Oftentimes, our faith in God wobbles. Unsure whether our original belief in God is right, we consider other options including belief systems based on logic or human intelligence. God becomes secondary to what we consider as prime. The bible says we must not limp with double minds. Elijah said in 1 Kings 18: 21-22, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” The people did not answer him a word.
The Israelites, a very difficult people, were quite impatient with God in spite of all they had seen and heard him do in their favour. At the slightest challenge, they found an opportunity to deviate from their covenant with God sealed through the ancestor Abraham. They admired the style of Baal Idol worship. Whereas the relationship with Baal was visible to the eye, God’s worship was rather by holiness. They wanted to relate to God in spite of sin. However Psalms 66: 18 says if I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. God relates with grace in our penitence or repentance.
This has been God’s warning throughout the generations as a consistent, fair, just and faithful God who applies one and the same standard to all generations. The people did not answer Elijah’s question because they were guilty for limping with double minds for they knew that God knew their hearts toward quick fixes which was not God’s way. Just like what the Israelites did so are we always limping on double minds because of our love for short cuts by which we will rather fall from God’s grace.
The fall of Adam
God clearly instructed Adam in Genesis 2: 17 saying of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die. Adam and Eve however swallowed the bait of deceit of Satan who introduced double-minds and said in Genesis 3: 1, 4-5, did God say, you shall not eat from any tree in the garden?… you shall not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
Adam and Eve consequently lost favour with God and inherited death. The tree of good and evil was a single tree of double-mind. It produced mixed knowledge of good and evil, the fruit confusion, of opposing minds of good and evil, unstable mind. God who did not want them to be confused spiritually told them to abstain from it because they could not combine evil and good in the same heart yet be pleasing to God in their original state.
Satan is a spirit of confusion whilst God is the Spirit of order and just. The two spirits are not complementary and cannot live together in one body. Whilst the spirit of double-mind leads to death and destruction, God’s spirit leads to eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul wrote in Romans 6: 23 for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. God wants us to avoid conflicting knowledge of good and evil, light and darkness by obeying Christ Jesus and live.
We must not allow the lifestyles of others to mislead us to have double-minds. Psalms 37: 16 says better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked. We must not misinterpret scripture to suit our ends. God is not a God of confusion but order for those who love him. Rather, Satan is the source of confusion. God wants to be in charge for he says in Exodus 20: 5, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God. Jealousy must not be misconstrued as envy, a mistake which we also make.
The words of Joshua
The prophet Joshua also had cause to make pronouncement against double-minds. He said in Joshua 24: 20-21, if you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good. And the people said to Joshua, No, we will serve the LORD!
When we limp on double mind, we offend our covenant with God to fully depend on him. Joshua said when we offend God, he will do us harm. He will consume us. Proverbs 3: 5-6 says trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. We possess double-minds when we think God is wrong in his decision. God never makes mistakes. Deuteronomy 32: 4 says the Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God without deceit, just and upright is he. Psalms 18: 30 says this God — his ways are perfect.
There is no need to have double minds whatever our circumstances. God does not go wrong with his decisions. We only have to be patient with him and we will understand his wisdom. Psalms 37: 7 says be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. David testified also to waiting patiently on God in Psalms 40: 1, I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. Patience in God is the cure against having double-minds. What is your decision before God this morning?
Limping with a double-mind is abhorrence to God as a betrayal of faithfulness. A double minded person is not pure before God, James 4: 8. He must also not expect to receive anything from the Lord, James 4: 8. David wrote in Psalms 119: 113, I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. Whosoever truly loves the Lord will not harbor double-mind but trust and obey Jesus. We may not trust God but we certainly cannot deny his blessings and grace upon our lives.
The wisdom of Christ Jesus
Jesus said in Matthew 6: 24, Luke 16: 13 you cannot serve two masters;… You cannot serve God and wealth. We have to choose what benefits the undying soul. Whoever limps with double mind is a minister or emissary of Satan. Jesus said in Revelation 3: 16 so, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
When Satan tempted Jesus with a double-mind, Jesus responded in Matthew 4: 10, away with you, Satan! For it is written, worship the Lord your God, and serve only him. When Peter tried to talk Jesus into avoiding the cross in ignorance of God’s divine plan for mankind, Jesus said in Matthew 16: 23; Mark 8: 33, get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things. How do we respond when we are faced with such challenges?
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, in our rush to find answers to our desires, we have often accepted deceit and death based on our double-minds. We have betrayed your trust and we are sorry. Please Lord help us to focus on you and what your word says in all circumstances. Heal our doubts with your unchanging truths which have been in existence throughout the ages. Cleanse our sins in your precious blood and mercifully save our souls today in your holy name, Amen!!
