Paul Ndahigwa, 7 November 2010
U.S.A. , Texas, Amarillo 24°

Double-minded man

The Double Minded Man

Revelations 3:13
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."
I was going to call this article "Idols of the Heart", because that is what it is really about. The things that cause us to be double minded and take our focus from the very Person of Jesus Christ. These idols, sacred cows or Golden calves can be a person, organization, activity (the sports god?), position, job, money, possessions, religious belief system, heritage/genealogy, culture, self-focus/self-importance, hobbies, perceived 'rights', politics, land or country, and quite simply, minding earthly things.
Philippians 3:20 "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:"
Unfortunately, while many are not deliberately trying to turn from their focus of God, others deliberately are double minded. Many are immature or in sin issues that they have not dealt with, thereby not being obedient to Scriptures. Many hang on to their sacred cows, believing they should not take the test of the Word of God. Others appear to make choices to be double minded.
Many are familiar with the Scriptures in James 1: 6
"But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
And James 4:8 "Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
" A double minded man is unstable in all his ways...."
To be double minded and unstable needs to be understood...
From Strong's Concordance >
Double minded > 1374. diqucov dipsuchos, dip'-soo-khos
from 1364 and 5590; two-spirited, i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose):--double minded.
Unstable > 182. akatastatov akatastatos, ak-at-as'-tat-os
from 1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of 2525; inconstant:--unstable.
Some dictionaries define double minded using the terms, "Having different minds at different times", "unsettled," "undetermined".
It is impossible for someone to say they fully love and serve God and be double minded. Why? Because Jesus said so.
Many are familiar with the Scriptures where Jesus speaks about singleness and light of the eye. If one is not single of eye or purpose--they are more evil than one who claims to be fully against God.
Matthew 6:19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."
There are many people who make the claim to belong to Jesus Christ or Yeshua, as many Messianics call Him, and yet serve the flesh and idols of the heart. Many mind earthly things, having their "sacred cows". The Scriptures are clear about that too.
Philippians 3:17 "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:"
Romans 6:12 "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
Part of this double-minded spirituality, besides serving the flesh and instead of having a heart focus for Christ alone, is the idea that a person can have the 'best' of both 'worlds.'
Can one? Or is God very clear about these issues?
Zephaniah 1:5 "I will cut off them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and that swear by Malcham."
James 3:12 "Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendent not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."
In essence, a double-minded person so lacks conviction in their beliefs that they are found to often change loyalties or ideas, depending who they are with, desiring to influence or wanting to show allegiance to or have association with.
The double minded man is actually dishonest with themselves and others, and appears to use truth and lies in whatever situation to benefit themselves in some way. The person is filled with hypocrisy.