“purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8, NKJV)
We are currently examining the state of double-mindedness. This word was most probably first coined by the apostle James in his letter to the church. He uses the word twice, first in the context of James 1:5-8, which we examined in the previous teaching. The second reference to the term is in James 4:7-8: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
The wider context of the chapter’s prologue is very important if we are to correctly understand the verse in which the word double-minded is found: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’ But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’”
The book James is commonly considered as a practical guideline for the believer’s walk of faith. Different from Paul’s philosophical approach, James is much more practical in the wisdom he offers here. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia notes the following about this apostle: “All tradition agrees in describing James as a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a man of the most rigid and ascetic morality, faithful in his observance of all the ritual regulations of the Jewish faith.” In this light his no-nonsense approach can point to a legalistic attitude, but it should still be kept in mind that it is he who taught the Body of “the perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25).
From the pericope presented earlier it is very clear that a cause-and-effect scenario is presented here. From the conclusion of chapter 3 James explained the difference between the “wisdom that … descend[s] from above” and the wisdom that is “earthly, sensual, demonic” (verse 15). With this he explains that which feeds the two natures: man’s natural, sinful nature, as opposed to the “godly nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). The believer’s godly nature culminates in “the fruit of righteousness [which] is sown in peace by those who make peace” (verse 18).
In opposition to this nature we find the believer’s natural, sinful nature, fed by demonic and sensual wisdom, filled with “envy and self-seeking”, which leads to “confusion and every evil thing” (verse 16). When chapter 4 starts, this is all still part of the argument James is engaged in: “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” Thus: earthly/sensual/demonic wisdom > envy and self-seeking > confusion and every evil thing > disorder and cruel deeds > desires for pleasure that war in your members > wars and fights > murder and covet > Adulterers and adulteresses > friendship with the world > an enemy of God.
Take note of how the trajectory escalates. Also, please remember – this is not necessarily physical war and murder and adultery that is referred to here (as Jesus also made clear in the Beatitudes – Matt. 5:21-48), but are metaphorical indications of the believer’s adultery in her relationship to the Bridegroom, as Paul beautifully explained: “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” (2 Cor. 11:2). A relationship with God cannot be lukewarm (Rev. 3:16), nor does it humour disinterested service (Matt. 11:12) – instead it requires passion and loyalty. Believers must serve God with their whole heart (Col. 3:23); must not do His will in a half-hearted manner (Eph. 6:6). The summary of the law is, after all, passion: “So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” (Luke 10:27).
The believer who has a godly nature does not fall for the urges of his or her body to follow the ways of its sinful nature, and is absolutely focussed on sanctification, “without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Because believers easily cultivate an attitude of all things are permitted (1 Cor. 6:12), a laissez-faire approach is established. Zeph. 1:12 describes this as follows: “And it shall come to pass at that time that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart,
‘The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.’”
Akin to the raging of a cancer through one’s body (2 Tim. 2:17), so human, carnal nature slowly encroaches on the godly nature – “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Gal. 5:17).
This state believers find themselves in often leads to an inability or even unwillingness to pray. The origin of this can be transgressions which have not been repented of, or can be iniquities in the believer’s life: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God …” (Isa. 59:1-2a; also see Jer. 5:25). But I find that it is often rather a symptom or an indication of the fact that someone is missing his mark, in other words, is guilty of hamartano, or sinning, that is to say he is not walking the path of his high calling in Christ. In 1 Sam. 12:23 the prophet makes this important statement: “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you …”
A lack of prayer is an indication that you are walking in sin, in other words, that you are missing your mark.
By the way – Jesus is the example of someone who, despite his circumstances, never stopped praying, “always … pray[ing] and not los[ing] heart” (Luke 18:1), because He was consistently focussed on his calling and purpose:
- in the midst of a very full schedule (Mark. 1:32-36);
- when He was tired after a hard day’s work (Mark. 6:31-49);
- when time was limited, and very valuable – when it became time for Him to fulfil his calling, He used the limited time He had left to pray for his disciples, and for me, and you (John 17);
- when everyone specifically wanted his wisdom and help (Luke 5:15-16) and
- when the battle with his opponent was fiercest (Luke 22:39-46).
Moving on from a lack of prayer. James 4:3 then also speaks about the reverse, where a believer who lives his passion does pray, but does not receive – “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
It is thus possible to not pray correctly. The argument James presents in his letter to the church is concerned with the age-old tension between faith and works. And the argument is indeed not new to most of us – no good deed can bring you into a direct relationship with God – only faith can:
- “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” (Rom. 3:28).
- “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16).
This is all that salvation requires. But: once you are saved, your faith is qualified by works:
- “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?” (James 2:14)
- “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” (James 2:17-18)
- “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20)
- “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only … For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:24 & 26).
It is thus very important what Heb. 11:6 makes clear when it comes to the subject of prayer: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” But if there are no clear works that undergird your faith, the faith is also not truly faith. This is what James means when he writes about not praying correctly, as you cannot discern the perfect will of God (Rom. 12:2) for you, and for others. Back then to the trajectory that James spelled out earlier – a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Alas – because believers do not understand this spiritual principle, they do not realise that they may even be fighting against God in their spiritual pursuits (Acts 5:39).
With that being said, it is very important to realise that the root cause of all these matters is double-mindedness. It encapsulates all the aspects mentioned above. It is thus clear why James 4:8 thus calls to the Body u to: “Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”
From this Scripture it is clear that double-mindedness is the root cause of sin, in other words, missing your mark or purpose. Our confidence to approach the throne room (Heb. 4:16) lies in the fact that we are already operating in the third dimension (where His throne is located – Ps. 99:1), and are thus walking within our calling and purpose! Only then does 1 John 5:14 become a reality: “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”
It is thus very clear that we need to deal with our double-mindedness before God.
- Selah: Are you double-minded?
- Read: Acts 13-16; James 1-5 (What beautiful synchronicity!)
- Memorise: James 4:3.
