Poll #3: What Does it Mean to Be Double-Minded?

 

Happy Monday! Last week’s poll question was, “What does it mean to be double-minded?” 75% of you answered all of the above (to have divided interests, to be doubtful, or to be uncertain). 25% of you answered “to have divided interests.” The answer is “all of the above.”

The following is an excerpt from chapter 4 of the book Let Jesus Be Your Talk Show Host. This chapter is about false doctrine and false teaching. This excerpt is found in the section named “Be alert, self-controlled, resist the enemy, and stand firm.” To stand firm against the enemy, we as believers must not be double-minded. We must be firm in what we believe to be the truth. If not, we may unknowingly acquire incorrect teachings about God and Scripture:

 

 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV)

 

In this passage, Peter admonishes believers to stand firm in the faith and resist the devil. God wants us to stand firm in our knowledge of Jesus Christ and be unmovable when new, deceptive teachings arise. It reminds me of James 1:6-8 which states that a man who is “double-minded” is unstable in all he does:

 

 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. (James 1:5-8, NIV)

 

“Double-minded” used here identifies a person who wavers in her beliefs, who doubts, is uncertain, or has divided interests.[ii] You see, our interests must be wholly on God and certain in what we believe is the truth. This is how we stand firm and resist the enemy.

-Let Jesus Be Your Talk Show Host, Ch. 4

---

[i] Walvoord, John F. and Roy B. Zuck. Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985) , 2:842.

[ii] Enhanced Strongs Lexicon, s.v. “G1374.”

Poll #2: Spiritual Wisdom

 

I would like to thank everyone for participating in the poll this week! There was an outstanding turn out! The question this week was: What does it mean to have spiritual wisdom? 

 

67% of you answered “to have insight into reality and live according to the truth,” 27% of you answered “all of the above,” and 7% of you answered “none of the above.” The answer is “to have insight into reality and live according to the truth.” 

 

The definition of wisdom given is made up of two parts. The first is to have insight into reality. Having insight into reality requires us to have an understanding about ourselves and the world around us. How do we gain insight? My answer would be to put on the eye glasses of God. 

In Job 12:13, Job says, “With Him are wisdom and might; To Him belong counsel and understanding.” (NASB) We must see the world through God’s eyes to really have a correct understanding of the world we live in. As we press in closer in our relationship with God, through studying Scripture and prayer, we will begin to see things the way God does. By doing this we will continue to gain more insight into reality. 

The second part of this definition is to live according to the truth. In Psalm 31:5, David calls God the “God of truth.” As Christians, we are required to live according to God ways and instructions. These instructions are not there for our destruction, but are there for our protection and benefit. Did you happen to notice that living according to the truth is an action? We are required to do something. We are required to follow the ways of the Lord. 

To sum it up, wisdom is understanding the world as God see’s it and living according to His ways. To have spiritual wisdom is to understand and act. 

I would encourage everyone to do a word study in your free time on the words understanding, truth, and wisdom. There are many great passages in the Bible about these topics, that for the sake of time and the length, I could not fit them into this blog post. 

Lastly, I want to address the other two choices that were given in the poll. First, “to be very knowledgeable” doesn’t necessary mean that you are wise. I think most people would agree that you can have much knowledge but still not be a wise person. Second, “to be able to predict something in the future” has more to do with the gift of prophecy than it has to do with wisdom. 

(Definitions in this post were taken from the Kregal Dictionary of the Bible and Theology.)

Poll #1: Which of the following statements is biblically correct?

 

 

You may vote in the poll until Sunday night. Results will be revealed at the beginning of next week! Stay tuned …