A Divided Heart

Hosea 10:2  Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.

James 1:8  A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

A divided heart is indeed a tragedy. How can one know what path to follow without a GPS or map for direction? One has to know his destination before he can know what path to take, right? Just as a traveler must plan their journey, we too must seek clarity in our lives and understand where we want to end up. The path to Heaven has only one road; there aren’t many roads to Heaven, just one leads to eternal peace and fulfillment. Jesus told us which road to take.

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

To me, a divided heart means someone who would like to go to Heaven but really doesn’t want to commit to it right then and there. They want to continue down the same road they’ve been on and live just the way they want, indulging in their desires and beliefs without making that “spiritual” commitment. A divided heart can also mean someone who has not separated himself from the world completely. For example, a born-again believer that still believes that living with someone outside of marriage is OK. In their eyes, making that commitment means giving up something significant—a freedom to sin, the familiar comforts of their current lifestyle, and perhaps even relationships that don’t align with a new path. It’s a complicated struggle, where they feel torn between the longing for spiritual fulfillment and the comfort of sinning. The Holy Spirit won’t give us peace to live in sin.

Colossians 3:1-2  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  (2)  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Colossians 3:5-7  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:  (6)  For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:  (7)  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.

Once we are born again, we are considered to be “in Christ.” We now have new desires: a desire to do good and not to sin. God places that desire in our hearts and the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to convict us. Being born again removes us from the category “children of disobedience” to the “children of promise”!

Galatians 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Having a divided heart is the same as being double minded. The Holy Spirit dwells within us and will guide us when we are tempted to sin. He will stir our heart to do what is righteous. When one gives in to sin, he gives way to the enemy. His choice to sin has now given him a double mindedness. When one is born again, they now have the ability to say no to sin. It now becomes a choice. Double mindedness or a divided heart leads a person astray. So what does one do? One must choose! One must choose to be born again by the Spirit of the Living God. Then, and only then, will a person have the ability to say no. Each time one says no to sin, it gets easier because one’s faith grows stronger. So what do you choose?

Joshua 24:15  And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Make your choice, Reader. If you choose to be born again and receive power from on High to say no to sin, follow this link. It will guide you through the Scriptures on how to be born again.