At Todd's Road Grace Church,
we'd like to invite you to listen to a sermon by our pastor, Todd
Nyberg. We are located at 4137 Todd's
Road, two miles outside of Manowar Boulevard. Sunday services are
at 10.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Bible study is at
9.45 a.m. Wednesday services are at 7 p.m. Nursery is provided for all services.
For more information, visit our website at toddsroadgracechurch.com. Now here's our pastor, Todd Nybert. In James chapter 1, verse 8,
we read these words, a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. I think of the passage where
Jacob said to his firstborn, Reuben, Unstable as water, thou
shalt not excel. Unstable as water. You can take
the shape of whatever container you're put in. That is what James
is speaking of when he is speaking of this double-minded man. I've entitled this message, The
Double-Minded Man. Now, in the context, James says,
in James chapter one, verse five, if any of you lack Now, he's not talking about worldly
wisdom. He's talking about that wisdom
that is the beginning of knowledge, that wisdom that is called the
fear of the Lord. The beginning of wisdom is the
fear of the Lord, not fear of hell. Not fear of punishment. Not fear of loss. Many people
do many things from fear of these things, but that is not the fear
of God. You can have those things and
never know the living God. And the fear of hell never caused
anyone to believe. Not the fear of hell, not the
fear of bad things that may happen, not the fear of punishment, not
the fear of things that you may lose, but the fear of God. That reverence, that awe, that
respect for God that makes you afraid to look anywhere except
Christ alone as all your salvation. You don't trust yourself. You're
afraid to look to your works. You're afraid to look to your
experience. You're afraid to look to anything that has anything
to do with you. You can only look to Christ.
Now, someone who only looks to Christ, Christ is their only
hope, all of their salvation. He's all they have. That's the
man who fears God. Now, if any of you lack this
wisdom, this fear of God. Now, to lack it is to not have
it. This is a different word than
the word used, O ye of little faith, wherefore
didst thou doubt? Not the same word. He is speaking
of a complete lack of this wisdom. Now, if you lack this wisdom,
may God give you and me the grace to see if we don't have this
wisdom, this fear of God. The natural man doesn't have
it. The scripture says there is no fear of God before their
eyes. But if you do not have this wisdom,
if you lack this wisdom and you know it, we're given a very encouraging
word from God. If any man lack this wisdom,
let him ask. Let him ask of God, who gives
to all men liberally, generously, and upbraideth not. If you're
without this wisdom, and you know it, and you ask the Lord,
would you be pleased to give me this wisdom, this fear of
you, this fear that's the beginning of wisdom, would you give it
to me? I don't have it, I can't produce
it. Would you give it to me? Let him ask. The Lord said you
have not because you ask not. Let him ask, God. who gives to
all liberally, generously. That's not all men without exception,
but he does give to everybody that asks. If you ask, you have
not because you ask not. If you ask, he gives to everybody
who asks liberally and generously, and he does not upbraid you.
He doesn't say, why as contradictory and hypocritical as you are,
why would you even ask me for this? No, anybody who asks, He
gives liberally and generously, and He does not upbraid that
person. If you ask God for this wisdom,
the scripture says, it shall be given him. That's God's promise. If you ask God for this wisdom,
this knowledge of God, this fear of God, a new nature is what
it is. If you ask for this, you'll have
it. He promises. But look what he
says next. But, verse 6, but let him ask
in faith, nothing wavering, not going back and forth. Let him
ask in faith. Now, that word wavering is doubting. This is a different word than
the word O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
This is a different word than the word used where they worshipped
him, but some doubted. In both of these instances, there
was faith, along with doubt. It is what the man in Mark 9
meant, and this is the cry of every believer, I believe, help
thou mine unbelief. There's never a time when I do
not have unbelief as long as I have a sinful nature. Now,
I believe. That's the new man. I believe. Help thou mine unbelief. But when he speaks to this one
who lacks wisdom, he says, you must ask in faith, not wavering. Now, what does it mean to ask
in faith? Let's be clear what faith is. To him that worketh
not. but believeth on him that justifieth
the ungodly. His faith is counted for righteousness. What is faith? Well, first of
all, you understand that you can't be saved by your works.
To him that worketh not. You know beyond the shadow of
a doubt that there's nothing you can do to save yourself.
To him that worketh not. Salvation by works is altogether
impossible for you. To him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. You believe that
God, through Christ, can justify you, make you without guilt,
make you sinless, make you not guilty because of what Christ
did on Calvary's tree. He put away sin, He takes His
righteousness, and He gives it to all those who believe. Now
that is faith. When you're asking in faith,
you're pleading only Christ's name. You're not saying, Lord,
give me this because I'm asking. Give me this because I deserve
it. Give me this because I've merited
it. No, you're saying, give me this
for Christ's sake. I have no other plea. Let him
ask in faith, nothing wavering. Nothing wavering. Now, what is this thing of wavering?
