Keys to Developing Spiritual Single-Mindedness

Wow! I'm sure glad Rebecca moved here. Zach, good job.

Now, that was wonderful. It was beautiful. The message was amazing, outstanding, and it also fits in well with my sermon.

Rather than what is the most miserable condition, you could find yourself in on a daily basis. Now, you wouldn't think that fits in very well with, you know, the song, but you'll see that it does later on. What's the most miserable condition you could find yourself in on a daily basis? Is it being too cold? How about being too hot? Well, let's clarify. I'm not talking about being hungry or thirsty or naked or without shelter. I'm talking about your state of mind.

What is one of the most miserable states of mind you could find yourself in?

This state of mind can cause all kinds of grief, and it can even make one sick. Some call it indecision. The Bible refers to this condition as double-mindedness.

Now, we've all experienced being double-minded. We just aren't sure. We aren't certain. We have doubts. You know the song that Rebecca is saying, talked about. Sometimes we have doubts, but there's evidence. We're going to talk about that.

We have doubts. We just can't make up our minds. Sometimes indecision comes in all forms.

Some want to believe in God, but they have some serious doubts. Some want to keep the Sabbath holy, but they also want to do their own thing. Some want to tithe, but they don't really want to part with what they may consider my own hard-earned money. Some want to send cards and go visit widows, but they also want to take it easy and not put themselves out very much. Besides, they're just too busy.

Some want to exercise, but they don't want to make the effort.

Some want to diet, but they really don't want to eat anything their heart desires.

Some want to do their homework. Teenagers, children, but they really want to do something else a lot more. Some want to help their sister do the dishes, but they want to be lazy even more.

So what is double-mindedness? What causes it? What is single-mindedness? What does the Bible have to say about being single-minded? How can we become more single-minded?

Are there keys and principles that can help us become more spiritually single-minded? Today's sermon is entitled, Keys to Developing Spiritual Single-mindedness.

The first half of the sermon, I'm going to talk about describing and defining the problem of double-mindedness. I'll talk some about single-mindedness as well, but we'll clearly see there's a problem. Then in the second half of the sermon, I'm going to give keys to the solution, how to become more spiritually single-minded. First question, is God concerned about your mind? Your state of mind? Is he concerned about your thoughts? What's going on in your head?

Let's go to 1 Chronicles chapter 28. We'll read verse 9, and in context, this is about King David, who is about to turn things over to his son Solomon. He talks about how God chose Solomon, out of all of his sons, to be his successor. Then in verse 9, he says, 1 Chronicles 28, verse 9, As for you, my son Solomon, he's talking to his son, know the God of your father. Of course, David was a wholehearted man. He was a man after God's own heart. So he's telling Solomon, know the God of your father and serve him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind. For the eternal searches all hearts, and he understands all the intent of the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you. But if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

So David's giving some very sound advice to his son Solomon. God does care about what we think, what's on our mind. Solomon went on to show that he had a very divided mind. He did not walk with God in so many ways. Hopefully he did repent at the end of his life. Hopefully we'll all see him in God's kingdom. God is certainly the judge of all of that. But it's interesting to consider his life and the advice that his father gave him early on. You know, God was going to do great things through Solomon. He was going to do some great things through Solomon. But Solomon was double-minded. Solomon was not single-minded, not in so many ways.

Another question, what does God say about double-mindedness? What causes us to be double-minded? Let's go to 1 Kings chapter 18. 1 Kings chapter 18. And we're going to begin reading in verse 18. 1 Kings chapter 18 and verse 18. Actually, in verse 17, Ahab caused Elijah the trouble of Israel. They were getting together. Elijah was pretty sheepish about them getting together in some ways, but this is what God wanted. So they're getting together, and he calls them the trouble of Israel. And of course, that was the king talking to him. And he answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father's house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Eternal, and you have followed the bales, foreign idols, gods. Now therefore send and gather all Israel to me on Mount Carmel, the 450 prophets of Baal, and the 400 prophets of Asherah. So there's 850 prophets that are coming in who eat at Jezebel's table. Verse 20, so Ahab sent for all the children of Israel and gathered the prophets together on Mount Carmel. And Elijah came to all the people, and he said, he asked, how long will you falter between two opinions? If the Eternal is God, follow him. But if Baal is God, follow him. But the people answered him not a word. I guess they knew better than to say much at that point. Then Elijah said to the people, I alone am left a prophet of the Eternal. That's what he thought. There were actually others that he wasn't aware of.

