Duality and Spiritual Servant

1. Duality and Spiritual Servant

2. Introduction • During the American Civil War, a man who was living on the border between the North and the South decided to be neutral. • So he put on a shirt from the North and pants from the South • He thought that this will be pleasing to both. • What happened actually was both the North and the South shot him and he died.

3. Introduction • This is exactly how many of us lives his life: in duality. • This was the case with Lot’s wife (Genesis 29: 26). • The Lord told us “remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17: 23) • We need to ask ourselves the same question that David asked in the past “to whom do you belong?” (1Sam 30: 13).

4. Definition • Two contradicting lives and image. • It can be in: • Opinions (James 1: 8) • Tongue (1Tim 3: 8) • Belonging (Luke 16: 13) • Mood (Mark 6: 20, 22) • Image (Matthew 7: 15) • Hypocrisy (Matthew 23: 28, 2Tim 3: 5)

5. Definition • Worship (1Kings 18: 21) • Partiality (Pro 24: 23), (Pro 28: 21) • Way (Pro 28: 18) • Behavior (Psalm 50: 16) • Heart (Psalm 12: 2) • In all the above forms the person send to contradicting messages not only to others but also to himself.

6. Reasons • Imperfect repentance • Loved sins • Delayed repentance • Laziness • Weak will • Negative influences • Love of praise (Acts 12: 20 – 22) • Hidden sins e.g. Judas (John 12: 1-6)

7. Reasons • Fear (Gal 2: 11-14) • Pleasing others (Mark 7: 17-29) • Attention seeking (1Kings 22: 11), (Jer 23: 9-32) • Imitating others (Ruth 3: 3). • Psychological disorders • Unused time • hypocrisy

8. Forms • Duality can be in different forms: • Justifying the sin and defending it (homosexuality, dancing, drinking) • Strong conscience vs. weak conscience (eating what is offered to the idols) • Approved for one’s self but prohibited for others (Jews living as gentiles) • Life style (liberalism, feminism…etc).

9. Symptoms • Harsh criticism (Judas and Mary, Lazarus’ sister) • Routine and monotonous worship e.g. lip service (Isaiah 29: 13) • Unrealistic form of godliness e.g. self – imposed service (Colossians 2: 23) • thinking of one’s self more highly than he ought to think (Rom 12: 3)

10. Symptoms • Preaching different than behaving (Romans 2: 17-24) • Gossip, judging, and backbiting e.g. Aaron and Miriam (Numbers 12: 1 – 8) • Confusion, fear, anxiety, obsession, imaginations, depression…etc • Conforming to the society • Overly meticulous and circumspection (Matthew 23: 24)

11. Danger • God rejects and resists duality • The grace of God will taken away • The Holy Spirit will be quenched with no fruits • The person loses his sensitivity to sin and drinks iniquity as water (Job 15: 16) • Loses his sensitivity to spiritual words • Becomes lukewarm • Bad example (the atheist son)

12. Danger • Difficulty of repentance • Believing the lies of duality • Unrealistic • Others will reject and criticize him • Resists any advice and welcomes praises • Men pleasing • Hopelessness and helplessness

13. Treatment • Examine yourself • In the light of the word of God • Through the voice of the Holy Spirit • Through the direction of your spiritual father • Through the feedback of others • Take responsibility • By admitting it • Don’t find excuses • Making a decision to deal with it • Prepare yourself to cope with consequences

14. Treatment • Find out the reason: • Loved sin • Laziness • Trying to fit in • Weak will • Negative influence • False beliefs • Fear • Deviated goals • Hidden sins

15. Treatment • Exposing: • Any sin will lose its power when we expose it • Whatever you bring it to the light will be exposed • Support • Invisible from the Holy Spirit and the cloud of saints • Strong spiritual canon • Focus on the consistency and the quality more • Visible • Through your spiritual father • Through godly people

16. Treatment • Living with integrity: • Having one's actions directly reflect one's professed values, and integrating that way of living in all of one's worlds: at work, in school, with family and friends, in public and even alone. • Trials potentially lead to faith, which leads to perseverance, which leads to maturity, which leads to wisdom, which leads to stability (James 1: 2-8) • Areas to practice: • Listening vs. doing (James 1: 22-25) • But how can we seek to better unify our words and beliefs? Reflecting on them is one way.

17. Treatment • Favoritism vs. fairness (James 2: 8-10) • Whenever you have the opportunity to be with someone not quite as likable, try choosing to take the initiative to get to know him or her. • Faith and deeds (James 2: 17, 20-22) • It was quite a risk for both Abraham and Isaac to believe that God would somehow spare Isaac at the last moment. • This episode in Abraham's life shows us that the more we desire to have faith, the more God opens our eyes to opportunities to take risks and to be challenged in ways which grow our character.

18. Treatment • The tongue (James 3: 9-11) • Our duplicity and lack of integrity are often most evident in our speech. • Think of the times you've backstabbed a friend, told someone's secret, gossiped or treated someone inconsistently. • Seeking their forgiveness can be freeing, even amidst the hurt. • Right and wrong motives (James 4: 1-3) • What we want is not always what God wants, and often not what is best for us.

19. Treatment • We profess to trust God and His plan, but do we really live believing that he knows best? • When you reflect on times of disappointment and seemingly unanswered prayer, take St. James seriously: did you really ask God to create in you the desires of his heart, or did you merely ask him to "rubber stamp" his approval of your own desires? • Our calendars and checkbooks are the real tests of our priorities. • And the ways we spend our time, energy and money are indicators of our deepest goals, desires, values and even idols.

20. Treatment • It's worth asking how God might want us to realign our priorities with His. • This is extremely important to do when we are tempted to compromise our integrity and when we feel like our finances, time and energy are out of control. • God provides for us when we seek his kingdom priorities first. • Pride and humility (James 4: 7-10, 16, 17) • In these verses, we are entreated to act: to submit, to resist, to come, to wash, to purify, to humble ourselves. And God will respond. • He will lift us out of our double-mindedness and our pride.

21. Treatment • Humility doesn't come easily. • I can be humble and modest with children and older people, but defensive with family and friends who know me. • I tend to become proud and competitive with people who have something I don't, or who surpass me in some way. • St. James challenges us to choose humility over pride. • One way to do this is by serving other people whenever possible

22. Conclusion • St. James is asking us to face our double standards. • Our progress on this road to integrity will be slow. • The one "who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom" (James 1:35) will be blessed • If we look intently to God, in His completeness and integrity, he will shape us into life of integrity, whole and mature in Him.