I'd like to read a passage of scripture from 1 Kings chapter
18. Elijah says to the children of
Israel who had gone into Baal worship, he says in verse 21,
and Elijah came unto all the people and said, how long Halt
ye between two opinions, two beliefs, trying to hold them
both when in reality they exclude one another and you can't have
them both. Now what they were doing was
they were worshiping Baal. He says, how long halt ye between
two opinions? And he appeals to the truth.
If the Lord be God, follow him. If Baal be God, follow him. You can't do both. One or the
other, how long halt ye between two opinions. Now let me make some statements
that demonstrate how it is impossible to hold two opinions at the same
time. It's impossible to straddle the
fence. It's impossible to halt between
two opinions. The Bible. is either God's inspired
word or it's not. Let me repeat that. The Bible is either God's inspired
word, and it claims to be. Second Timothy 3.16 says all
scripture is given by inspiration of God. Now somebody says, how
could there be a book that really is
inspired by God and doesn't have any error at all. That seems
impossible to me. Well, God created the universe. out of nothing. And it is not
difficult to Him to inspire men to write a book and keep it preserved. Now, without the Bible being
the Word of God, all we have is my opinion and your opinion. And neither one of those are
any good. The Bible is either God's Word
to be bowed to, to be believed, or to be not believed. It's no different than any other
work of literature by any man. It's no different than Shakespeare,
or Milton, or any of the great works. It's a great work, but
it's not the Word of God. It's one of those two. You can't
mix them. It's either all of God's inspired
revelation, or it's not inspired at all. Number two, God is either
absolutely sovereign or he's not sovereign. Now, if you believe
man has a free will, you make the statement in saying that,
that God is not sovereign. You say man's will is free and
it trumps God's will. You either say that or you say
God's will cannot be trumped. He is absolutely sovereign. Now it can't be both. God can't
be sovereign and man have a free will. Man can't have a free will. If man does have a free will,
God can't be sovereign. Now what do I mean by free will?
You do what you want to. I do what I want to. I'm not
saying that's not the case. But a free will is a will free
of a wicked nature, of a sinful nature. Somebody says, well,
man's will is free. Well, no, it's not. Man's will
is controlled by sinful nature. God is either absolutely sovereign
or men are sovereign. God's will is sovereign or man's
will is sovereign. It can't be both. One is altogether true, the other
is altogether a lie. You can't halt between two opinions. God is either as he is revealed
in the scriptures or he is not. Thirdly, God either elected a
people before the foundation of the world, or he did not elect
a people before the foundation of the world. Now, if he did
elect a people before the foundation of the world, then those who
say he did not are lying on God. If he did not elect a people
before time began to be saved, then those who say he did are
lying on God. There is no middle ground there.
There is no middle ground. Scripture says, for the children
being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the
purpose of God, according to election, might stand. Romans 9, 11. God either elected
the people before time began or he didn't. Now, here's why
election must be true. Because of man's state, according
to the scriptures. Now, men are, here's the third
point, men are either dead in sins or they have the ability
to save themselves. Men are either completely dead
in sins, that means they cannot, a dead man cannot do anything
but stink. A man cannot do anything to save himself, or he can. It's
one of those two, but you can't mix those two. Now, if a man's
dead in sin, election is absolutely necessary. Here's the next statement. Christ's blood either saves or
it didn't. It really is that simple. Christ's
blood either saves or it didn't. You can't believe both. Now if
you believe that Jesus Christ could shed his blood for somebody
and that person wind up in hell anyway, you don't believe his
blood saves. His blood either saved or it
didn't. When Christ said it is finished,
Everybody he died for was saved. He said, I lay down my life for
the sheep. He didn't lay down his life for goats. He said,
I lay down my life for the sheep. Husbands love your wives as Christ
loved the church and gave himself for it. Now, Christ's blood either
actually saves or it does not save. Salvation is dependent
upon man was. How long halt ye between two
opinions? The next statement is God the
Holy Spirit, His grace either gives life or it doesn't actually
give life. It's up to you to make that life
work. He either gives life, and that's
what I see the Scripture teaching of the new birth is. You have
He quickened who are dead in trespasses and sins. You're born
of the Spirit, birthed of the Spirit, or it's up to you to
do something in order for you to have life. It's one or the
other. It can't be both. God's people either persevere
all the way to the end, looking to Christ, or they can fall away
and be damned after having been given life. It's one of the two,
but it can't be both. How long halt ye between two
opinions? Now back to our text in James
chapter 1. Let him ask in faith, Nothing
wavering, not halting back and forth, 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 anything of the
Lord. You see, without faith, the scripture
says, it is impossible to please Him. That man who wavers back
and forth, that man who's without faith, this double-minded man,
shall not receive anything from the Lord. He has no faith. Look
what James says in verse 8, a double-minded man. A double-minded man. A man that halts between two
opinions. A double-minded man is unstable
in all his ways. Just like Reuben, unstable as
water, thou shalt not excel. Now what is this thing of double-mindedness? Well, it means literally two-souled. It's worse than being two-faced.
