There’s an interesting group of verses in James chapter 1; a stipulation regarding asking God for things, the verses end with the pointed statement that a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. That seems like a fairly serious thing to be… but what exactly does it mean to be double-minded?
If we don’t understand the term, how do we really know if we are double-minded? How can we avoid double-mindedness?
It’s important to understand this, not only for our own peace-of-mind, but also so that we can actually receive things from God… because He truly does want us to receive His gifts, but double-mindedness can stop us.
So today we are going to explore this, and answer these questions… as always in the light of the finished work of Jesus Christ.
As usual, the best place for us to begin today, is by reading the verses in question, so let’s read James 1:5-8:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men generously, and reproaches not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Now the first verse of this text is actually very important and informative! If any of you lacks wisdom, let ask of God. Which first of all tells you who to go to for wisdom – God. And we also see that He is both able and willing to give to all men generously, and He does not reproach! That last part is huge.
God will not reproach you, for asking for wisdom! (He won’t reproach you, period, as we have studied before). But so many people still see God as a God of reproach, that this fact cannot be overlooked. You do not ever need to be ashamed or afraid or even the slightest bit hesitant to come to your Heavenly Father and to ask Him for things – in-fact I would submit to you that He loves when we do so, because our very act of coming to Him, and making requests of Him, is a testimony that we believe He is a giver, and that we recognize Him as a willing and loving Father.
Then verse 2 immediately gives us a crucial but here, saying but let him ask in faith – now what faith is this? Remember what faith actually is: faith is information that we receive from God about who He is, what He has accomplished and who we are today in Him. And in the previous verse, we just learned some faith about God Himself, that He is a generous giver and does not reproach us for coming to Him and asking Him for gifts, including wisdom.
Now let’s be completely open and honest here… how often do we truly come to God with this mindset and in this identity? And I invite you to fully consider this, that we often have a cognitive dissonance regarding this, because on one hand, we know these scriptures that say exactly what we have been exploring today about God and about our identity in Him. Yet on the other hand, we still have these thoughts and feelings and pet-theologies about God not being so generous, and us not really being able to freely come to Him, ask Him for things, and not being reproached by Him.
Which are we going to accept and believe? That’s a choice that each of us must make for ourselves. Here we are told to ask in faith, nothing wavering. The person that wavers is compared to a wave of the sea that gets driven by the wind and tossed around. It’s a very apt analogy.
As I’ve mentioned often in previous studies, what tends to happen is that our emotions, circumstances and feelings will often steal our focus off of the truth of Christ and His finished work. Thoughts and feelings of worry, doubt, confusion and fear – even religious condemnation will often war against the truth which God has revealed about His good nature and character, and the reality of our new identity in Him.
Verse 7 tells us the outcome of that kind of unstable thinking and emotionalism: no expectation of receiving anything from God. Why? Is it because God is mean? Is it some kind of punishment?
Not at all. It is precisely because there is no solid foundation. There is no solid foundation of new identity, no solid foundation of perfect righteousness in Christ, no solid foundation of His love. And as verse 8 concludes, a double-minded person is unstable in all of their ways.
Now an important point to understand here is that this is not speaking about simple ignorance here. This is not talking about someone who simply does not know about Jesus and the Gospel of His Grace. If that were the case then no-one could ever even be saved because we would never be able to receive salvation from Him!
Rather, this is referring to, as the text points out, double-mindedness – having and holding two opposing views. Being divided within yourself, constantly shaking back and forth about the truth.
The solution to this is to actually commit to a decision regarding the truth of the Gospel of Christ.
For the writers that James was addressing at that time, they needed to make a decision about whether to continue to cling to the Law of Moses and their traditions, or whether to actually accept the reality of the New Covenant of Christ – and for many Christians today, the exact same decision needs to be made. Because the legalistic theologies of the Old Covenant have crept back in to many church buildings across the world.
This is why he says further along the chapter in verse 21 to put aside all filthiness, and abundance of wickedness and receive with meekness, the implanted word that can save your souls.
My friend, there is only one way to truly put aside all filthiness and be completely clean. It doesn’t come through your own performance, sacrificing or trying hard. It doesn’t come by your strength and effort, it comes by receiving the implanted word with meekness. Not being hostile toward the word of truth, which again is the word of God’s Grace, the word of faith which is able to save your soul.
Indeed, it is Christ who makes each of us perfectly spotless and without defect. Again, this is only possible by receiving His gift of righteousness. Being reborn in Him, as your new identity. Consider Colossians 1:21-22:
“And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now has he reconciled
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and blameless and unreproveable in his sight”
The importance of the tenses here cannot be overstated… we were at one time, enemies with God and alienated in our mind by our wicked works. We were at one time that, but that is not what we are now, today in Christ! Because as the second-half of verse 21 makes clear, He has reconciled us!
And how did He reconcile us? Did He reconcile us through teaching us all about the Law of Moses, the Ten Commandments, or a list of do’s and don’ts? Not at all.
Verse 22 tells us that He reconciled us in the body of His flesh through death, and we are now present holy, blameless, and unreprovable in His sight. That’s how He sees us now… not because we are so good in ourselves, and we deserve it – but because it is our new identity in Him, and He gave it to us as a free gift based on His perfect love.
Friend, it is because of Jesus, that you can be absolutely sure of your spiritual status and identity today. And you can completely free of double-mindedness.
Be blessed.
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