James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 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. 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. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1:1-8, KJV)
Kenneth Copeland’s sermon, which I posted last, clearly reveals that God gives wisdom to his children who ask in faith. In that sermon he focused on verse 5 and the word translated “upbraideth” in the King James Version. Strong’s says that ονειδιζω oneidizo on-i-did’-zo, the Greek word translated as upbraideth here means, “to defame, i.e. rail at, chide, taunt” and is translated as “cast in teeth, (suffer) reproach, revile, upbraid” in the King James Version. Mr. Copeland made the point that God “finds no fault” in those who walk by faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. His point was profound and moving, especially when he recounted the time he suffered under intense stress and his wife came to him, put her hands on his face, looked into his eyes, and said to him, “I find no fault in you.” Simply remembering Kenneth’s account of this brings tears to my eyes from the shear beauty of it, for so it is with us who believe in Jesus Christ.
But, there is a catch. The one who asks for wisdom from God must really do so in faith. James warns us that anyone who asks of God in a hesitating, doubting, or wavering way should not expect anything of him. In fact, says James, such a one is a “double minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
The Greek word translated “double minded” here is διψυχος dipsuchos dip’-soo-khos and literally means “double souled.” The word is derived from the Greek word for soul. Remember from prior teachings that the word soul, (Greek ψυχη psuche psoo-khay’) refers to our mind, will, and emotions. This Greek word is usually translated by the English word “life” in modern versions of the Bible. Many people, however, believe that the words “soul” and “spirit” are synonymous in Scripture, but they are not. Scripture uses the Greek word πνευμα pneuma pnyoo’-mah for spirit. If you compare the New Testament uses of the words psuche and pneuma you will discern the difference. An easy place to begin is in 1 Thessalonians 5:23 where Paul says, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This verse shows the three-fold nature of man, (body, soul, and spirit) and it uses the Greek word psuche for soul and the Greek word pneuma for spirit.
In today’s psychological terminology we would say that such a man as described by James in verse 1:8 is schizophrenic, a man with a split, or divided, mind. He says that such a man should not expect to receive anything from the LORD. And why not? Because he does not ask in faith. Is there any hope, any remedy for such a one? Doesn’t this describe all of us at one time or another… or even now?
… to be continued.
