For most believers in Jesus Christ, there comes a sad day when someone you know, or love, makes a decisive move away from the truths of Scripture or from Jesus Christ as Lord. Obviously, the nature of such a move varies from person to person and according to the circumstances and issues involved. However, when this happens it’s more than emotionally perplexing, it’s truly disturbing.

While we live in an age of comfort and self-fulfilment, that is not the primary focus of those who follow Jesus as Lord. Jesus summed it up this way; “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Thinking and living in alignment with God’s Word not only marks a follower of Christ but is also the lens through which believers view all belief and living.

True joy and fulfilment as Christians is found in doing the will of God. Satisfaction comes as you “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). It’s incredible! Just think of it. God Almighty has chosen you to bring Him pleasure by living according to His purposeful will (Ephesians 1:3-10). It’s profound and yet so simple.

Now, this is where the conflict begins. If your life philosophy is to evaluate the quality of life by the pleasure you experience; disaster is waiting to strike. That’s because pleasure is subjective, and truth is objective. Pleasure is constantly changing, floating on the whim of emotion. Whereas, truth is more concrete by nature, unmoving in its certainty as it expresses the nature and will of Holy God.

That’s why Jesus, when praying for the disciples, prayed that the Father would “sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Only God’s written Word has the rock-solid foundation of being God’s unchanging truth; unmovable by shifting worldly values and the ever-changing events and emotions of life.

Damage is costly
Some form of emotional upheaval is often the trigger for dramatic shifts in belief and can bring to the surface a myriad of weaknesses we never knew existed.

Hurt people may be disillusioned without realising it, which leads to greater questioning of spiritual realities. Such people often paint their life picture with stories of offences taken, of abuses, of broken promises, of disappointments, of health or financial struggles, and of failed expectations. What’s more, when people they care for inflict pain, the resulting conditions are worse.  Add to these a mix of ministry complexities, and you have a lethal cocktail of potential life deforming hurt.

Sadly, genuinely kind, well intentioned people get damaged by others who simply move on without a care or second thought. This leaves the servant hearted person submerged in a spiritual and emotional quagmire they never imagined possible, nor did they see it coming. These painful experiences within sincere people often trigger an evaluation of spiritual values and beliefs never considered before.

That said; if the damaged person bases their evaluation of life mostly upon their pleasure, or lack of, this immediately takes the determining focus away from the Bible with its absolute truth. “I” becomes the determining factor; self takes centre stage in the reasoning process. This may not happen consciously, but as their pain determines the process of evaluation, theological absolutes take second place. First place invariably goes to favourable values which bring comfort and peace within the surrounding circumstances.

This is not to say that people’s feelings don’t matter, they do. The state of a person’s heart is very important and should never get written-off as insignificant. The human state of mind is meaningful and is given proper attention by the Lord in Scripture. But the mind is not absolute, the Lord Jesus Christ is.

Watching from the side-line
It can be difficult for those of us watching from the outside, because we often want to assume the best of the person’s character in question. However, reality proves that the “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Particularly when evaluating wisdom, we come face to face with the ugly fact that the human discernment mechanism is inherently flawed. This fleshly imperfection is so profound that we often cannot personally perceive or understand the self-deception rationale within ourselves.

If our self-monitoring system is defective, this makes evaluation by a damaged heart even more unlikely to produce a Christ centred and truth-based outcome.

Therefore, the following verse enters God into the equation. “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17:10). The Lord evaluates everything we do not recognise as true of ourselves. “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit” (Proverbs 16:2). The Lord scrutinizes the inner most heart in righteousness and fairness, weighing in all the unseen, unspoken, and unknown factors. “O LORD, you have searched me and known me! … you discern my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:1-2). Having weighed the human heart and mind, God knows precisely what’s going on, and He is under no obligation to inform us of His findings.

In the context of this discussion, James 1:5-8 has proven to be a challenge for some. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.“

James’ words challenge us because our friends may have explained the lengths they went to in seeking the Lord’s mind on their issues. They may present a humanly compelling case for the rationale and processes they genuinely worked through in coming to their conclusions. We’re left perplexed as to how they could reach wrong conclusions if they have followed James’ instruction. For those of us on the side-line, puzzled, and wishing we could somehow reverse the tragic changes our friends may be making, I suggest the following for consideration.

