James 1:5-8: A Double Minded Man Is Unstable
2024-05-04
James 1:5
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)
“If any of you lack wisdom...” It is an interesting thing to say, for is there anyone who would dare say, “I have enough wisdom”? The circumstances of life should show us daily that we need His wisdom. Previously we had discussed temptations, and there are plenty of times where we need wisdom concerning some dilemma.
Solomon was overwhelmed by the thought of ruling the people of God. Consider 1 Kings 3:3-15. The LORD asked the king whatever he wanted. Solomon saw that his real need was not riches and long life, but rather he needed a wise and understanding heart. In 2 Chronicles 1:10, we see that the king asked for knowledge as well. He was one man to rule an innumerable population. He needed to be a righteous judge. God not only granted Solomon his request, but he gave him other benefits such as riches and honor.
We see that God saw that Solomon’s heart was right with Him, and that he saw his need for dependence on the Lord. God was eager to answer his request. Consequently, Solomon later wrote the book of Proverbs, which is filled with the Lord’s wisdom.
Later, we will see that there is earthly wisdom and wisdom that is from above (James 3:13-18). God clearly granted the king wisdom that could only come from God.
Now consider the Lord Jesus Christ’s own words concerning King Solomon: “The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42).
When the Spirit tells us to ask for wisdom here, we see that we are in a much better position than the king of Israel. Jesus Christ is greater than he. Not only is He wiser than Solomon, but He is the author of wisdom; He is Wisdom.
To know Christ is to know wisdom. “But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24). And again, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
The Lord came to us with great riches of grace, which includes wisdom and knowledge of His will. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself” (Ephesians 1:7-9).
And again, “That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).
The apostle Paul prayed for the people to have wisdom and to know all that is available in Christ. They should walk with the Lord and bear fruit to Him, as should we. “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:17-18).
And again, “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10).
The church is the demonstration of God’s wisdom on earth to the universe. “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God” (Ephesians 3:9-10).
“...let him ask of God...” Now that we have access to so great a wisdom in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can ask Him for it. It is already ours in Jesus Christ, waiting to be appropriated by us to be used in our daily lives.
God will give wisdom “liberally.” He freely gives wisdom to us when we ask Him for it in faith. If we need wisdom to speak to others about Christ, it is available. If we are caught in a situation where there seems to be no way out, and we need to decide something, wisdom is ready to be distributed.
When we ask God for wisdom, He “upbraideth not.” He does not get tired of us asking for wisdom. The Lord does not say, “Here he comes again, needing more of my supply of wisdom, so he’s going to get an earful.” He does not scold us because of being so feeble in wisdom. He wants us to be weak so He can be strong in us. He wants us to rely on Him for wisdom. He is eager to provide us with any wisdom that we need. He wants to demonstrate His wisdom to the world through His church. We just need to be willing to trust Him and ask Him for it. When one trusts and asks Him for wisdom, “it shall be given him.”
James 1:6
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. (James 1:6)
There is a caveat to asking for wisdom; we must ask the Lord “in faith, nothing wavering.” If we ask and assume that He may not deliver to us wisdom, we should not expect it. It is the Lord’s will to give us wisdom to serve Him in this life. The previous verse settled any doubt that the Lord will hold back wisdom if we ask for it. If it is certainly the Lord’s will to give us wisdom, why doubt?
Faith is the central element in abiding in Christ. Whatever we want to appropriate that is ours in Christ, we must believe He will provide it. Later, we shall see that people either don’t ask the Lord for anything, or if they do, they “ask amiss” (James 4:3). This could be us. If we lack wisdom after asking for it, the problem is with us, not the Lord.
Consider a few other times we see wind-tossed Christianity. We discussed these previously, but here we revisit them a bit. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:13-15). The local church exists in part to stabilize each member from being distracted by bad doctrine. There is an enemy that is at work to destroy lives; the church protects us from such tragedy.
Also, we read this: “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein” (Hebrews 13:9). Strange doctrines here also carry people away from grace found in Christ so that they trust in Jewish tradition or their works of the Law.
Consider one of Paul’s shipwreck experiences in Acts 27:18-22. Because the ship was exceedingly tossed on the sea, they had to throw cargo overboard. People did not eat for weeks. Eventually, the ship was brought ashore, but the ship was destroyed. “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves” (Acts 27:41).
If you consider this historical event, it is an illustration of what happens to the fickle in faith. There was great pain for those on board. Precious cargo, including food, was thrown away. They were marooned on an island far away from home. If we are like that in faith, it will be a great loss spiritually, not receiving the coveted wisdom, going through life on your own and making poor decisions. The captain has lost control, and the end is destruction.
James 1:7
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. (James 1:7)
If we trust the Lord sometimes and not at other times, letting life drive us wherever it leads, we should not expect any answer from God, either when asking for wisdom or otherwise. We should not wonder why God does not seem to be answering prayer or that He “feels” distant.
If you want a victorious, impactful Christian life, we must ask and fully trust Christ for it. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). And again, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37).
If you want to receive anything from the Lord, we must trust Christ for it. “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” (Hebrews 11:6). And again, “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58).
James 1:8
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:8)
The word for “double minded” is used later in this letter in James 4:8. There it is used with the term “sinners” and the commandments to “Cleanse your hands” and “purify your hearts.” We will discuss that later when the time comes. However, the double minded Christian is the ineffective Christian.
Consider Matthew 6:19-24. Here we see the mutually exclusive circles of God and mammon. There are two examples. First, we have the ephemeral treasures of this world and the permanent treasures of heaven. Whichever you treasure in your heart, there will your affections be.
The second is what you set your eyes on. If your eye is single, namely, you focus on Christ, then will you have light within. The opposite of a single eye on Christ is having an evil eye. An evil eye is consistently used across the testaments as covetousness at the expense of another.
A few examples: “Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee” (Deuteronomy 15:9). And again, “He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him” (Proverbs 28:22). The focus on this world’s goods causes grievous sin with consequences.
This duplicity not only separates us from serving the Lord; it also causes destruction in our lives.
So what is this treasure and light? It is more than just heaven or good things pertaining to the Lord. The treasure in heaven and the light our single eye rests upon is Jesus Christ Himself. It is impossible to focus completely on the Lord and manage these other affections.
I think it could be easy that if fickle emotions and appearances take over our minds, we can give up on the Lord in favor of worldly endeavors. “I tried this Christianity thing, and it did not work for me.” “Yeah, I’m saved, but there is no point in trying to follow Him. I want to do my own thing.” Despite what sensory perceptions are signaling to us, whatever the world, which lies in wickedness, is telling us, we must keep our eye single and our eye full of the light of Christ.
Trust that He will provide that wisdom when we ask for it. Trust Him in every circumstance, no matter how mundane. Trust Him when you are in His service. Trust Him that He will use you to bring His light to the people around you. Be confident that He will answer your prayers. Live expectantly that He will accomplish His will.
How else can we be double minded? Surely, when we have one foot in the world, we have this problem. The world system, led by Satan, crucified our Lord. Why do we, who have renounced the world’s citizenship in favor of having faith in the Lord, keep a foot in the door to the world? Why the world’s entertainment? Why the world’s endeavors? Why the world’s measure of success and fame? Since “the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world,” we must take our place being separated from those things and be separated unto the Lord our God. Burn the bridge. “Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Hebrews 13:13).