The double minded man

[ZNPaaneah]

1:6-8 The Double-Minded Man — This may be an original term by James.

We have discussed repeatedly that if you listen to Witness Lee you can hear the message of “God-driven obedience” but when you look at his life you see “self-centered disobedience”.

1:22-24 The Double-Minded Man Hears But Does Not Do

The focus is on the immediacy of the double-minded man’s forgetfulness. We are often amazed at how sins committed by the Catholic Church 500 years ago condemn them today, whereas sins that those in the leadership commit are immediately forgotten and referred to as “ancient news” without anyone ever dealing with them. Their condemnation of others is as though they have forgotten what their own face looks like.

1:26 The Double-Minded Man Is Religious But Not Godly

He cannot see that his faith is “worthless.” Laws notes that this “adjective [was] often applied to pagan religion…which may give an extra pejorative thrust to James’s condemnation.” This has been a major thrust in our recent debate on “deification”. I have pointed out that the use of this word is worthless, it adds nothing to the teaching, is often applied to pagan religion, and should be condemned.

2:1-4 The Double-Minded Man Claims Impartiality But is Biased

The true believer is impartial and a peace-maker, while the double minded man shows partiality and is conflict-ridden. We saw this worked out in the Lord’s Recovery. In order to silence anyone who might question what was going on “degrees of sanctification” were introduced, which ultimately became deification. The implication being that someone with only a few years of sanctification could not question a person who had been “deified” for 50 years. The double-minded man professes to hold faith in the resurrected Christ, but operates according to worldly standards of wealth and power. We saw this with Witness Lee. His fabricated story concerning Watchman Nee was crucial for his wealth and power. His close association with Watchman Nee was critical for him to sell his ministry and would not be worth anything if Watchman Nee were discredited with adultery.

2:14-17 The Double-Minded Man Claims Faith But Has No Works

Double-mindedness is revealed in a faith that is alone and that has no works to prove it. The test is generosity. The double-minded man says that he loves those he claims as brothers and sisters, but when it comes time to demonstrate that generosity, his faith shows itself to be “by itself.” We have noted repeatedly that the Local Church is locked into giving money to LSM for standing orders they don’t want, legal defense funds which are an abomination, training fees, etc. As a result charitable works are actually condemned by Witness Lee in his ministry.

3:8-9 The Double-Minded Man Blesses God But Curses Man

The double-minded man is forgetful when it serves his purpose, partial towards evil men like PL over JI, and greedy of gain. In short he is hypocritical: publicly appears godly and privately wicked. So much so that he blesses God and curses his fellow man and savages those whom he does not like. All in the same ministry.

(I have referenced A message by Owen Strachan, November 23, 2007)

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Admin Note:
Here is the referenced article in full

[Freedom]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

1:6-8 The Double-Minded Man — This may be an original term by James.

We have discussed repeatedly that if you listen to Witness Lee you can hear the message of “God-driven obedience” but when you look at his life you see “self-centered disobedience”.

The issue of double-mindedness is something that I think all Christians have struggled with here and there - it's that inner turmoil that occurs when our will is different from God's will, specifically when it becomes an ongoing occurrence. Generally speaking, the problem is corrected if we are able to have the humility to realize a change is needed on our part, and this realization requires being honest with ourselves.

It's not so simple, however, for those who are in a group which believes that everyone there "means business with the Lord." A state of single-mindedness is a basic assumption of the LC. I don't want to say that they consider the alternative to be an impossibility, but if double-mindedness were ever a concern in the LC, it would likely be a matter of pointing to Joe Schmoe in the back row who manages to only make one meeting a month: "there's a double minded person right over there..." Members would never think to look at themselves, the environment, or their leaders.

Upon his initial arrival in the U.S., WL was reported to have been repentant (with himself) for his past failures. Yet he proceeded to do the same things all over again. On the one hand, it seems he recognized what he did wrong, but he wasn't able to ever truly change. Rather than address this problem, it seems that over time, he began equating his own will as being God's will. This is how the LC continues to operate to this day.

[Ohio]

James' comment about a "double-minded believer" has occasionally intrigued me over the years, without my looking further into the matter. I found this Christian Post article on-line which had some very interesting insights which helped to explain some things well. I'll post the article below.