Reason through the process
First, sincerity does not guarantee biblical accuracy or integrity. This awareness serves us well for self-examination and willingness to be biblically accountable to those more mature in the Lord. Sincerity can permit a person to reach wrong conclusions and then sincerity will sear the conscience with misinformation so that guilt is circumvented.

Second, I would like you to consider James, the brother of Jesus, the pastor of the Church in Jerusalem, because he knew better than most the path to authentic godly wisdom. He grew up with God living in the same house. Now that’s a rare perspective for a man to have. He was intimately familiar with the mechanisms of wisdom from first-hand observation of his older brother Jesus. Listen again as James explains; “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8).

James is not presenting a magic formula which guarantees injection of divine wisdom; although I suspect many of us treat these verses that way. A brief look at the context reveals some required qualifications on the part of the individual seeking wisdom.

:5a “If any of you lacks wisdom”
An acknowledgement of lacking wisdom is confessed by the seeker. This takes humility, because we naturally think that we can figure things out if only we apply ourselves diligently enough.

A note on wisdom from the MacArthur Study Bible: (1:5 wisdom). James’s Jewish audience recognized this as the understanding and practical skill that was necessary to live life to God’s glory. It was not a wisdom of philosophical speculation, but the wisdom contained in the pure and peaceable absolutes of God’s will revealed in His Word (cf 3:13, 17) and lived out. Only such divine wisdom enables believers to be joyous and submissive in the trials of life.

:5b “let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach”
The word “ask” used here in the original Greek language is not a casual question put to God. It depicts someone begging for something which is craved for because it is required.

This eliminates asking for all the frivolous desires which are nothing more than fleshly pleasures.

This person means business, because the matter at hand demands resolution.

This reeks of Solomon’s process for attaining wisdom as explained in Proverbs 2:1-11. This person beseeches God, puts aside personal motives and reasoning, and vigorously pursues God’s wisdom. That is, to think the way God thinks; to implement His holy standards in the rationale process. This inherently involves a conscious personal disclaimer, where the student goes looking for the absolute truth of Yahweh at the expense of self. This person chooses to adopt Jehovah’s holy conclusions at the expense of self-comfort, excluding cultural and religious norms, even if personal sacrifice results.

This asking person surrenders to the concrete Word of God as explained in Psalm 19:7-11. “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
⁸ the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
⁹ the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether.
¹⁰ More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
¹¹ Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.”

You see, this asking person is fearful of themselves. They realise; “Who can discern his (own) errors?” (Psalm 19:12). This asking person is scared that they might somehow integrate their own values or sense of acceptability into the reasoning process as they search for God’s wisdom.

This person also asks God for wisdom with the realisation that He gives generously to whoever “asks” and without bias or discrimination (reproach g3679). Therefore, they go searching God’s Word until they find the clear truth of God which will never ever contradict His written Word.

:5c “it will be given him”
Confidence in the giver of wisdom should generate the sense of certainty. The implication is this, the asking person does not stop asking or searching until it is distinctly God’s wisdom which is identified. If for some reason the person does not think God has imparted His wisdom in keeping with His character, self-examination should begin. Possibly, other more mature and trustworthy believers could be included in the evaluation.

:6a “But” is significant, as it draws to our attention the contrast between the heart condition of the one asking in verse 5 compared to the person asking in verse 6. Both are asking for wisdom, yet only one receives it.

:6 “ask in faith”
This expression of faith removes doubts that possibly God may not provide the wisdom requested. This faith goes looking to see where the Lord may have delivered the wisdom. Obviously, there is only one place to look, God’s Word, the Bible! Solomon speaks directly to the application of asking for wisdom.

“Making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom” (Proverbs 2:2-6).

By contrast, James says the doubting person “is like a wave of the sea”. Practical lessons concerning the doubter are learnt by observing the nature of waves.

Waves are unstable, unpredictable, without fixed direction, without a fixed foundation, and without restraint or discrimination (without discernment, unable to recognise distinction).

External forces drive waves, they are not self-determining, their trajectory is determined by the compelling surrounding forces.

This second person has the invisible inner qualities of the wave, who seeks wisdom with a mixed heart foundation. Such a person should not expect to receive divine wisdom. In fact, the Lord labels such a person as double minded. In other words, they have an internal conflict which is out of alignment with God’s idea of spiritual stability.