At least there were followers of God, certainly. I alone am left a prophet of the Eternal, but Baal's prophets are 450 men. Therefore, let them give us two bowls, and let them choose one bowl for themselves, cut it in pieces, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it.

And I will prepare the other bowl, and lay it on the wood, but put no fire under it. So he's setting the stage for a test. Who is God? Is it Baal? Or is it the God of Elijah? Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Eternal, Yahweh. And the God who answers by fire, he is God. So all the people answered and said, it is well spoken. Now Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, choose one bowl for yourselves, prepare it first, for you are many, and call on the name of your God, but put no fire under it.

These are the ground rules. So they took the bowl which was given them, and they prepared it, and they called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, several hours, saying, O Baal, hear us! They pleaded with Baal, but there was no voice. No one answered. Then they leaped about the altar which they had made. They were hoping to stir some things up.

Let's, you know, get active. Maybe that will stir up Baal. And so it was at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, cry aloud, for he is a God. Either he is meditating, or he's busy, or maybe he's on a journey, or perhaps he's sleeping and must be awakened. So they cried aloud, and they cut themselves even. This was a custom of the pagans, as was their custom. And even these were Israelites who had picked up customs of the land.

They cut themselves with knives and lances until the blood gushed out on them. And when midday was passed, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice. But there was no voice. No one answered. No one paid attention. Baal did not show up. Then Elijah said to all the people, come near to me. So all the people came near to him, and he repaired the altar of the Eternal that was broken down.

And Elijah took twelve stones according to the number of the twelve tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the Lord had come, saying, Israel shall be your name. Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Eternal, and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two sias of seed. So it was a large trench. And he put the wood in order, he cut the bull in pieces, laid it on the wood, and said, fill four water pots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.

So now he's really in their face. Pour all this water. Water doesn't go well with fire. Then he said, do it a second time. And a third time. And they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar. It was all around the altar, and also it filled the trench with water. Impossible, right? To start a fire under these conditions? And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice that Elijah the prophet came near and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and I am your servant.

And that I have done all these things at your word. So he was doing the will of God. He wasn't doing his own thing. He knew God was going to back him up. He knew God was with him. So you better make sure God's with you if you're going to pull a stunt like this. I shouldn't probably call it a stunt. It wasn't a stunt, but you know what I'm saying. Hear me, O Lord, verse 37. Hear me that this people may know that you are the Lord God, and that you have turned their hearts back to you again.

Then the fire of the eternal fell, and it consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. So you can just imagine what was going on here with this fire that God sent from heaven. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, the eternal, he is God. The evidence is there, right? How can you deny it? He is God. The eternal, he is God. So hopefully you know the rest of the story. I don't have time to go into that, but if you don't know the rest of the story, please read on later after the sermon.

So what we see here is there are two main forces, two main influences, two minds, two approaches striving to motivate us. God is supreme, but he allows Satan to also influence and tempt us according to God's overall plan. You know, God's in charge. God knows what he's doing. He knows what's happening here on the earth. And remember, as Paul said, Satan is the God of this world.

Now the Apostle John said this in 1 John chapter 2. 1 John chapter 2 and verse 15. John said, Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Now let me clarify a couple of things here.

