As Christians we should all hunger and thirst for a closer walk with Jesus. As I was re-reading some quotes from the well-known late British evangelist and pastor, Alan Redpath, one quote in particular really got me to thinking about some of the keys to walking closer with our Lord. According to Redpath: “The condition of an enlightened mind is a surrendered heart.”1 This simple quote, I believe, is essential if we want to travel on the road to a deeper walk with Christ.
In order to know Jesus better we need an enlightened and transformed mind. I love how the Apostle Paul talks about the importance of a transformed mind: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2). Notice that an enlightened mind is a transformed mind and we get this by renewing our minds daily. And in order to do this we need to jettison all worldly desires that are contrary to the will of God.
Some of the ways we can do this is to sacrifice our cravings for worldly desires and replace them with spending time in reading the Scriptures, developing a disciplined prayer life, fellowshipping with other believers, and loving and serving others. These new activities when practiced daily will slowly revolutionize and rewire our minds to think Christlike thoughts.
But here is one more step that we must take to keep our minds focused on doing the will of the Lord and this concerns the state of our hearts. According to Redpath in order to have an enlightened mind we must have a surrendered heart! Or as Paul implores us in (Romans 12:1) we need to offer our bodies (or heart) as a living sacrifice to God. When we surrender our heart to Christ, I believe, we can take on the mind of Christ and have both our mind and heart act in unison; taking on a whole new way of living, by doing everything we undertake to the glory of God.
For you see a surrendered heart leads to an enlightened mind, and an enlightened mind allows us to experience true peace, joy, and meaning as we carry out the transformative advice of the Apostle Paul: “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 10:5).
Contrary to the world, which often views the idea of surrender as defeat, when we surrender our hearts totally to Jesus we become captive to Him and as a result, this captivity leads to true freedom and joyful victory in every area of our lives, as well as more intimacy with Jesus.
My friends, if you want more of Christ in your life, then surrender your heart totally to Him, and watch how He will enlighten your mind and surround you with opportunities to use your time, talents, and treasury to advance His kingdom. And as a result, God will fill your heart to overflowing with the awesome joy of knowing that you are being used to bring glory to the name of the Lord!
The Road to a Closer Walk: Surrender Before Illumination.
I recommended this website to a new friend who enjoys devotionals. He perused the collection (2,000?) this week. He wrote back to me: “I don’t see the scriptures?” ….I replied, it’s an apologetic website, use the links and read slower. He replied, “I read it all again and still don’t see scriptures.”
Mama Mia. But he is a devout believer. So, I’m posting in a more old-school tone tonite, just cuz I can. It’s my reasoned argument in justification of the value of these devotionals.
Curt’s devotional argues clearly and deeply that a closer walk with Jesus begins with two joined necessities: a surrendered heart and a transformed, enlightened mind. The essay teaches that when believers yield themselves fully to Christ through daily renewal in Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and obedience, they discover that surrender is the doorway to freedom, joy, usefulness, and deeper intimacy with Him.
I’m providing my exegesis of each paragraph above, with the logical theme and two scriptural references. Just for those pious folks who ask, “where’s the beef?” It’s been here all the time, Ethyl. Make sure you have teeth to chew. Or you can always drink the broth.
7 paragraphs = 7 themes (using NASB) You provide your own Bible access. Don’t assume, test it.
1st paragraph (Theme): A closer walk with Jesus requires both spiritual hunger and the union of an enlightened mind with a surrendered heart.
• Matthew 5:6
Reason: Jesus blesses those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, which matches the paragraph’s opening desire for a deeper walk.
• Ephesians 1:17-18
Reason: Paul ties true spiritual understanding to God-given enlightenment, which fits Redpath’s idea of the enlightened mind.
Paragraph/Theme 2: Knowing Christ more deeply requires a transformed mind, renewed away from worldly patterns and toward God’s will.
• Romans 12:1-2
Reason: This is the paragraph’s direct backbone, linking living sacrifice, renewal of mind, and discernment of God’s will.
• Ephesians 4:22-24
Reason: Paul describes putting off the old self and being renewed in the spirit of the mind, which reinforces the transformation theme.
Paragraph/theme 3: Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and active love are practical means God uses to reshape the believer into Christlike thinking.
• Acts 2:42
Reason: It gives the classic pattern of Christian formation through teaching, fellowship, and prayer.
• Hebrews 10:24-25
Reason: It supports mutual encouragement, gathered fellowship, and active love as ordinary means of spiritual growth.
Paragraph/Theme 4: A surrendered heart is not optional. It is the inner offering that brings mind and heart into obedience for the glory of God.
• Romans 12:1
Reason: It directly supports the call to present oneself wholly to God as a living sacrifice.
• 1 Corinthians 2:16
Reason: Paul’s language about the mind of Christ supports the paragraph’s claim that surrender aligns the believer with Christ’s way of thinking.
Paragraph/Theme 5: Surrendered hearts produce disciplined thoughts, and disciplined thoughts open the door to peace, joy, and meaningful obedience.
• 2 Corinthians 10:5
Reason: This is the paragraph’s explicit support for taking thoughts captive into obedience to Christ.
• Isaiah 26:3
Reason: It connects steadfast, God-fixed thinking with divine peace, which fits the paragraph’s peace-and-joy claim.
Paragraph/Theme 6: What the world calls defeat, Scripture reveals as freedom. Surrender to Christ is not bondage in the dark sense, but liberation into joyful obedience.
• John 8:36
Reason: Christ-centered freedom is the clearest answer to the world’s false definition of surrender.
• Romans 6:22
Reason: Paul teaches that being set free from sin and bound to God leads to sanctification and life, which matches the “captivity that becomes victory” idea.
Paragraph/Theme 7: Total surrender makes the believer useful in God’s kingdom and fills life with joy as one’s resources are turned toward His glory.
• Matthew 6:33
Reason: Seeking God’s kingdom first matches the paragraph’s closing call to redirect life toward kingdom advance.
• 1 Peter 4:10-11
Reason: It supports using one’s gifts and resources in service so that God receives the glory.
Summary
1. Surrender comes before illumination.
The devotional does not treat mental clarity as a mere intellectual achievement. It argues that the mind is enlightened only when the heart is yielded to Christ. That is the devotional’s central axle.
2. Renewal of mind is a daily Christian duty.
This is not a one-time zap from heaven. The devotional leans hard on ongoing renewal, rejecting worldly patterns and cultivating God-shaped thinking. People enjoy trying to baptize their preferences, so the reminder is needed.
3. Ordinary disciplines are the workshop of sanctification.
Scripture, prayer, fellowship, and service are presented as the means by which Christlike thought is formed. Nothing flashy, just the old paths people keep trying to improve on and rarely do.
4. Thought-life matters because obedience begins upstream.
Curt’s devotional connects inner mental discipline with peace, joy, and faithful living. Captive thoughts lead to freer lives. Wild thoughts usually do not produce holiness. Shocking, I should know.
5. Surrender to Christ is true freedom, not loss.
One of the strongest apologetic notes here is the inversion of worldly assumptions. The world equates surrender with defeat; the devotional presents surrender to Jesus as the path to freedom, victory, intimacy, and usefulness.
It’s an APOLOGETIC website. You’ve been reviewing my exegesis of an excellent devotional. It’s my pleasure and privilege to provide it.
Thanks, Mr. Blattman.