The Pilgrim Life: Synthesizing the Doctrines of Abraham’s Seed, the Mind of Christ, and the ‘Run and
Pastor. James
1.0 Introduction: Establishing the Doctrinal Framework
In an era of fragmented spirituality, the modern believer requires more than disparate theological concepts; they need a coherent and practical framework that integrates identity, mindset, and practice into a unified soteriological whole. This monograph seeks to establish such a framework as a corrective, analyzing three core pillars of biblical doctrine that, when synthesized, provide the blueprint for a life of spiritual readiness and victory. The first is the Abrahamic heritage, which serves as the foundational identity of every believer as a sojourner and heir to a divine promise. The second is the Mind of Christ, which provides the essential internal posture of submission, meekness, and brokenness required for spiritual maturity. The third is the ‘Run and Return’ principle, which outlines the dynamic rhythm of a life that balances spiritual renewal with consecrated engagement in the world.
This monograph posits that this synthesis constitutes not merely a helpful model, but an indispensable ‘spiritual technology’—a soteriological framework without which the believer remains ill-equipped to realize their ultimate telos. This integrated model moves beyond abstract knowledge to offer a functional blueprint for spiritual readiness, enabling one to navigate the challenges of faith and be formed into an overcomer. This exploration begins by examining the foundational identity of the believer as rooted in the ancient and enduring covenant established with Abraham.
2.0 The Abrahamic Foundation: The Believer’s Identity as Sojourner and Seed
A correct understanding of the believer’s identity is the bedrock upon which a life of faith is built. This identity is not self-generated but is divinely conferred, rooted in the covenant God made with Abraham. This connection is not merely a matter of historical lineage but is a living spiritual reality that defines a believer’s relationship with both God and the world, establishing their status as pilgrims with a heavenly destiny.
The Unique Friendship with God
The Scriptures bestow upon Abraham a title of profound intimacy and earned honor, calling him God’s “friend.” This designation appears in both Isaiah 41:8 and 2 Chronicles 20:7, highlighting a privileged relationship born of victorious faith. This title implies a bond transcending a simple master-servant dynamic, suggesting a partnership built on proven trust and radical obedience. It is not merely a statement of intimacy but a recognition of his character, for Abraham overcame the trials set before him, thereby solidifying his status as a model for all who would follow in faith.
The Extension of the Seed
This unique relationship extends to his descendants. God’s address to Israel in Isaiah 41:8 is direct and personal: “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend.” This declaration establishes a covenant identity passed through lineage. However, the New Testament radically expands this inheritance. The Apostle Paul, writing in Galatians 3, clarifies that this identity is no longer restricted by physical descent, stating that if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Therefore, all believers “in Christ” are grafted into this spiritual lineage, becoming inheritors of the same covenant relationship and promise bestowed upon Abraham.
The Pilgrim Posture of Faith
A core characteristic of this Abrahamic identity is the adoption of a pilgrim existence. The author of Hebrews provides a critical analysis of this posture, noting that Abraham and his descendants did not fix their hope on earthly comforts. As stated in Hebrews 11:15-16, had they been mindful of the country they left behind—Ur of the Chaldees—they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they demonstrated their faith by desiring a “better country, that is, a heavenly one.” This forward-looking orientation, which actively rejected the pull of their past in favor of a future, unseen promise, was the defining mark of their faith. This posture was so pleasing to God that He was “not ashamed to be called their God,” for He had prepared a city for them.
This Abrahamic identity as a heavenly sojourner is therefore not a passive status but an active, forward-facing orientation. To maintain such a posture against the gravitational pull of the world requires a radical internal re-engineering, a mindset perfectly articulated and embodied in the kenosis of Christ.
3.0 The Kenotic Mandate: Embodying the Threefold Mind of Christ
If the Abrahamic identity is the believer’s spiritual status, the “Mind of Christ” is the central behavioral and attitudinal mandate required to live out that identity. Sourced from the Christological hymn in Philippians 2, this concept is not merely an ideal to be admired but the core “spiritual technology” for transforming theological knowledge into practical application and spiritual victory. It is the internal equipment necessary for ascension into a life that overcomes the world. This mindset can be deconstructed into three essential and interdependent attributes.
1. Absolute Submission to God
This is a posture of complete surrender, characterized by what the source calls ‘no resistance and no retreat’ (ethirkum illai pinvangum illai). This signifies a total self-offering, akin to a living sacrifice presented on the altar. The believer who adopts this mindset relinquishes their independent will and their perceived right to choose their own path, submitting wholly to the divine purpose without opposition or reservation.
2. Meekness Towards Humanity
This attribute is modeled after Isaac’s willing submission upon the altar of sacrifice. Just as Isaac demonstrated a gentle and humble spirit, so too did Christ in all His interactions with people. This is not weakness but a controlled strength, a humility that defers to others and serves without self-interest. It is the external expression of an internally surrendered will, manifesting as grace and patience in human relationships.
3. Internal Brokenness and Surrender of Will
The ultimate expression of this principle is found in the Garden of Gethsemane. There, Christ confronted the profound horror of becoming the propitiation for sin, praying, “not my will, but yours be done.” In accepting this cup, He willingly endured separation from the Father—an unbearable and unacceptable reality for One who had always been in perfect unity with Him. This was a moment of supreme theological sacrifice, where He lost His independent will in order to become the author of salvation. This internal brokenness represents the deepest level of surrender, where personal desire is completely yielded to the divine plan, no matter the cost.
These three attributes—submission to God, meekness toward humanity, and the internal surrender of the will—are presented as the fundamental doctrines of the “Pentecostal bride church.” Together, they form the essential spiritual equipment for the believer, without which one lacks the necessary tools for spiritual ascension. This threefold Mind of Christ, once cultivated, forms the internal engine of the pilgrim life. However, an engine without a drivetrain is static. The power of this surrendered will must be channeled through a dynamic, practical rhythm that governs the believer’s engagement with both God and the world—a rhythm revealed in the Levitical principle of ‘Run and Return.’
