No Two Ways About It

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

James 1:6-8 (NLT)

One of the hardest things about writing each blog is being certain that I am daily in the right place in my relationship with God. Every moment is a struggle in our lives as believers. We fight sinful hearts and attitudes, temptations and apathy. There are so many pitfalls for believers. Jesus even warned Peter and the other disciples that Satan sought to “sift them like wheat.” Luke 22: 31 That warning is for current believers, too.

As believers, one important instruction from James, the Lord’s half-brother, is not to be double minded. A double minded person struggles to make decisions or tries to live on both sides of the fence.

Double-minded people who claim to know Jesus struggle to detach from worldly things, revealing character flaws contradictory to a Christ-centered life. They may say the right things that suggest a walk with the Lord, but their actions and motives do not reflect a true relationship with Jesus.

In other words, there is little spiritual growth revealing Jesus in their lives. Such individuals may be frustrated or confused, exhibiting little patience, love, or kindness. There is often a lack of self-control and certainly little or no joy.

Why? Because, in order to display those characteristics, (the fruits of the Spirit) a believer’s life must be controlled by the Holy Spirit Galatians 5:16-18

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.

Galatians 5:22-24 (NLT)

Two eye-opening passages by which to measure your character are Galatians 5:19-21 and Ephesians 5.

A serious problem in the body of Christ (the Church) is that double-minded believers think they can live as part of both God’s world and the godless world. That can’t work. It would be like living mostly focused on fidelity to your spouse, but also sharing that fidelity with another. You just can’t. By definition, that is infidelity.

Believers are sanctified (set-apart from the world). Just read some of the Old Testament stories of Bible characters that failed when they tried to live in the world but under God’s care. Their lives were a mess. (Genesis, 1 & 2 Samuel, Kings, Joshua, Judges, etc.) These books are filled with many examples of the disasters caused by having multiple wives, pacts made with enemies of God, and worshiping pagan gods.

So, what do we do to avoid becoming torn between faith and unbelief? Romans 10:17 Read, study and memorize the Word of God. Ask the Holy Spirit for help. He is our Teacher, Comforter, and He prays for us, even when we don’t know what to pray for. Romans 8:26 & 27 (NLT)

James gives us a little more relatable advice to help in our walk with God.

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. James 1:22-24 (NLT)