James calls attention to the double-mindedness in his introduction.

But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Later in his books he mentions it again.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Though mentioned in only these two passages, double-mindness or what in Greek James literally calls two-souled appears as the defining theme of James. It plays a role in almost every passage of this little book.

The theme continues in the duality that James describes

The double minded man is moved by circumstances (poverty and riches)

The double minded man is at odds with God’s constant goodness.

The double minded man plays favorites (favors the rich and ignores the poor)

The double minded man is inconsistent with words and actions (speaks but has not faith)

The double minded man speaks out of both sides of his mouth (blesses and curses)

The double minded man

I recently had a conversation with a friend in which he was repulsed at the thought of confessing his sins to anyone but God. “God alone can forgive,” he objected. But while God’s forgiveness is an important end of confession, confession is not just about forgiveness. Confession, the act of admitting sin to another, is also the means to heal the divide in us. It’s about bringing into one the person that we are and the person we know we should be. James was written to address this problem.

The Double Minded-Man in the Book of James

The theme of the double minded-man or what in the Greek he literally calls the two-spirited man plays an important role in almost every passage of this little book.

James calls attention to the divided self in his introduction between faith and doubt

Next James turns to those who claim that God is tempting them to sin. James wants them to make no mistake. Their own duality is what is driving them to sin.

“God cannot be tempted by evil, and Himself does not tempt anyone”

The reason for is that unlike us He is One and the same in all his ways.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. (James 1:17)

The theme of the divided self continues throughout the rest of James.

James 1:22

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

James 2:1

My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism.

James 2:14

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

James 3:10

From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren produce olives, or a vineproduce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy…

James 4:7-8

Submit therefore 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.

James 4:12

But above all, my brethren, do not swear either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall into judgment

James statement on confession at the end of his little letter thus becomes extremely important for understanding how we fix the problem of the divided self. Through the act of confession we take an active step in eradicating the divide. Confession wips away our masks and leaves standing naked and exposed before our God who is One and the church who is was made in his image.

“Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.”(James 5:16)

Doubt can be a painful thing. a scary place. Something we don’t want to go through. Faith is necessary. Doubt can destroy everything. but what can we benefit from our doubts.

What are they?

The person who say’s there’s no place for doubt in the Christian life is wrong

Faith is an essential component of our walk with God. Without faith it is impossible to please god. It’s also true of every human endeavor. Every jJourney is taken in faith – without knowing the end from the beginning. The vision of the unseen destination must be believed sufficiently to compel each of us forward. No athlete reaches the top without first believing that he can. Those who disbelieve always sit on the side lines. Faith is an essential component of all those who succeed. Not everyone who has faith will succeed but no one succeeds without faith.

James tells us that he who doubts is like the wave of the sea tossed back and forth. By this I take James to mean a person that is constantly going between a state of belief to unbelief and back again. This is not the type of doubt to which I refer. But there are times where doubt is appropriate. The psalmist wrestles with questions. Jude tells us to be patient with all those who doubt. Paul tells us that everything that is not of faith is sin. But even Jesus appears to have doubted the fact that God was with him. “My God, My God why have you forsaken me.” The cry of dereliction from the cross is a cry of doubt – a belief that God has abandoned Jesus… Which he had not done.

Doubt within its proper place is an aide of a healthy faith. Doubt is a lot like pain. There’s something deeply wrong with pain – pain can be debilitating and ultimately destructive. But that doesn’t mean pain doesn’t have it’s place. Just as with pain so to there is something wrong with doubt but doubt with its proper limits does have its benefits. Here are 7.

1. Wards of false belief
Doubt is the aid of a healthy faith. Like white blood cells which fight off invading sicknesses, doubt is a defense against harmful points of view.

2. Fosters Humility
Doubt is a buffer (thorn in the flesh) that keeps you from becoming too self assured. Doubt reminds us that we don’t know everything and still have need of growth.

3. Motivates you to learn (search for answers)
Doubt often comes in the form of a question that demands to be resolved. Like pain, the feeling of doubt in part motivates us to seek answers to our questions.

4. Opportunity to exercise your faith
Moments of doubt give opportunity to trust. Paul says who hopes for what he has. In doubt we feel the absence and in these moments we must trust all the more.

5. Hedge your bets. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
It’s not always good to place all of our hopes and dreams in a single outcome. Doubt causes us to step back and balance our intentions through other options. God will heal my child but I question the means by which he will do that. I pray but I also take my child to the doctor.

6. Gives you an opportunity to grow.
This is more or less a combination of all these ideas. Doubt held in balance with a healthy faith. Its not the doubt of James.

7. Allows you to see things from another point of view.
Doubt allows us to wrestle with the views of others. Without it we would stop up our ears to anyone else’s point of view. I want the people I witness to to at least ponder the questions that I posses to them – to question the veracity of there own beliefs. In the process I question my own.

Necessity of faith

Direction!!! Every Journey is taken in faith – without knowing the end from the beginning. The vision of the destination must compel us forward.

1. Rest in things that cannot be seen
The future
Moral/values
Meaning and Purpose

2. Keep Doubt in Check

3. The plasibo effect is real.

Symbolism: Ex Machina and the Key to Reading Other Minds