This can be difficult for us to accept, as the people we’re concerned about seemed to have been good, solid Christians. They are well-intentioned, sincere people who are simply nice. Unfortunately, niceness does not equal rightness.

There are, however, pre-existing patterns in Christian living which weaken the ability to “ask in faith.” Often, it’s not until it’s too late, that we begin to consider the following as weaknesses.

Having more than Scripture alone as your source of authoritative truth.

Having more than one consistent method for interpreting Scripture. Even worse, having no known method of interpretation which you are able to be consistent with.

Thinking that God speaks directly to you, independent of Scripture.

Not being a person who regularly and diligently searches God’s Word for truth as your guide.

Walking in secret sin and being content in that lifestyle.

Looking to the world for values, standards, and acceptance.

Combining worldly philosophy with theology to achieve a humanly desirable outcome.

Not preparing yourself to remain faithful for when times of trouble arrive.

Not learning contentment and being thankful in all circumstances.

Not being consistent in prayer. Particularly prayers with far reaching consequences.

Thinking that God owes you health, wealth, prosperity and popularity.

Not accepting suffering as the will of God.

These are some of the more common patterns of belief and living which prevent wisdom being discovered when the critical time arrives.

The apostle Paul gives an excellent explanation of the spiritual battle believers are engaged in. And yes, believers are to fight this war, but “we are not waging war according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3). If we think that using socially acceptable reasoning, logic, and ideology as weapons is going to achieve a victory, we are sorely mistaken.

Paul’s insights relating to how believers handle Scripture in relation to the battle ground of belief is noteworthy. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

Some observations
The battlefield Paul is speaking of is the mind. The victor of this war gets to take the minds of those in the battle captive.

The battle rages in the “strongholds,” which are the “arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God.” In other words, God’s truth is challenged, disputed, and argued against in this war. Sounds very much like the words of the serpent to Eve; “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1). Well, we know how that battle turned out, and who took whose mind captive. Consequently, we’re all left to deal with the ugly reality of that same battle repeated over and over today.

The enemy of God is happy and declared to be the victor when those engaged in this battle become content to be “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). Avoiding the categorical truth of God’s Word is a pivotal strategy with Satan and his minions. God’s people need to be on guard against this subtle yet devouring ideology. It may sound harmless, it can even win favour with those around you, but in the spiritual realm it declares you as defeated.

God gives believers weapons for just such a war. These weapons are not fleshly artillery, but they “have divine power to destroy” the arguments which people raise against the knowledge of God. These arguments are all inclusive of every truth spoken of in Scripture. Any subject which challenges the authoritative absolutes of God’s Word is intended to lure people into the battle for the purpose of defeat.

As part of the “whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:13), the believer is provided with one weapon only, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The Lord only needs one weapon, that’s all. The Bible in the hands and on the tongue of an obedient child of God can cause devastation in this battle against the powers of darkness.

Believers should have confidence that spiritual strongholds influenced and energised by the forces of hell can be genuinely broken down by God’s spiritual weapon. Godly believers fight with the “sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17), knowing that only the truth of God’s Word can defeat satanic error. This is true spiritual warfare as God intended (Hebrews 4:12). 

When God wins the war of the mind, He takes “every thought captive to obey Christ.” Central to God’s victory is the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit takes fleshly minds which live to please fleshly thinking and captivates those minds to the divine supremacy of Christ. He does this to such a degree that obedience to Christ becomes the only possible expression of that Christ centred mind.

The implication is this; if someone claims they have come to conclusions which are obviously counter to the Word of God, it is not Christ who has won the war for their mind. Satan happily convinces people to be at peace with beliefs that require a cork-screwed interpretation of Scripture in order to justify itself. Sadly, many unnecessarily lose the battle at this point. Which is crazy, once you accept the extraordinarily power for victory in the living Word of God.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Bible can accomplish radical life changing victories in any person, but they must use it as intended by the author, as a weapon against false thinking.

Coming to terms with other’s defeat
When the spiritual outcome in your friends’ lives leave you perplexed, it’s useful to consider the “wave” (James 1:6) nature of that person, be it ourselves or someone else. This is the hard reality of coming to grips with drastic changes in Christian belief. There are always reasons for abandoned truth, these are waiting to be discovered and learnt from by the rest of God’s people.

