THE DOUBLE MINDED CHRISTIAN

TOPIC: “THE DOUBLE MINDED CHRISTIAN”

COMMENTARY BY JARRETT L. PERDUE SR.

JAMES 1:8 (KJV) "A DOUBLE MINDED MAN IS UNSTABLE IN ALL HIS WAYS”

                 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. DEFINITION OF "DOUBLE MINDED."

2. CAN A CHRISTIAN BE "DOUBLE MINDED." 

3. ARE THERE ANY SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES TO DOUBLE MINDED PEOPLE.

4. IS THERE A SOLUTION. 

1. DEFINITION OF "DOUBLE MINDED"

ANSWER: Undecided; vacillating, going back and forth, wavering or undecided in mind.

In Social Psychology, Double Minded is described as COGNITIVE DISSONANCE. Cognitive Dissonance is having 2 opinons that contradict each other. One idea implies the opposite of another. It shows inconsistencies between actions and beliefs.

EXAMPLES:

You believe it is wrong to cheat. (BELIEF)

Then you cheat on a test you are taking. (ACTIONS)

The Cognitive is your reasoning. (BELIEF)

The Dissonance is your disagreement. (ACTION), which brings about discord with your belief.

Another Example comes from author Professor Elliot Aronson.

In his book, ““THE SOCIAL ANIMAL”, Chapter 4 – pp 168.

Professor Aronson states: “Self-Justification". Cigarette Smoking - This is the feeling of uncomfortable tension which comes from holding two conflicting thoughts in the mind at the same time.”

“The BELIEF is cigarette smoking is bad for one's health."

The ACTION is the person smokes 10 packs of cigarettes a day.

This is the character of a Double Minded person.

2. CAN A CHRISTIAN BE DOUBLE MINDED?'

In the KJV translation, the word Christian is used twice, and Christians is used once.

CHRISTIAN

Acts 26:28 (KJV) “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.”

1 Peter 4:16 (KJV) “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. “

CHRISTIANS

Acts 11:26 (KJV) “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

 The Greek word for Christian(s) is Christianos (khrē-stē-ä-no's) – A follower of Christ.

If you want to know what the expectation is of a Follower of Christ, you have 555 examples. That is the number of times Christ is used in the KJV. From Matthew 1:1 to Revelation 22:21. Christ is from the Greek, Christos (khrē-sto's) defined as Anointed and Son Of God.

So, if a Christian is a follower of Christ, the question is can the Christian be “Double Minded”?

The answer: Yes, a Christian can be Double Minded.

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

1 Corinthians 10:21 (ESV) “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”

2 CHRONICLES 25:2 (KJV) “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.”

HOSEA 10:2 (KJV) “Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.”

Look at James 1:8 (KJV). We can use the study method of “CONTEXT: BEFORE & AFTER.” Look at verses 6 & 7.

 6 “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”

 7 “For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.”

When we come to the Lord in daily dialogue with requests, God wants to develop our requests with revelation understanding.

The Book of Hebrews tells us how to come to God in Faith.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
 

Double Minded in Greek is dipsuchos dip'-soo-khos, which means two-spirited, i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose):

Unstable in Greek is akatastatos ak-at-as'-tat-os which means inconstant:
 

Going back to the Cognitive Dissonance concept, which are 2 opinions that contradict each other by belief and action, was developed in 1957 by a Social Psycologist named Dr. Leon Festinger.

Here is the magnificence of the Scriptures:

Coginitive Dissonance which is the same as Double Minded, was written and completed in 580 B.C., in 1 Kings 18:21 (KJV) “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.”

Halt (HEBREW) - pacach (pä·sakh' )

1) PASS OVER. FLUCTUATE FROM ONE TO ANOTHER

Opinions (HEBREW) - ca`iph (sä·ēf' )

2. ambivalence, division, divided opinion.

Let us look at the continuity of Scriptures. Cognitive Dissonace (Double Minded) was written in MATTHEW 6:24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”

This goes to what KING SOLOMON STATED: Ecclesiastes 1:9 (AMPLIFIED) “The thing that has been—it is what will be again, and that which has been done is that which will be done again; and there is nothing new under the sun.”

3. ARE THERE ANY SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES TO DOUBLE MINDED PEOPLE?'

Here is one example:

THE APOSTLE PETER.