this double-minded man. Now, we've all known people who
are two-faced. They have one face that appears
to you, but there's something behind it. And you know what
that means, but that's not really what this is talking about. This
is talking about a man who holds two different views. A double-minded man. Two-souled, double as opposed
to single. Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians
11, verse 3, when he expressed this fear to the Corinthians,
he said, I'm afraid lest you be corrupted from the simplicity,
the singleness, the onlyness that's in Christ. There's the
double-minded man. He is the man who has been corrupted
from the simplicity, the singularity, the onlyness of Christ. Now I want to close by thinking
of this thing of the simplicity of Christ. Now there are known
what is called the five solas of the Reformation. Scriptures
alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and God's glory
alone. Now I would suggest to you that
these are not the five solas of the Reformation that diminishes
them and debases them. These truths are all eternal
truths. They were not something that
came up during the Protestant Reformation, this has always
been the truth. Scriptures alone. We look to the Scriptures alone
as our only foundation of faith and practice. You know, at Todd's
Road Grace Church, the church I pastor, we don't have a confession. We don't have a creed. We don't
give assent to any confessions, as true as many of them may be.
They're still man-made documents. And anybody who puts an emphasis
on a church confession or a church creed, they interpret the Bible
in light of that which some man wrote. And that is not right. We have the inspired Word of
God. God wrote the book, and everything
he wrote in this book is profitable, is necessary. The gospel is expounded
in the scriptures alone. We don't look to man's opinions.
We don't look to denominational distinctives. We look to the
scriptures alone. And we know the scripture has
one message. Christ alone. Christ alone. This is not a rule
book about how to live. This is a book to teach us Jesus
Christ. He said, you search the scriptures
and in them you think you have eternal life? And they are they
which testify of me. Every single scripture testifies
of the Lord Jesus Christ, Christ alone. Christ alone is the message
of the scriptures. Christ alone is the object of
faith. We look to Him only. Christ alone
is the cause of salvation. I'm not saved because I did anything. I'm saved because of what Christ
did for me. Christ alone is the only ground
of assurance. I don't find assurance because
of some way I'm living. I find assurance because everything
God requires of me, He looks to His Son for. Christ alone. Not Christ and. That's being
corrupted from the simplicity that's in Christ. Christ alone. And we really believe grace alone. If it's not grace alone, it's
not grace period. Salvation is not by grace and,
but by grace alone. Listen to this. Everything in
salvation from election, before time began, until glorification,
when time is no more and every believer stands redeemed before
God. All of that, from election to
glorification, and everything in between, Salvation is by the
grace of God, not of works. Listen to this scripture. Romans
chapter 2, verses 8 and 9 says, For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. That very
act of faith was not, didn't come from you. It's the gift
of God, not of works. Lest any man should boast, for
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works,
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Grace alone, faith alone, faith alone. The just shall live by
faith, not faith and, faith alone. The only evidence of salvation
is faith. I'm not asking you anything but
this. Do you believe the gospel? Do
you believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God? Do you believe
that he really is all in salvation? I'm not asking you about what
you believe with regard to yourself, but what do you believe concerning
Christ? Faith alone. Not faith and. Faith alone. If you find assurance
of salvation by looking at your experience, or your good works,
or your baptism, or your church membership, or your anything
else, you've missed Christ. Salvation is by faith alone. And then the fifth sola is the
glory of God alone. I'm saved for one reason. so that God would get all glory. He's the one who saves, not me.
He's the one who saves. He saved me. Therefore, He gets
all the glory and none goes to me. And I like it that way. I
know that when I'm in heaven, I am going to be a trophy of
His grace. He gets all the glory. Now, if anything you hear gives
man any glory, it's not of God. The glory goes to God alone and
nowhere else. And let me tell you why I love
it that way. First, because He deserves all
the glory. But if any glory goes to man, that means some work
is required of me that I must do. And I have no hope if that's
the case. But the fact that Christ did
everything and gets all the glory gives this sinner hope. That
means I can be saved because salvation is by what He did.
and not what I do. If any glory goes to man, that
means salvation in some degree. It's salvation by works. If you
give your free will the credit, that's salvation by works. No,
God gets all the glory. Now, James says a double-minded
man. A man who halts between two opinions,
a man who is corrupted from the simplicity of Christ, is unstable
in all his ways. The Lord said, if your eye is
single, your whole body is full of light. But if your eye is
evil, complex, double, your whole body is full of darkness. May the Lord cause us to not
be double-minded men, but single-minded men. We have this message on
DVD, CD. If you will call the church,
write, or email, or get it off our website, we have this message
and we'll send it to you. Pray this is a blessing. Amen. To receive a copy of the sermon
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