Often there are external voices whispering error in the ears of the person seeking wisdom, these whispers of error lodge within their heart and continue the satanic influence long after the immediate battle has calmed. Make no mistake, the enemy will seize the opportunity to mislead if given half a chance. Sometimes the genuine enquirer goes looking for answers in the wrong places, that is, places promoting thinking alternative to Scripture. These places usually offer a sympathetic ear for anyone looking outside of a biblical framework.

We live in a time that Paul warned Timothy of; a time “when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions” (2 Timothy 4:3). For those searching for something other than historically sound biblical doctrine, their heart will usually direct them to a place it finds most comfortable. There may well be struggle, periods of distress in the transition, but without God’s direct intervention, the fleshly heart and mind will always determine a fleshly outcome.

In severe cases, where rejection of God’s Word is clear and dismissal of Jesus’ lordship is obvious, the difficult questions are waiting for answers. Sadly, possibly the most alarming cause for abandoning God’s Word and the lordship of Christ, is that their faith was false all along. Pretend faith is deceptive, lying, and seductive; that’s because it grows out of the human heart and proves it was never orchestrated by the sovereign will of God (Jn 6:29, 37, 65; Eph 1:4-5).

At the heart of John’s teaching in 1 John 1:5-10 is this matter of true and false confessions of faith. Listen to John’s three prong faith challenge.

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1Jn 1:6).

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1Jn 1:8).

“If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1Jn 1:10).

This lack of authenticity which John highlights over the fundamentals of belief in Jesus compelled him to draw the line in the spiritual sand. These pretend believers, who John labelled as antichrists; “went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us” (1 John 2:19). That’s strong language by the apostle. John was a realist, and he came to grips with the reality of people who say the right words for a time, them abandon Christ. Words are cheap, but behaviour tell the truth of the matter.

Jesus, aware of human vulnerability for false faith, cautioned, then exposed a group of fresh believing Jews (John 8:30-38) of their false belief in Him. As mentioned earlier, Jesus associated their faith in Him with their longevity of commitment to Scripture; “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples” (John 8:31).

Jesus then connected the truth of His Word with being set free from whatever form of sin enslaved you before belief in Him. Again, response to the absolutes of God’s Word is a measuring stick of belief authenticity. These Jews showed their true colours when holding to their Abrahamic heritage following their declaration of belief in Jesus. Jesus’ response showed the extent of their false profession; “I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you” (John 8:37). Well, He didn’t mince His words there. But, Jesus said, that is the truth of the matter. It just shows you and I the deceptive power of the sinful heart, and that is precisely Jesus’ point.

This sad scenario should never be confused by those who claim that a believer can have their salvation removed, thus making them unregenerate again. Paul spoke forthrightly with Timothy in this regard; “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). Mark that, it was the battle won in their hearts through demonically energised deceitful teaching.

Some would read this passage in shock. But the apostles were seriously committed to dealing with the cold hard realities confronting them. So, Paul clarifies further in the following verse; “through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Timothy 4:2). Make no mistake, sometimes these liars are malicious and aggressive people whose attitude is obvious. However, not all insincere liars are easy to identify. Some appear as respectable and harmless lambs. Only time and opportunity brings to the surface their true nature.

Jesus explaining the meaning of the parable of the sower to his disciples makes this reality clear. “As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20-21). Some false professions in Christ last just a short time, while others last years before they expose themselves as the result of “tribulation or persecution.” In both cases the result is the same, false faith “falls away.”

When Paul was saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, he spoke to this exact ugly reality. He warned; “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). These wolves would even pop up from within their own trusted and loved congregation. People whom these elders knew would turn out to be those who deceive and detour God’s people away from submissive faith in Christ alone. Look at Judas for example. He served with the twelve disciples under Christ for three years, then was entered by Satan and betrayed Jesus (Luke 22:3-6). False faith is powerful, seductive and brutal!

Live prepared and secure in Christ
The greatest strength a believer can have is to walk in step with the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25), filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and richly indwelt by the Word of Christ (Colossians 3:16). “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2).

Today, it’s as Christ warned His disciples; “false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand” (Mark 13:22-23).

I leave you with the best advice of all. The Holy Spirit spoke through Paul’s pen to the Ephesians this following wonderfully inspiring exhortation. We are secure in Christ and safe in the boundaries of God’s Word.
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).