7 Characteristics of a Double-Minded Believer

A double-minded believer is someone who is constantly living in a state of compromise. Half of you lives for God, while the other half lives for your bad habit. Hence, you are "double-minded." As you consider whether or not that experience describes your current situation, here are 7 characteristics of a double-minded believer:

1) There are two major influences which fuel your thought life.

A double-minded Christian is always being torn in two directions. He has a relationship with Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, but he also has a relationship with a particular sinful obsession. It is a mental obsession and distraction, and it may even have a physical aspect. But it's a miserable way to attempt to live the Christian life.

2) You have a history with both of your major influences.

No Christian becomes double-minded overnight. It takes some time to develop an unrelenting desire to pursue a particular course. But make no mistake about it. History has a way of repeating itself. Until we part ways with that thing which is "stabbing at Jesus" all the time, we continually find ourselves in a state of inner turmoil.

Even if you have walked with the Lord for years, a double-minded life will circumvent much of the good which the Holy Spirit wants to work in you and through you. What every believer desperately needs is to fully surrender their heart and mind to the Lord.

3) You find yourself compromising your thought life in one primary area.

Satan has been at his craft for many centuries. And just as he knew what "triggers" to employ with Adam and Eve, he has discovered a variety of enticements that are intended to lead believers to become double-minded. Satan hates to see believers fully surrendered to the Lord. The devil knows from past experience that when a Christian is fully surrendered, God works even more miracles in the lives of His people.

Jesus has never compromised even one time. The same cannot be said about us. Our challenge as sinful human beings is to say "no" to sin and "yes" to righteous living. And it's not like this challenge only confronts us once or twice a week. The temptations for compromise are going on around us all the time.

4) You are led by the Holy Spirit, except when that other issue is driving your thinking.

The Spirit-led Christian is not giving into compromise. Instead, he or she is focused, filled, and flowing in the living water of the Holy Spirit. It is a wonderful way to go through life. It provides peace, power and purpose. Sin, on the other hand, increases the desire to give into temptation again and again. You never get enough. And so you end up double-minded, at least until you repent and "come clean" before the Lord and His cross.

5) You only experience real peace in your heart when your mind is under God's control.

There is no peace for the believer who is going against his conscience and against the Word of God. You feel out of control. You feel pulled in the direction of your obsession, rather than gently led down the flowing river of God's grace and peace.

Most of us who have known the Lord for awhile have come to experience the vast difference between the peace of God and the turmoil of our sinful desires. They truly are in conflict with each other. (see Gal. 5:16,17) And it's a battle that doesn't stop until our soul leaves our body at the point of physical death. At that moment, we will be immediately ushered into heaven.

6) You find yourself giving into old habits very easily.

A double-minded believer finds it next to impossible to stay away from the danger zone. He or she moves quickly in that direction at the slightest impulse. The longer a person refrains from that bad habit, the easier it gets to stay away from it. But the more you "cut corners," the more you find yourself locked into a double-minded quagmire of your own making.

God's Word says that a double-minded man is "unstable in all he does." (James 1:8) No wonder old habits seem to hang on indefinitely in the life of a double-minded believer. Those old habits are simply the fruit of an unstable heart and mind.

7) You would love to only be drawn to the things of God.

Deep within the soul of every believer is the desire to live fully for God. That desire was planted inside us when we were converted through faith in Christ. At that moment, the Holy Spirit took up residence within our body. And we immediately began to experience this righteous desire to do things God's way.

That desire will always be there within the soul of a Christian, even if you are double-minded. But the only way to experience the joy and peace God intends for us is to get back to a single-minded approach to Christian living.

You know, just like when you first came to know Christ. By His grace, you can get back there. After all, it was only His grace that brought you into this relationship in the first place.

[ZNPaaneah]

Originally Posted by Freedom

It's not so simple, however, for those who are in a group which believes that everyone there "means business with the Lord." A state of single-mindedness is a basic assumption of the LC. I don't want to say that they consider the alternative to be an impossibility, but if double-mindedness were ever a concern in the LC, it would likely be a matter of pointing to Joe Schmoe in the back row who manages to only make one meeting a month: "there's a double minded person right over there..." Members would never think to look at themselves, the environment, or their leaders.