God created this world, right? I mean, he created the nature that Rebecca talked about in the song. He created the beauty of this land that we live in, the mountains, the streams, the flowers. God is good, and it's okay to enjoy those things. In fact, I believe God wants us to enjoy life. No, he wants us to appreciate all that he's giving us. So he's not telling us to hate everything. He also wants us to love people. People created in God's image. He wants us to love children. There are many things that we can love in this world. So that's not what he's saying, but remember, Satan is the God of this world, and Satan influences the world in certain ways, and that's what he's telling us to avoid. So verse 16, for all that is in the world, and now he's going to narrow down here, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Now, Satan can work with the flesh. In many ways, we're a vain people. We're a proud people. You know, we're not so humble. Naturally, we rise up whenever someone angers us, which happens way too often. Verse 17, and the world is passing away. Oh, it also says, the pride of life. It's not of the Father, but it is of the world. You know, God is about humility. God is about love. God is about treating each other with love and respect. You know, not the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life.

And the world is passing away. And the lust of it is passing away, but he who does the will of God abides forever. So the key, this is the key. The world is temporary. This world is temporary. We need to understand that. It's not eternal. So we need to be focused and be single-minded following God's will for us. That's what needs to be first and foremost in our lives. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. You shall have no other gods before me. God says that's where our minds need to be focused. Now, many people seem to have one foot in the boat of the world. Now, this is an analogy. They kind of have one foot in the boat of the world, then they try to have another foot in the church. But the problem is they will eventually need to make the right decision where they will split their pants and they'll drown.

Because it won't work. We have to make choices. We have to make decisions. We have to become more single-minded. It is much better to be honest with oneself as Paul was. So I encourage all of us to be honest with ourselves. You know, Paul was a very single-minded person overall, but he struggled with not being perfect. And he was upfront about it, and I'm very, very glad that God inspired these verses. Because in Romans chapter 7, in verse 18, he describes very well the struggle that every single one of us in this room and around the world face. Paul says in Romans 7 verse 18, For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, nothing good dwells. For to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. It's not such a natural thing. And then Satan's tempting besides, and the flesh is weak. Verse 19, For the good that I will to do, I do not do, but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now the word practice is a word that you got to be careful with that word. He wasn't perfect, but I don't believe that Paul was a great sinner. I believe Paul was very yielded to God and was a very faithful servant of God. But there were times when he was tempted and he sinned, just like all of us do. So we have to be able to admit that, and we have to work against that in our lives. Verse 20, Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So he's explaining this battle that we fight.

There's a sin that dwells in me, and I find then a law that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. Have you ever really wanted to do good, but then you found yourself doing something that wasn't so good? That's what he's talking about. It happens to all of us.

For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man, according to the heart that's led by the Spirit of God, but I see another law in my members, and it's warring against the law of my mind. And it's bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. And then notice verse 24. I mean, this is a very honest statement here. Oh, wretched man that I am! Have you ever felt a little bit wretched?

I see some of you nodding your head. I will certainly agree. I have felt wretched, because there are times when I want to do things I don't, and there are times when I, you know, just the opposite. I don't really do what I want to do, and sometimes I do the things I ought not do. And that's what he's talking about. And he says, he gives a solution, though. It's here for all of us.

He says, who's going to deliver me from this body of death? This is a body of death. It does not live forever. It does not live for eternity. It is temporary.

Who's going to deliver me from this body of death? Verse 25. I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind, I myself serve the law of God. That's really what he wanted. He wanted to be a law-abiding, God-following Christian person. That's what he wanted.

But sometimes he found himself serving the flesh and the law of sin. So he had to repent, didn't he? During those times. That's what was critical. And he understood that.

And so he says, I thank God because I'm saved by grace. I'm saved because I have a Savior. I'm saved because for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son. That whoever believes in him should not perish, but should have everlasting life.

Now I think, you know, I believe that God wants us to believe that. That we are saved by grace.

But we do need to be repentant. We need to take it seriously. We need to have a godly sorrow when we sin. We need to admit our sin like Paul was willing to do. And sometimes we have to say, oh wretched man, God save me. God help me. Forgive me. Guide me. Lead me.

So Paul struggled as a Christian with sin. That's what he just explained. He struggled with that.

