Posted by
TAB on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 7:47:01 PM
Receive Nothing From the Lord
"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. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." James 1:6-8 (NKJV).
Faith is a necessity for the Christian to walk with God. We cannot walk without faith. The opposite of faith is fear or unbelief. The doubting to which the New King James refers is an unbelief which would keep us from acting in faith. The Christian who douts in such a case is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. You never know which way its is going to fall.
The matter before us is the matter of asking for wisdom. Since wisdom comes from God, and since He has asked us to ask Him for wisdom, then we can believe that He desires to give us wisdom; and that would be godly wisdom. The individual who ask for wisdom then, decides, "Well, He must not want to give it to me" is in a bad way, and shall not receive anything from God.
This individual who is doubting and not believing, and of whom it is said, "Let not that man suppose he will receive anything fromt he Lord…" does this mean, that not only does he not receive wisdom, but also there is nothing God will give him? If one cannot believe God concerning wisdom, then, this would surely apply to other things as well. This would include salvation. Can a person be saved by doubting that Jesus can save? The answer to that must be, NO!
When one trust the Lord it is a trust for all of life. Trusting the Lord means truling believing Him and Him alone; there can be no other god, nor trust which we lean on. Jesus said, "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." Matthew 6:24 (NKJV). That is actually being "double-minded", and there is no pleasure for God when we are double-minded having divided loyalties. In most stories of intrigue and mystery, and spying a double agent will not live very long, and/or must constantly be watching over their backs. The same is true with faith. When you trust and serve the one true God, believe Him, you never have to wonder to whom you will turn in any certain time or trial. It will always be to the Lord.
Instability is the result of being double-minded, with divided loyalties. These types of people are never walking with God, but walking in their own paths, or the paths of other people, but not the path the Lord has led them in. You could never really depend on the life of the double-minded person. They are unstable, wishy washy, and most of the time likeable, and peaceable people, but without substance in thier life.
Have faith in God.
-Tim A. Blankenship