3-4 North Point

Moving to Maturity

“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 1:6-8

Yesterday we looked at having assurance that God loves us. When we lack assurance (confidence) in our salvation, in God’s love, or even in God’s Word we will never progress from spiritual babyhood to spiritual adulthood as we should.

Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians that he “could not speak unto” them “as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” They were not maturing properly! In Hebrews 5:11-14 the problem again is addressed as there were believers who should have been teaching others, who should have been mature Christians, but who were having to be taught again the very basic doctrines and practices of the Christian life.

James called this being a “double minded man.” Literally, the phrase he used means “two-souled.” This is like Dr. Dolittle’s “pushmi-pullyu” creature – never able to get anywhere as it is always trying to go in two different directions! This is a picture of spiritual immaturity. Rather than focusing on the spiritual truth and following God no matter what the world is doing, immature believers are continually in a spiritual tug-of-war, being pulled toward God (faith) and then pulled away from God (feelings)! Spiritual maturity is having a singular focus God-ward and putting the spiritual pushmi-pullyu out to pasture!

Am I battling between the things I know God wants me to do and the things I know I shouldn’t do?
Lord, please help me to walk in faith and maturity today, and not by feelings and immaturity.