But he was a devout, repentant follower of Jesus Christ, and he strived heartily to walk in the Spirit. He was an overcomer, but he wasn't perfect in the flesh. And you're not perfect in the flesh.

And so we need a Savior. Thankfully, we have one.

In Romans 8 verse 5, for those who live according to the flesh, they set their minds on the thing of the flesh. Now that's an important phrase. They set their minds. We're going to hear that a few more times in this sermon. It's dangerous to set your mind on following the flesh. Very dangerous. So they set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, they instead set their minds on the things of the Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit that Mr. Tinkler was talking about in the sermonette. That's where they set their minds. That's where they spend their time, is striving to produce the fruit of God's Holy Spirit.

Love and joy and peace and long suffering and kindness and goodness and meekness, self-control, faithfulness. These are the things that God wants to see from his children, producing the fruit of his Spirit, walking in the Spirit, not in the flesh. Our challenge, brethren, is to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. God is Spirit, and we are told to worship him in Spirit and in truth. So we must walk with him. He that says, I abide in him but does not walk with him is none of Christ. You need to walk with him. Follow him. He says, follow me. That's a single-minded approach. Follow Christ. Follow his example.

Now, what does the Bible say about single-mindedness? Moses was very single-minded in his service to God and to God's people. That's what we read when we read about Moses. That's what we conclude, that he was very single-minded in his service to God and God's people. In fact, he was willing to lay his own life down. Being a type of Christ, he was willing to lay his life down for the people. Don't blot me out if you're not going to save these people. He loved those people. He stood up for the people. He was loyal. He was faithful for the people. He was very single-minded in his service to God and to God's people. And yet, Korah rose up in rebellion against him. And even his sister Miriam had issues. And in Numbers 16, verse 28, in response to all this, Moses said, By this you shall know that the Eternal has sent me to do all these works.

For I have not done them of my own will. He did not do them of his own will. He was following God's will. God appeared to Moses. God in the burning bush. There was a conversation there. Clearly, God was working with Moses. The evidence was there. There were many miracles. They went through the Red Sea. And yet, people still doubted. They were still double-minded. Amazing, isn't it? But without God's Spirit, this is often what will happen. We have to be led by the Spirit of God if we're going to understand the mind of God. So, what is God looking for in his servants? What's he looking for in you and me? Well, he says very clearly in 1 Samuel 2, verse 35, I shall raise up a faithful priest who shall do what is according to what is in my heart and mind. That's what he wants for all of us. He wants to raise up many people, thousands of people, hundreds of thousands, perhaps, one day, who will, people who want to do what is in his heart and in his mind. So, God does want us to learn to be single-minded and follow his mind. What did the prophet Isaiah say to those who have a single-minded approach to serving God?

The prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 26, verse 3, Isaiah says, you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed or sat on you. If it's set on God, God, you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you. This is what Isaiah says, right? You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. His servant trusts in you. He believes in you. He has faith in you. That's what we read here. What does God want from his servants today? Romans 12, 16, as to what we just read. Romans 12, 16, be of the same mind toward one another. He's talking to God's people. Be of the same mind toward one another, and do not set your mind, again, the phrase, set your mind. Do not set your mind on high things, proud things, but associate or set your minds with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. Now, that is not an easy thing to do. I have fallen short when it comes to that. You know, I am not blameless when it comes to that. That's tough. Do not be wise in your own opinion. That's real easy to be wise in our own opinions, because don't we typically think we're right? We really do. We think we're right, but we may not be right. So it's always best to take the humble approach and wait on God and let God fight your battles for you, because I've tried to fight my battles too often. And it's much better to just turn over to God and let God fight the battle. What did Jesus say in regard to a single-minded approach? Well, Jesus, for one thing, Jesus said, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. That sounds pretty single-minded, doesn't it? You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And Jesus, when he was on the stake, and he was being crucified, remember what he said? Not my will. Not my will, Father, but your will be done. So Christ set the perfect example. He is the perfect sacrifice. He set the perfect example. He did not lean to his own understanding. Humanly, he would have liked to avoid it, a crucifixion.

