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

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[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.”