Very true. I remember in Houston I stayed with a brother who lived in an apartment complex directly across the street. We often would show up to the Sunday morning meeting 30 minutes late or even more. People looked at him like a misfit. What they did not know and what he never once told them is that we usually were up by 5, drove two hours out of Houston to go pick up a gospel contact that he had preached the gospel to that week to bring them to the meeting. Often we would have to wait around for 30 minutes for this one to get dressed, go pick them up some breakfast and then would arrive late to the meeting. The looks never bothered me. Since this was all I knew of the Lord's Recovery I figured many others were doing the same.

[ZNPaaneah]

Consider James Actions as an example --

1:22-24 The Double-Minded Man Hears But Does Not Do

He heard of Paul's complaint concerning Peter that Paul recounts in the book of Galatians. He not only heard but responded by writing this epistle.

1:26 The Double-Minded Man Is Religious But Not Godly

His faith is not worthless. By taking this action he is putting everything he has given his life to on the altar. He was born a Jew, saw the Messiah as someone promised to the Jews, and saw the coming Kingdom as a fulfillment of the Jewish kingdom. But all of that is placed on the altar due to his faith that the Lord is a God of resurrection.

2:1-4 The Double-Minded Man Claims Impartiality But is Biased

This epistle is a strong expression of being truly impartial.

2:14-17 The Double-Minded Man Claims Faith But Has No Works

The works that express a faith in the God of Resurrection are similar to Abraham's faith in offering up his promised son in obedience to God and is similar to Rahab hiding the spies. This is the expression of this letter.

3:8-9 The Double-Minded Man Blesses God But Curses Man

This letter is a very strong blessing to both God and man.

[OBW]

Originally Posted by ZNPaaneah

The Double-Minded Man Claims Faith But Has No Works

The works that express a faith in the God of Resurrection are similar to Abraham's faith in offering up his promised son in obedience to God and is similar to Rahab hiding the spies. This is the expression of this letter.

Z,

Did you mean to imply that works must be something extreme to be covered in this particular part of what James wrote about?

Is simple obedience in the small things just as much among the works that evidence faith?

[ZNPaaneah]

James 1:8 [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides]. Amplified version

When you read about those who are perpetrating a scam, like box 13 with LBJ in Duval county, the description of those being investigated is “unstable, unreliable, uncertain” about everything. Salas, the man who certified the 200 bogus votes which bought the election for LBJ was uncertain about which box was box 13, uncertain about where the key documents were, and was completely unreliable in losing 2 of the 3 copies of the key documents, losing the keys to the boxes, etc.

These are not people who are hesitating between their conscience and temptation, these are people who have sold themselves to do evil. Being unreliable and uncertain in everything is merely a last ditch attempt to not be convicted of a crime. It is similar to the CEO on the witness stand whose constant refrain is “I cannot recall”. It has always astounded me that people paid millions of dollars a year, presumably for their expertise and professionalism, are in fact so uncertain and unreliable about very critical questions.

Barnes' Notes on James 1:8
A double minded man - The word here used, δίψυχος dipsuchos occurs only here and in James 4:8. It means, properly, one who has two souls; then one who is wavering or inconstant. It is applicable to a man who has no settled principles; who is controlled by passion; who is influenced by popular feeling; who is now inclined to one opinion or course of conduct, and now to another.

Is unstable in all his ways - That is, not merely in regard to prayer, the point particularly under discussion, but in respect to everything. From the instability which the wavering must evince in regard to prayer, the apostle takes occasion to make the general remark concerning such a man, that stability and firmness could be expected on no subject. The hesitancy which manifested on that one subject would extend to all; and we might expect to find such a man irresolute and undetermined in all things. This is always true. If we find a man who takes hold of the promises of God with firmness; who feels the deepest assurance when he prays that God will hear prayer; who always goes to him without hesitation in his perplexities and trials, never wavering, we shall find one who is firm in his principles, steady in his integrity, settled in his determinations, and steadfast in his plans of life - a man whose character we shall feel that we understand, and in whom we can confide. Such a man eminently was Luther; and the spirit which is thus evinced by taking firmly hold of the promises of God is the best kind of religion. (Albert Barnes, Notes on the whole Bible)

I don't think this is the same as being "otherwise minded". In that case you are being tempted with two souls, I think this term refers to someone like Balaam or Judas who has already determined within that he will have two souls. Jesus warned that you can't serve God and Mammon, this is a person who has chosen to ignore that and try. This word means "one who has two souls", not one who is being tempted to have two souls, or one who is hesitating between two souls. This term is only used in the book of James, so I don't think we should assume that it is equivalent to what others refer to.