Humanly, the flesh does not want to be crucified. That should be a no-brainer. So Jesus had a little struggle there, too, but he conquered it easily when he said, nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.

What did Paul say in regard to a single-minded approach in our service as Christians? In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 10. Paul said, Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing. So he's talking to the people at Corinth here. Paul is. There were clearly divisions in Corinth. There were schisms. There were factions. He says, I want you to speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. So whose mind is he talking about? Is he talking about his mind? Of course not. He's talking about the mind of God. He's talking about Jesus' mind. In fact, in Philippians 2.5, he says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. So that's the single-minded approach that Paul admonishes all of us to have the mind of Christ, to follow his life, follow his example, have his mind. And what did the Apostle Peter say in regard to a single-minded approach in our service as Christians?

First Peter chapter 4 verse 1. First Peter chapter 4 and verse 1. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind. For he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, not that Christ ever sinned. That's not what it's saying. But he never did sin. And the rest of us can't say that. That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lust of men. He's clearly talking about us. You know, we're not to live that way for the lust of the men, but for the will of God. We're to follow Christ's example, who suffered for us, who died for us, and we are to stop sinning. We are to be overcomers to he who overcomes will I grant to sit with me on my throne. And that's what God wants for us is to obey him, be holy, even as I am holy. Now that's a high and a holy calling, and it's not an easy one. And God knows that. And Paul knew that, and Peter knew that, and all the apostles and the prophets, they all knew that.

But they also knew that that was their calling. Become you perfect, even as my Father in heaven is perfect, is what Jesus said. Become you spiritually mature. Be repentant when you slip up, and be single-minded in your approach so you don't slip up very often.

You know, that's the approach that God wants us to have. The more single-minded we are in following God and following Christ, the less we're going to sin. You know, we're going to be better people if we can do that. So single-mindedness is knowing what's right and good in God's sight, and doing it without doubt or wavering. It's having faith, trusting God. It's going through the Red Sea. It's knowing that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That God is the God we serve. He's the God of Elijah. And he can send the fire down, if that's what he chooses to do. That's the same God. Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. And the one who became Christ was the one interacting with these human beings on the earth. So single-mindedness is decisiveness. Spiritual decisiveness. It's being on the right track and it's staying on the right track. Not deviating, but working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. That's what we need to be doing. Working out our own salvation with fear and with trembling. Not in a bad way at all because it's just talking about having the proper respect for God. God who created us and shaped us and formed us. He has the right to make the rules and we should do our best to follow them. Single-mindedness is putting on the single mind of Christ. It is a lot of things. It is allowing Christ to live in you and motivate you through the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in you or is working with you as you move toward baptism.

Which brings us now to the seven keys to becoming single-minded. Seven keys to becoming single-minded. The first one, commitments must be made. Commitments must be made. So whatever age you are, know that commitments need to be made. If the Lord be God, follow him.

If not, then follow whatever else, but know that you will have consequences if you choose the wrong God. And they're not going to be very good. If the Lord be God, follow him. Now, on the day of Pentecost, Peter gives a powerful sermon and the people are convicted and they say, what can we do? We've just killed the Messiah. We've just killed the Son of God. What can we do?

And what did he say? Peter said, repent and be baptized. Every one of you repent and be baptized. So if you haven't yet made that commitment and you're old enough, the proper age, you really need to seriously consider, why haven't you made that commitment?

Should you be making that commitment? Should you be moving in that direction?

If the Lord be God, follow him. If not, keep doing your own thing. But know that the sooner you make that commitment and it's real and it's genuine and God grants you his Spirit, the better off you're going to be. So there's no need to put it off.

