Double minded and living in spiritual doubt? Then don't expect to receive anything from the Lord.
James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8. he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
James wrote that a double-minded man will not receive anything from the Lord. Does this include salvation? What does it take to be double minded? I think, in this verse especially, it's talking about doubting God, not trusting Him completely and redirecting some of that trust in the teachings of man. James continues by saying that, that person is not going to receive anything from the Lord. For those that will commit and trust in the Lord with all their heart, they will find that there is meaningful communication between their heavenly Father and His children. We have prayer to ask and seek and He has given us His Spirit to reveal the answers in our heart, giving us divine direction and stability. I think it is very difficult for many to place their trust in the teachings of this anointing. Many would rather find someone they feel they can trust to teach them along with seeking for the fellowship that's found in agreeing within those beliefs. Most likely, they will speak very highly of the Lord and claim personal relationship but the truth is, their trust and comfort is in the like-minded teachings of man. These are the double minded, saying one thing but trusting in another. Those will be unstable for they are not being led by the Holy Spirit. Without God's divine direction all men are unstable. True stability comes only from God. Jesus said that no one can serve two masters.
Matthew 6:24. "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
I realize the above verse is talking about serving God vs. seeking our own riches and desires but that does not limit Jesus' message that "No one can serve two masters". For in doing that in the spiritual, it is clear that, that opens the door to deception.
KJV: Matthew 23:10. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Dictionary: Master. Jesus. 9. A male teacher, schoolmaster, or tutor.
God has given us all a choice. We can be taught by God through the anointing of Christ or we can place our trust in those that are looked upon as being an authoritative, proven by their credentials or their approval of others. But take heed. One cannot hear the anointing of Christ while taking heed to the teachings of man. God forbid!
Luke 16:15. And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.
If we truly want wisdom through truth, we must come to God with all our heart and trust. We cannot doubt His ability to give us the wisdom and teaching we need to serve Him in the love and grace He provides. It is written in Timothy that this day would come and many would place their trust accordingly to the desires of their own heart and believe in fables. Since their heart has turned from the truth that's found through God's Holy Spirit, they will perceive these fables as truths.
2 Timothy 4:3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4. and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables
The Scripture below confirms that those that have turned their ears away from the truth will do so because they did not receive the love of the truth. Truth and the Holy Spirit go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. Those that dwell in the anointing of Christ will have a love relationship with God in that divine fellowship. The Scriptures show us that God is Spirit and has given us His Spirit as a way for us to accept His divine truths and direction. But those that resist that Spirit will also have no love for the truths that are revealed by that divine Spirit. And they will perish with the untrusting double-minded.
2 Thessalonians 2:9. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10. and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
Jeremiah 17:5. Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. It's very clear that those that partake of the credentialed teachers in 2 Timothy 4:3, are not committed to the Lord with a sincere heart. Without the anointing of Christ, those fables will become believable and will be defended as truths. The children of God should never have it in their heart to seek the spiritual opinions and teachings of man but rather fully commit to the teachings of God through the anointing of Christ. You cannot have both, either, one totally commits to the anointing of Christ or they support the teaching of man, you cannot serve both. It is one or the other. Anyone that places their trust in any of the teachings of man should not suppose that they will receive anything from the Lord. But for those that abide in the anointing of Christ will not be cursed as spoken in the verse above but will have the confidence and not be ashamed at His coming, as it is written in the Scripture below.
1 John 2:26. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him. 28. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 Corinthians 2:9. But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.'' 10. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13. These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16. For "Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?'' But we have the mind of Christ.
Those that share in having this mind of Christ will not partake with the double-minded but rather abide in that anointing spoken of in 1 John 2:27. Those that abide in the anointing of Christ will seldom find the comfort and justification of men but rather experience the confidence, stability and the comfort of the Holy Spirit that comes from God through Christ.
Romans 8:8. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
What our heavenly Father wants from His children is complete submission to His direction, which includes denying our independent lives, doing most things our way. Consider in the following verse how Peter was attempting to take things in his own hands which is the nature or "in the flesh" of all of us. But Jesus recognized his double mindedness for at that moment, Peter was not mindful of the things of God.
Matthew 16:22. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!'' 23. But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.'' Keeping this in mind, consider that in these verses in this same chapter, Peter is mindful on the things of God for God had revealed to him Whom Jesus was. Can we see the double minded in these two situations in this same chapter?
Matthew 16:15. He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?'' 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'' 17. Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.
In the flesh we are all independent minded from God. For it was that same independent heart that caused the fall of Lucifer out of heaven. When we accept the anointing of Christ, we must give up that independent heart and submit to the will of God our Father.
Matthew 16:24. Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26. "For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Therefore the very root of being double minded is one's unwillingness to give up the desires of the flesh and expecting the blessings of God. Coming to God in prayer with an independent heart. For with that same independent heart, they will listen to the heaped up teachers, because of their itching ears. They will listen to what is pleasing to them rather than seeking the truths that come only from God through the anointing of Christ. Those that are in Christ are serving God in most sincere love for others. Our best interests are in the hands of God and so are the best interests of others. Jesus knew what was the best interest for you and I and He was obedient with a loving heart for all that would accept all that God has reserved for those that are in Christ. Consider this, being equal to God is independence. That is what Lucifer wanted, to be equal "to" God. Being equal "with" God is totally the opposite! Being equal with God is total obedience which is the example of Jesus and we are instructed to have this same mind which was also in the anointed/Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:4. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6. who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7. but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
When we are not in submission to God's will, that is when we are not trusting or not willing, and that is being double minded. One cannot serve two masters! There is only one master for those that are in Christ
Each of us in truth know if we are abiding in the anointing of Christ. Down deep we know if we are seeking and listening for the Holy Spirit. We also know in our hearts of we are obedient to what God has shown us through His Spirit. We also know that what He has revealed has been done through His love. And in turn we are in love with Him.
Romans 8:14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Acts 5:32. "And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.''
We know if Jesus' anointing is in us but if there is any question, then we're better do this self examination, as instructed.
2 Corinthians 13:5. Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you are disqualified.
The double-minded are scattered, every which way. Jesus is the good shepherd and it is though the anointing of Christ where He is able to shepherd His one and only flock. Those of His flock will listen only to Him, rather than the teaching of man.
John 10:4. "And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5. "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.'' The Jesus tells us He is the good shepherd: John 10:14. "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own (2 Corinthians 13:5). 15. "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16. "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. The true church of Christ are only those that are of this flock. Those that are shepherd by Christ, abide in the anointing of Christ. (1 John 2:27)
Once again, let's take notice and hear the depth of this Scripture: James 1:5. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8. he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.