 22:37).
As we explore what it means to think Christianly, we’ll see why it’s vital for faithful living in a world shaped by competing ideas and values.
1. What Does It Mean to Think Christianly?
A Renewed Mind and Biblical Worldview
Thinking Christianly means cultivating a biblical worldview. A worldview is a framework through which we interpret life’s big questions: What is real? Who are we? What is our purpose? Christianity answers these with clarity:
God is the Creator: All things exist by his design and for his glory (Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17).
Humanity is Fallen: We’re made in God’s image but marred by sin (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23).
Redemption is Through Christ: Only Jesus reconciles us to God and restores creation (John 3:16; Revelation 21:5).
Thinking Christianly begins with this foundation. It means viewing all of life - work, relationships, ethics, culture - through the lens of Scripture. It’s not limited to doctrinal knowledge but extends to practical wisdom for daily living.
Wisdom for the Journey
Proverbs 4:7 declares, “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.” Thinking Christianly requires more than knowledge; it demands wisdom. Biblical wisdom integrates truth with life, teaching us how to live rightly in every situation.
Thinking Christianly shapes not only what we think but also how we think. It means cultivating discernment, asking hard questions, and applying biblical principles to the complexities of life. This is not optional for believers – it’s central to following Christ in a world full of conflicting ideas.
2. Why We Must Think Christianly
The Danger of Shallow Faith
When Christians neglect to think deeply, faith becomes shallow and fragile. Emotional highs or surface-level beliefs cannot withstand life’s challenges or intellectual objections. Many young believers fall away because their faith was never rooted in the intellectual richness of Scripture.
Shallow faith also leads to what has been called, Moral Therapeutic Deism, the idea that Christianity is merely about being good, feeling good, and having some vague notion of God as a backup plan. It “psychologizes” Christianity and reduces our faith to a self-help program and robs it of its objective truth and transformative power.
Engaging a Secular Culture
Secular worldviews dominate today’s culture, shaping everything from education to entertainment. If we fail to think Christianly, we risk conforming to these unbiblical patterns without realizing it (Colossians 2:8).
Thinking Christianly equips us to resist the pull of secular ideologies and to respond winsomely and wisely. When we ground our lives in God’s truth, we can engage the world as salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), bringing hope and clarity to a culture in confusion.
3. Biblical Foundations for Thinking Christianly
A Command to Love God With Our Minds
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus commands us to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. Loving God with our minds means engaging deeply with his truth, meditating on his Word, and applying it to every sphere of life.
Paul’s instruction in Romans 12:2 is clear: transformation comes through renewing our minds. This renewal is both a rejection of worldly thinking and an embrace of God’s revealed truth. It enables us to discern what’s “good and acceptable and perfect” according to God’s will.
The Mind of Christ
In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul writes, “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” This statement is key in our reflection on what it means to think Christianly. Having the mind of Christ means that, as believers, we have been given access to God’s wisdom through the Holy Spirit. While our finite understanding will never fully grasp the infinite, the Spirit enables us to think in ways that align with God’s character, purposes, and truth.
The mind of Christ empowers us to discern spiritual truths that the natural mind cannot comprehend (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). This is not an innate ability but a gift rooted in our relationship with Christ. It means learning to see the world as he does: understanding the gravity of sin, the beauty of redemption, the value of people, and the purpose of creation. As we grow in spiritual maturity, this Christ-centered perspective increasingly shapes our thoughts, decisions, and actions.
To cultivate the mind of Christ, we must immerse ourselves in God’s Word, seek his wisdom through prayer, and walk in obedience to his Spirit. This is a lifelong process, one that renews our thinking and enables us to respond to life’s challenges with humility, grace, and truth. By embracing the mind of Christ, we’re equipped to reflect his love and wisdom in every sphere of life, demonstrating what it means to live and think Christianly.