4.0 The Levitical Dynamic: The Principle of ‘Run and Return’
For the believer equipped with the Mind of Christ, the ‘Run and Return’ principle provides the essential dynamic that balances seasons of spiritual renewal with periods of worldly practice. Sourced from an interpretation of the living creatures in Ezekiel 1, this rhythm is critical for avoiding the twin dangers of spiritual burnout and practical irrelevance. Understanding and practicing this dynamic is vital for sustained spiritual health and effectiveness.
The ‘Run’ (Ōṭuvatu) - The Upward Path
The ‘Run’ phase represents the upward path of spiritual renewal and communion with God. This is the time set apart for personal and corporate spiritual disciplines, such as engaging in worship, singing in the Spirit, and receiving the Word of God. This phase functions as a time of “charging the battery,” where the believer’s spirit, soul, and body are renewed, strengthened, and aligned with God’s presence and purpose.
The ‘Return’ (Tirumpuvatu) - The Mundane Path
The ‘Return’ phase follows this period of spiritual renewal, marking the believer’s re-entry into the ordinary, mundane world of daily life, work, and relationships. The purpose of the ‘Return’ is not to escape the world but to engage it differently. It is in this phase that the believer is called to reflect the light, truth, and character of God absorbed during the ‘Run.’ It is the practical application of sanctification, where the lessons learned in the presence of God are lived out among people.
A Cautionary Tale: The Strange Fire of Aaron’s Sons
The story of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, serves as a critical case study in the danger of spiritual imbalance. They offered “strange fire” before the Lord, an act that led to their immediate demise. This “strange fire” is interpreted as “limitless zeal” or, more precisely, “unauthorized zeal.” Their failure was a direct rejection of the ‘Return’ principle. In their ‘unauthorized zeal,’ they attempted to sustain a state of perpetual spiritual intensity, thereby violating the divine rhythm and turning a sacred duty into a fatal act of rebellion. This warns that spiritual experience, if not tempered by obedience and expressed through the ordained rhythm of life, leads to destruction. This practical life-rhythm is intrinsically linked to the specific role and purpose God has appointed for every believer.
5.0 Synthesis: The Believer’s Character, Purpose, and Priesthood
The final step in this theological framework is to synthesize the doctrines of identity, mindset, and practice into a unified understanding of the believer’s divinely given Character and Purpose. When a believer embraces their Abrahamic identity, embodies the Mind of Christ, and lives by the ‘Run and Return’ rhythm, they begin to function according to their true design as a royal priesthood.
The Levitical Model of Priesthood
The Levites serve as a powerful model for the priesthood of all believers. They were entrusted with a “two-fold job” that perfectly mirrors the ‘Run and Return’ dynamic.
Carrying the Tabernacle: Their primary service was to transport the articles of the Tabernacle. This act of service represents the ‘Run’—the active, sacred duty of bearing the presence and things of God.
Guarding God’s Glory: Their second role was to guard the Tabernacle, ensuring no unauthorized person could defile God’s holy name. This protective duty represents the ‘Return’—applying their consecrated status to maintain holiness and order in the midst of the people.
The Landless Sojourner
The Levitical status reinforces the Abrahamic identity in a tangible way. The Levites were unique among the tribes of Israel in that they received no land inheritance, no “lot” of their own. Their physical reality manifested the spiritual principle that God’s people are “sojourners and pilgrims” on the earth, for their inheritance was the Lord Himself. This lack of earthly possession was not a punishment but a designation of their character and purpose: to be wholly set apart for God’s service, unencumbered by worldly attachments.
All the hosts “Sarva Senai”: Functioning According to Character
This is governed by the theological concept of Sarva Senai (All the hosts), a principle that means “each thing doing its own work according to its character.” Just as the sun, moon, and stars fulfill their purpose by operating according to their created nature, so too must the believer function according to their sanctified character. For the believer, this character is built upon three inseparable pillars:
Morality: Adherence to divine ethical standards.
Spirituality: The cultivation of a life connected to the Spirit of God.
Godliness: A reverential devotion that permeates all aspects of life.
A believer ultimately fulfills their divine Character and Purpose when these elements converge. They live out this design when they embrace their Abrahamic identity as a heavenly sojourner. They mature in it by embodying the threefold Mind of Christ—submission, meekness, and brokenness—as their internal operating system. Finally, they express it through the disciplined rhythm of ‘Run and Return,’ consistently drawing near to God in order to effectively apply their Godliness in the world without being contaminated or assimilated by it.
6.0 Conclusion: The Blueprint for a Life of Readiness
The theological framework presented in this monograph—interweaving the identity of Abraham’s Seed, the internal posture of the Mind of Christ, and the life-rhythm of ‘Run and Return’—forms a coherent and indivisible blueprint for the Christian life. These doctrines are not a collection of abstract concepts to be studied but a practical and potent “spiritual technology” to be implemented. Their diligent application is essential for becoming an overcomer who is prepared for Christ’s return, transforming passive belief into active, purpose-driven living.
Thus, the framework is not a promise of ease but a call to the crucible. To work out one’s salvation is to consciously inhabit this Abrahamic displacement, to submit to the kenotic breaking of the will, and to embrace the Levitical rhythm of sacred service and worldly witness. It is the charge to engage the world, applying one’s morality, spirituality, and Godliness to be a light within it, yet refusing to be assimilated by its darkness. Only through this integrated discipline can the believer be forged into the ‘overcomer’ to whom the final promises are made, fulfilling their salvation with the reverence and focus these profound truths command.