Are you double minded?
These people thought they were keeping themselves safe because they were siding with both parties: they went with the followers of Jehovah and at the same time bowed to Molek. But duplicity is an abomination to God; His soul hates hypocrisy. Idolaters who distinctly give themselves to their false gods have one less sin than those who bring polluted and detestable sacrifices to the temple of the Lord—people whose hearts are with the world and its sins. To run with the rabbit and hunt with the hounds is a treacherous policy. In the common matters of daily life, a double-minded person is despised—but in religion double-mindedness is loathsome in the highest degree. Today’s verse pronounces a terrible penalty, but it is well deserved. How should divine justice spare sinners who know the right thing, approve it, and profess to follow it, while at the same time loving evil and giving it the rule in their hearts? My soul, search yourself this morning and see whether you are guilty of double-dealing. You profess to be a follower of Jesus—do you truly love Him? Is your heart right with God? Are you the child of Bunyan’s Father Honest, or a relative of the false Mr. By-ends? A living name—Christian—is of little value if I am still dead in my trespasses and sins. To have one foot on the land of truth and another in the sea of falsehood will lead to a terrible fall and total ruin. Christ will be all or nothing. God fills the whole universe, so there is no room for any other god. If He reigns in my heart, there can be no space for another ruling power. Do I rest solely on the crucified Jesus, and live only for Him? Is it my desire to do so? Is my heart set on doing that? If so, praise the mighty grace that has led me to salvation! If not, Lord, pardon my sad offense and unite my divided heart to fear your name. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
Before we go any further, read this definition.
Miriam-Webster's Dictionary says this about double minded:
: wavering in mind : undecided, vacillating.
a double-minded man unstable in all his ways— James 1:8 (Revised Standard Version)
Yes, I was surprised that the Dictionary used Scripture to make its point.
But that's both good and expected. Most don't know that Webster's first work wasn't the Dictionary. It was his own translation of the Bible.
But what you should be looking at is you....in a mirror.
The mirror isn't supposed to lie.
The mirror is to be seen as a reflection of the truth of how things really are.
In your life are you double minded? Are you in love with Your Savior and the world?
Are you?
Mind you don't make up your own definition of what is and isn't love with the world. What is God's definition? You who claim the name of Jesus, you live by His definition, by His rules and His command. No where is it to be by anything of ourselves.
Does idolatry exist in your life?
That's what you need to look in the mirror for.
I am not here to say that there isn't aspects of it in myself. Everyone is susceptible to it. It started with Adam and Eve. It's part of the sin nature.
Until we have a glorified body in Heaven we will have issues with it.
But in the here and now you must decide whether to be truly in love with Your Savior or your world. Jesus does not want you choosing between Him and the world. He saved you, the world did not.
Are there things you have justified in your world? Come on, we all have done it. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We all sin in various ways.
Are you passionate about Jesus or something in this world? That is a telltale of where your love is. It can be a job, a sports team, a university or college, a person, people, anything.
Where is your heart?
If you willing watch the clock in anticipation of a game while you are in Church, my friend you have a problem of being double minded.
If you willing get upset or over zealous over your job or accomplishments yet won't seek a deeper relationship with Jesus, you my friend have a problem of being double minded.
If your love of anything fires you up outside of your walk with Jesus on any consistent basis then, my friend you have a problem with being double minded.
Be real with yourself as you look in that mirror. This is you being real with yourself and God.
How much do you know about what you love in this world versus what you know about your Bible?
How deep are your conversations and thoughts with Jesus?
As a plant cannot exist apart from the ground a believer cannot live apart from a healthy relationship with Jesus.
In Hebrews I was reading today about those who willingly sin. Who knowingly, intentionally, sin. About how if they really look at themselves in truth they are terrified about what God thinks about it. That it's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Judgment hovers over the head of those who willingly sin and those claiming to be preachers who teach others that willingly sinning is acceptable. How would you answer Jesus asking the questions "Why did you teach people that homosexuality is ok for a child of God when My Word says otherwise?"
"Why did you teach people that as long as they keep asking for forgiveness that it was ok to keep on willingly sinning?"
"Why did you teach your children to walk in the ways that My Word says?" "Why did you teach people to go to a priest to ask for forgiveness when My Word says that only I can forgive sins?"
I have plenty of things to answer for myself before Christ when I give an account of my life. He picks me up many times a day from my faltering and face planting from my sins.
Am I double minded? Yes. Lord willing not as bad as I used to be. You see that is one of my chief reasons for no longer following sports. I realized that I was more passionate about them than my relationship with Jesus. It was shown to me to be idolatry.
Look in the mirror today and get real before God while there is yet time to set things in order.
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