There's a time to make a commitment. And when you're reading the Bible, it tells us that God's Spirit is the Spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind. And isn't that what we all want? Some stability in our lives? We don't want to have unstable minds. We want to be single-minded in how we approach life. And when we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, it's the Spirit of a sound mind. It will see us through many trials, many problems. There will be wonderful blessings that will come along with making that commitment. And when you're reading the Bible, don't pick and choose what you want to follow, but know that you need to live by every word of God. You need to rightly divide the word of truth and live by every word of God. You know Ezra, the priest Ezra, he had, it says in Ezra 7 and 10, it says that Ezra had prepared his heart. It does take some preparation. It does take some commitment. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Eternal and to do it and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. So he sets a wonderful example for the people. He prepared his heart to seek God's law and he taught them God's ways. And Ezra prepared his heart to do it. And then he acted on it. In Psalm 119 verse 34, here it says, David says, give me understanding and I shall keep your law. He asked God to help him. Give me understanding. I shall observe it with my whole heart. He was a man after God's own heart because he was very wholehearted. And yes, he was a sinner. And yes, he did need to repent. And he did repent. And Psalm 51 tells us how bitterly he did finally repent. It took him a while.

All right, let's conclude this by just saying simply, accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior is a commitment that does need to be made in our lives. Baptism is a commitment that should be made by a Christian. And once you've made it, then you need to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to eternal life. Second key to becoming single-minded, the first one, make commitments. Commitments must be made. Secondly, these commitments must be backed up by deep conviction. Wishy-washy ways don't work. Double-minded ways don't work. We must be deeply convicted. We must have a strong belief and trust in God and His Word.

In the book of James, and this was Jesus' brother, book of James chapter 1 and verse 6, But let him ask in faith with no doubting. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man. If you go before God wavering, doubting, then you're a double-minded man. You're unstable in all his ways. That's not the spirit of a sound mind. That's not being led by the spirit of God. That's being led by your own flesh.

He is a double-minded man. He's unstable in all his ways. So when you go to God, go in faith, believing, trusting in Him, and asking Him like one man did, Father, I believe. Help my unbelief. Help me be stronger in the faith because faith is a gift that God gives us. We should ask for faith. Continually pray that God will grant us more faith.

Now it's interesting, but this word double-minded is only used twice in the New Testament.

And it's used here, and it's the Greek word dipsuchos. I don't know if that's how you pronounce it, but that's how I pronounce it. Dipsuchos. It basically means two spirits.

The dip is talking about the twice and again. The dipsuchos. The suchos is a reference to sukei.

You know, you've heard that. It means breath or spirit. Two spirits. It's double-minded. It's not single-minded. It's not the Spirit of God. And then in Luke 12 verse 29, Jesus said, and do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink and don't have an anxious mind.

Don't worry about what you're going to eat or drink because God has promised to provide. God will provide you do your part. Everything's going to be okay. God will do his part. You don't need to be anxious about those things. Don't have an anxious mind. That's a double-minded mind.

Have a faithful mind. Trust in God. And I know it's easier to say these things than it is to do them, but I'm still going to encourage you to do your best to trust God, to have faith in Him. So that's the second point, is these commitments have to be backed up by deep conviction. Thirdly, these strong convictions must be backed up by courage and action.

Now Ezra acted on what he believed on his convictions. He taught the word of God and he lived it. We have to be strong in our convictions and we have to back that up with courage and action. And that will tell us that we really are convicted when we can do that. If we can't, then maybe we're not as convicted as we need to be. In Joshua chapter 1, and this was when the baton was being was passed over to Joshua, Moses had died. Only be strong and very courageous. Joshua chapter 1 verse 7. Joshua 1 and verse 7, this is actually God speaking to Joshua here. He says, only be strong and very courageous that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant, commanded you. He was Moses' assistant, much like Jason Musgrove. Just kidding. Just kidding. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left that you may prosper wherever you go. Verse 8, the book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. All that is written, every word of God. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. So choose life, and you will have good success. God will be with you. Verse 9, Joshua, have I not commanded you be strong enough good courage, God says. Don't be afraid. Don't be dismayed. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. And that's promises to us as well. We are His children. He loves us as He loved Joshua.