4. Practical Steps for Thinking Christianly
Immerse Yourself in Scripture
God’s Word is the foundation of a Christian mind. Psalm 1 describes the one who delights in God’s law and meditates on it day and night as being like a tree planted by streams of water. Daily immersion in Scripture shapes our thinking and aligns our minds with God’s truth.
Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Thinking Christianly requires discernment - evaluating ideas and actions in light of biblical principles. This includes recognizing worldly influences in our thinking and replacing them with God’s wisdom.
The Beginning of a Transformed Mind
Thinking Christianly isn’t an academic exercise reserved for theologians or scholars – it’s a command and calling for every believer. As we align our minds with God’s truth, we become equipped to live faithfully, discern wisely, and engage the world boldly. The renewal of our minds is the foundation for the transformed life, enabling us to see every aspect of existence - relationships, work, culture, and even our struggles - through the lens of God’s Word.
This lesson has laid the groundwork for understanding why thinking Christianly matters and how it shapes our lives. In the lessons to come, we’ll explore how this practice applies to specific areas, such as building a biblical worldview, engaging culture thoughtfully, navigating moral and ethical dilemmas, and living out our vocations under the Lordship of Christ. Each lesson will provide practical tools and insights to help you take the next step in cultivating a Christian mind.
The journey of intellectual discipleship is not just about acquiring knowledge but about becoming more like Christ in thought, word, and deed. As you continue to renew your mind, remember that God’s Spirit is at work within you, empowering you to think, live, and love in ways that glorify him. Let this be the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of thinking Christianly in every sphere of your life.
Key Principles
Jesus calls us to love God with our minds, showing that intellectual engagement is integral to discipleship (Matthew 22:37). This involves not just what we think but how we think, shaping every area of life under God’s truth. A renewed mind enables us to discern his will and live faithfully.
Wisdom, grounded in the fear of the Lord, integrates truth with daily life (Proverbs 9:10). Thinking Christianly goes beyond knowledge, requiring discernment to apply God’s Word to complex situations. It transforms our thoughts and equips us for faithful living in a secular world.
Transformation begins with rejecting worldly thinking and embracing God’s truth (Romans 12:2). The renewal of our minds aligns our thoughts with Christ, enabling us to live out the gospel and engage effectively with culture.
Bible Study Questions
What does Matthew 22:37 teach about loving God with your mind? How can this shape your approach to daily life?
How does Romans 12:2 describe the process of transformation? What role does the mind play?
Read Proverbs 9:10. How does fearing the Lord relate to wisdom? How does this impact your thinking?
In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul says we have the mind of Christ. What does this mean practically for how we think?
What does Colossians 2:8 warn about worldly thinking? How can Christians guard against this?
Psalm 1 describes the blessed person as one who meditates on God’s law. What are the results of this meditation?
How does Philippians 4:8 guide us in focusing our thoughts on what is good and true?
What does 2 Corinthians 10:5 mean by taking every thought captive? How can this be practiced daily?
How can understanding the biblical worldview (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration) shape our thinking?
How does biblical wisdom differ from worldly knowledge (James 3:13-17)?
Questions for Discussion and Personal Reflection
In what areas of your life do you find it hardest to think Christianly? Why?
How has worldly thinking influenced your views on work, relationships, or culture?
What habits or practices help you renew your mind and align your thoughts with Scripture?
How can the church better equip believers to think Christianly?
What role does prayer play in developing a Christian mind?
How do you respond to cultural trends that conflict with biblical principles?
What books or resources have helped you grow intellectually in your faith?
How does loving God with your mind strengthen your faith and witness?
In what ways can you integrate Christian thinking into your vocation or calling?
How does having the mind of Christ change how you approach difficult decisions?
Action Steps
Spend at least 15 minutes each day reading and meditating on Scripture, focusing on passages that address wisdom and renewal of the mind.
Identify areas in your thinking shaped more by culture than Scripture. Write these down and seek to replace them with biblical truths.
Choose one book by a Christian thinker like C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity) or Francis Schaeffer (The God Who Is There), and reflect on how it deepens your understanding of thinking Christianly.