Read the following account when Jesus was taken to be judged. The Apostle Peter's Belief & Actions shows, he was, at the time, in Double Minded mode. Note verses 29 & 31 show Peter's Belief. Verses 68, 70, 71, shows Peter's Action.

Mark 14:27-31 (KJV)

27"And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered."

28 "But after that I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."

29 "But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be offended, yet will not I."  (PETERS BELIEF) 

30 "And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice."

31 "But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise.  Likewise also said they all."

(PETER'S BELIEF)

Mark 14:64-72 (KJV)

64 "Ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned him to be guilty of death."

65 "And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands."

66 "And as Peter was beneath in the palace, there cometh one of the maids of the high priest:"

67 "And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him, and said, And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth."

68 "But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest.  And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew."
(PETER'S ACTION)

69 "And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that stood by, This is one of them."

70 "And he denied it again.  And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth thereto."  (PETER'S ACTION)

71 "But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak." (PETER'S ACTION) 

72 "And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept." 
 

There is danger in being a DOUBLE MINDED CHRISTIAN! One day they want to walk in the Lord, and receive the blessings of the Lord. Another day they are in a state of depression and have no desire to live and receive anything from the Lord. One day they give devotion to the Lord, another day they have neglect. They are changeable from one day to another day.

PERSONALITY OF THE DOUBLE MINDED CHRISTIAN IN RELATION TO 1 JOHN 4:20-21 (KJV)

20 “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”

21 “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

This is the Double Minded Christian who will embrace God and God's Word, and at the same time have contempt for their Christian Brother & Sister. The Double Minded Christian is the personality who will stand up and make the declaration they are a follower of Christ, they love the Lord, they sing, worship, preach, teach, evangelize, and at the same time will not speak to their Christian Brother & Sister in the Lord. 1 John 4:20-21 lets us know this is a paradoxical personality and symptomatic of the Double Minded Christian.


Here is the Wuest New Testament Expanded Translation of 1 John 4:20-21:

20 “If anyone says, I am constantly loving God, and is as constantly hating his brother [Christian], he is a liar. For the one who is not constantly loving his brother [Christian] whom he has seen with discernment and at present has within the range of his vision, God whom he has not seen with discernment and at present does not have within the range of his vision he is not able to be loving.”

21 “And this commandment we have from him, [namely], The one who is constantly loving God should constantly be loving also his brother [Christian].”

5 words to examine in the KJV translation verses of 1 John 4:20 & 21, in relation to this type of personality. HATETH, BROTHER, LIAR, LOVETH, COMMANDMENT.


HATETH – GREEK - miseō (mē-se'-ō )
1) to hate, pursue with hatred, detest
2) to be hated, detested

BROTHER – GREEK - adelphos (ä-del-fo's)
a fellow believer, united to another by the bond of affection
brethren in Christ
Christians, as those who are exalted to the same heavenly place

LIAR – GREEK - pseustēs (psyü'-stās )
one who breaks faith
a false and faithless man

LOVETH – GREEK - agapaō (ä-gä-pä'-ō )
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly
to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing

COMMANDMENT – GREEK - entolē (en-to-lā' )
an order, command, charge, precept, injunction
a prescribed rule in accordance with which a thing is done 

 

(4) IS THERE A SOLUTION?

There is a solution for this type of inconsistent demeanor. There is scriptural understanding that can be correlated with daily living.

Philippians 2:5 (KJV)

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Mind is from the Greek phroneō fro-ne'-ō. To have understanding, be wise. The Lord set the perfect example of what our frame of mind and direction should be in daily living.

II Chronicles 15:15 (KJV)

“And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.” 
 

Matthew 4:10 (KJV)

“Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

1 John 5:3 (ESV)

“ For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.”

2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 

“Sound Mind” is this context of scripture is speaking of self control.
 

Isaiah 26:3 (AMPLIFIED)

“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.“

When people label themselves as Christians, their mind should be focused on positive things. Be careful of falling into the trap of being Double Minded. They can have a consistent positive lifestyle.

Let us stay in our daily dialogue with God. Let us work in daily correlation with God. Let us always be steadfast in God. Let us always keep God First in our daily living.

Jarrett L. Perdue Sr.