He is with us. Now moving on to Daniel. Daniel, it says in verse 8 of chapter 1. Daniel chapter 1 verse 8, but Daniel purposed in his heart. So he set his heart. He purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies. Now this is a tough situation. He's in a foreign land, and he's basically a prisoner in a foreign land. And he purposed that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. So he had a good relationship with the chief of the eunuchs, thankfully, because we're opposing the king now. And the eunuch was a unique person too, because he went along with this. And he did not defile himself. And he was 10 times better. They were all 10 times better than the rest. That's how God works. You know, that's how God delivers if you put your faith and your trust in Him, and if you act on your convictions, and you go forward in faith. Same is true in Daniel chapter 6. Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, they were trying to trap him.

So there's this decree that you can't bow down and worship any God except the king.

He went home, and in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he's not hiding anything. He's very genuine. He knelt down on his knees three times that day.

No doubt he knew they were watching. And he prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. That's what he did. He wasn't going to let man scare him into deviating from how he honored God. And he acted in faith, and he stepped out in faith.

And God delivered him from the mouth of the lions. Not a small feat. Those lions were hungry, and they proved it when they tossed in the other guys. Yeah. Their bones didn't even hit the ground. I think it says, you know, they were torn to pieces. That is the God we serve.

So conviction is sticking to what we believe and acting upon it. David also was convicted and courageous when he faced Goliath. He called him an uncircumcised Philistine.

I serve the living God. He's going to deliver me. I'm not afraid of this giant.

I've got five little stones and a sling, and God will guide those stones, and I'm going to be just fine. And he was fine because he stepped out in faith. He trusted God. You know, in Psalm 119, this is the only time in the Old Testament that I know of where it's translated double-minded. Now, the Greek, δίπσοχος, I didn't actually look up what this word was, but in Psalm 119 verse 113, David says, I hate the double-minded, but I love your law.

I hate the double-minded, but I love your law, God. So obviously there's a connection there. And in the King James Version, it says, I hate vain thoughts. In the New King James, it says, I hate the double-minded. So kind of an interesting translation there. I thought I'd point that out. Now, what about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Did that take courage to do what they did? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego said, our God will deliver us, but if not, so be it. If God chooses not to deliver us, this is just temporary. This flesh is temporary. If I burn up in the fiery furnace, God will resurrect me. God can put me back together again. I will live for eternity with God if I'm faithful. So stepping out in faith, that's that third step, is acting. Stepping out. A fourth key is right godly habits must first be established through planning and follow-through. That is exactly what Daniel did when he prayed three times.

After that decree came out, he had already set the plan.

Bible study, prayer, and also fasting should be regular habits for us as Christians. Christ said, when I'm gone, my disciples will fast. I don't believe he was just talking about the Day of Atonement. I think he was talking about it other times throughout the year. They would fast because fasting is a spiritual tool that's super powerful, draws us near to God, and strengthens us spiritually, helps us be more single-minded. These habits of Bible study, prayer, fasting, and meditation on God's ways will strengthen our commitments, strengthen our convictions, and surely lead us to act. The first three keys, the fourth key again, follow-through plan and follow-through established, godly habits. In 2 Timothy 3, verse 15, Paul, in talking to Timothy, says, and that from childhood, you have known the holy scriptures. He was taught by his mother, his grandmother, and these things are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete. That's what God wants. He wants us to be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. That's the fourth key. The fifth key is satanic ungodly thoughts must be recognized. Satanic ungodly thoughts have to be recognized quickly and rejected early on. We've got to set our minds to reject Satan's temptations. Satan doesn't give up. He's relentless. In fact, in the Bible, in Revelation chapter 17, speaking of days to come, he says, these are of one mind, that they will give their power and authority to the beast. There's going to be a time when people will be single-minded in following Satan.

That's a little scary, but this is what the scriptures tells us.

We can be single-minded in following God.

