Do You Have Aids?

In whatever activity you are engaged, you probably have wished for some more effective tool to aid you in accomplishing your goal. The industrial world is built on the idea of providing us with aids. Electrical equipment aids us in almost all areas of life, whether it be cleaning floors, preparing food, reading articles or almost anything we can name. One can scarcely think of any item that is not produced to aid us in some activity.

One of our problems is that we may become so involved in getting and using the aid that we may lose sight of the thing it is supposed to aid. A church building is supposed to aid us in saving more souls. There is little doubt that many church buildings and related programs have hindered more than they have helped. Instead of being used primarily to save souls, they are used to provide comfort or convenience for the many activities we plan for our own use or pleasure. There are dozens of other examples we could find, both in ordinary life and religious contexts.

My observations over the past 50 years, as I have preached and travelled from Maine to California and from Canada to Florida, have led me to the conclusion that a large majority of those who claim membership in the Lord's church have been inoculated so often with a little dose of Christianity that they have almost become immune to the real thing. Even among our best, soundest, or most active churches, I note what I think is a serious absence of continually focusing on the most fundamental values, but rather shifting our focus to something that we assume may aid us in reaching some secondary goal we have devised. We try to cure a cancerous tumour with a mustard plaster, or apply a Band-Aid to an open heart surgery. We often deal with the symptoms rather than with the disease, and use our aids to assist in some program we have designed, when we should be using the aids to assist in developing the principles God designed. We may not have an acquired immune deficiency syndrome, but most of us seem to have acquired immunity to any suggestion or plan that will really cure our deficiency.

I am convinced that if we could get all persons who claim membership in the body of Christ more interested in fundamental things like developing the mind of Christ, the details and methodology of implementing programs would largely take care of themselves. This is why, when I speak on behalf of the ONE NATION UNDER GOD program, I seldom make a direct appeal to contribute money, although I know that the program has to receive regular contributions to stay alive. The little bank that has been mailed to more than 15000 churches and individuals was not designed just to raise money for the ONE NATION UNDER GOD program, although I hope it will do that abundantly. It was designed primarily as an aid to cause persons to be aware of the sacrifice of Christ and make some effort to become more like Him. If we can get persons to develop the mind of Christ in any area, the end result will be far greater than if we raise any amount of money merely by some interesting technique.

This is why I have offered to give my workbook on THE MIND OF CHRIST and/or the RESOURCE GUIDE ON THE MIND OF CHRIST which sells for $4.95 to any person or church who is really interested in getting persons involved in developing the mind of Christ instead of just talking about it. All I ask is that you pay the postage on any amount of books you want, for I am convinced that I can do more good for the cause of Christ in general, or the ONE NATION UNDER GOD program in particular, by helping persons develop the mind of Christ than by any other emphasis or program on earth.

The reason is simple. Christ loved us enough to die for us. If we can develop that kind of love, no one will have to nag us to contribute. We will not merely try to salve our conscience, but we will lovingly sacrifice of what we are and have for the redemption of souls. It may be for the ONE NATION UNDER GOD program, if you are convinced that it is the most significant program in the brotherhood for covering the whole world with the gospel. Even if you are not convinced of that, if you have the mind of Christ you will still willingly sacrifice for the redemption of souls in some other fashion, or by some other means.

Christ not only had a loving mind and a sacrificial mind, He had an obedient, submissive mind. Whatever He knew God wanted, He always did that for the glory of God. I am willing to give away every copy of every book I have published if by so doing I can get every person who gets one to make some sacrificial effort to glorify God and try to develop the mind of Christ. If we can assist you in doing this, do not hesitate to let us know.

T. Pierce Brown

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)