And if we are, we do not need to fear those who are following Satan. We don't need to fear Satan. We don't need to fear any man, because we are secure in our faith, in the one who delivers and who's all-powerful. So we need to keep our minds on the eternal, not so much the temporary, and realize that God is always with us, and he will never leave us, and he'll never forsake us. In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul says in verse 1, Ephesians chapter 2 and verse 1, And you he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. Okay, all of us have been dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God has called us out of that, and He's given us a new life, a new life in Jesus Christ. And in James chapter 4 verse 7, He says, Therefore submit to God, submit to God and resist the devil, and guess what? The devil will flee from you. So we do need to stand up when Satan is trying to tempt us, and we need to resist.

Maybe we need to get down on our knees right then and pray and ask for strength and courage and faith and action. Resist the devil. He will flee from you. This is James, the Lord's brother. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts. You know what it says? You double-minded. The second time, dipsuchos, is used. He wants us to purify our hearts and not be double-minded, but He wants us to be single-minded. And that leads us to a sixth point. A sixth key, patterns of godly thought must be cultivated and encouraged.

Patterns of godly thought. Now, we're talking about habits of prayer, Bible study, and fasting, but it goes deeper. Patterns of godly thought. Romans 8 verse 5, Romans 8 and verse 5, Paul says, for those who live according to the flesh, they set their minds. Remember that phrase? They set their minds on the things of the flesh. That's the problem. If you set your mind on the things of the flesh, that's exactly what you're going to do. But those who live according to the Spirit, they set their minds on the things of the Spirit, the fruits of the Spirit. And also, what about Philippians chapter 4? What kind of advice does Paul give us there? He says, finally, brethren, whatever things are pure, or I'm sorry, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there's any virtue and if there's anything praiseworthy, then meditate on these things. Now, I would say that a lot of our problems come because we just aren't meditating on the things of God. Instead, Satan's got us off the track, and we're anxious, and we're worried, and we're fearful. And if you find yourself consistently unhappy without any real cause or reason, then maybe you should ask yourself, am I being double-minded?

Am I being double-minded? And is that what's making me unhappy? Are you listening to thoughts of self-pity, of fear, of inferiority, and of doubt? Think on the things that are good, that are pure, that are lovely. Train yourself to focus on these things, and God will see you through any trial, any problem. It's interesting, but in 1 Peter 1, verse 13, the advice is, therefore gird up the loins of your mind. Gird up the loins of your mind. In other words, set your mind. Gird it up. Be sober. And rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Yes, we are saved by grace. Thank God that we are saved by grace, because we've all sinned, and the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life through our Savior Jesus Christ. Last point, last key. Repentance brings us back into single-mindedness. If we find ourselves being double-minded, off the track, get on your knees and pray that God will grant you repentance, because it is God who grants repentance. God looks on the heart. God knows your heart. God already knows your thoughts. But He also wants to see you beseech Him, cry out to Him, repent of your sins, have that godly sorrow, have that zeal that comes from true repentance that it talks about in 1 Corinthians 7.

God grants repentance as He looks upon our hearts and knows our innermost thoughts. You know, in Romans 12 verse 1, Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice. God wants us to live, and He wants us to sacrifice ourselves to Him, holy, which is acceptable to God. And frankly, it's your reasonable service, because of this high calling that you have. It's your reasonable service to humble yourself and to follow God. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, the repentance that comes and renews our minds that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. That's the mind of God. That's the mind we're supposed to have. That's the mind of Christ. That is being single-minded. So, brethren, we are being transformed. We are in the process of being transformed. Yes, this wretched body, this flesh, will one day be no more.

We will no longer be held by the shackles of sin and the flesh. We're being transformed. The more single-minded and doing God's will we become right now, the more pleasing to God we will be.

We will have more strength. We will have more energy. We will have more commitment. We'll have more conviction, stronger convictions. We'll not be double-minded, because double-mindedness is really one of the most miserable conditions you could find yourself in. Being single-minded spiritually is without a doubt the most enjoyable and the most rewarding and the most amazing frame of mind for a Christian. Before Christ's return, how much of his mind will you have? How much will you have developed in your own heart and mind? How single-minded, how spiritually single-minded will you have become? That's a good question. Something to meditate throughout the week.