How to Respond to the Half-Hearted

Prayer of Illumination: Our Heavenly Father, your word is truth—it’s a lamp to our feet; it’s a light to our path. It also shows us who we really are… As a person looks in the mirror & sees their reflection, we pray that you would help us to see ourselves & help us to see our need of grace. In Jesus' name. AMEN.

HOOK: How is your hate life? Not your love life, but your hate life. When I was little, whenever I said I hated something, mom always corrected me: “Never say you ‘hate’ anything!” Her words left a strong impression on me. And now, decades later, I still think carefully before using strong words like hate. We've use the word love so much that its lost its meaning.

Remember the song: You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling? Well, we've lost that lovin' meaning. When we say we love 'burgers or chocolate, it cheapens the word when we say we love our spouse, our family, or God. Words have meaning & stay with us. Telling someone we hate them can damage relationships. It is good to reserve these powerful words for appropriate occasions, as the writer of Ps. 119 has done.

He uses both of these powerful words in this 15th stanza. TR: So far in the Ps. 119, the psalmist has used the word hate once, in v. 104, I hate every false way, & he used the word love to refer to God’s Word (vv. 47, 48, 97).

In this stanza, he uses both hate & love to refer to the double minded, & to God’s Word (your law) respectively (v. 113).

Double-minded is not a word we use much today, but it is a word or at least an idea that is seen in Scripture. This particular Heb. Word is only used once in the OT & means: divided; halfhearted…

Remember the story of Elijah on Mt. Carmel when he confronted the half-hearted people: 1 Kings 18:21, Elijah went before the people & said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him…”

James uses it two times in his short letter: He says that a person who doubts God is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (1:8).

James 4:8, Draw near to God, & he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, & purify your hearts, you double-minded.

This word or idea describes someone who tries to live two contradictory lifestyles—say one thing—live/act another. Or to put it in other words, they are those who want both God & the world.

They want the benefits of religion, but they want their sin.

Jesus declared, No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one & love the other, or he will be devoted to the one & despise the other (Matt. 6:24).

God & sin are of such opposite natures that it is impossible to love either one completely without hating the other. Those who try to love both are unstable…

Now, picture this: here is the psalmist who has written this incredible love poem devoted to his love, commitment, allegiance, respect, & devotion to God's Word & he encounters those who have persecuted, maligned, & opposed him & they don't have the same kind of commitment. They claim one thing, but live a totally different way. They claim to love God's Word, but their lives do not reflect the values God's Word teaches.

How did he respond to that contradiction? How should we respond to that contradiction? With amazing insight & clarity he shows us how we should respond to the half-hearted.

Three ways: (1) Love God; (2) Seek God; (3) Trust God.

1. Love God (vv. 113-115)

As I mentioned earlier, the psalmist confesses that he hates the double-minded—those who are fickle, & who cannot decide what they believe. But he doesn't dwell for long on what he hates, but rather, very quickly, he returns to what he loves—God's Word.

He confesses in v. 113: but I love your law… Do you love, truly love, God's Word? In many ways, I have second guessed myself a few times for devoting two summers to preach through Ps. 119. There's so many other passages, topics, & important subjects to cover, after all—but I make no apologies for this series. This series, in many ways, is my vision for this church to glorify God by nurturing a biblically-functioning community of believers. I want us to be people of the book—the Book. Some time ago I came across my manuscript of the very first time I spoke to you as your pastor on a Sun. AM.

Remember, we had an installation service & I took about 10-15 minutes to speak to you. I said that if I could choose a symbolic sound that this church would come to be known for it would be the rustling of the pages of dozens of Bibles turning at the same time to the morning & evening texts.

The reason is this: the source of my authority from behind this pulpit is not my wisdom; nor is it a private revelation granted to me beyond the revelation of Scripture. My words have authority only insofar as they are the unfolding & proper application of the words of Scripture. I have authority only when I stand under authority. And our corporate symbol of that truth is the sound of our Bibles opening to the text.

My heart aches for the pastor who increases his own burden by trying to come up with ideas to preach. As for me, I have nothing of abiding worth to say to you. But God does—and I hope & pray that I never tire of preaching it, living it, & loving it. The life of the church depends on it. My own soul depends on it. Simply I want to obey the command of Jesus to make disciples that think & act biblically. And preaching through Ps. 119 is a great way to formally state my pastoral agenda & vision.

We see in the next few verses demonstrative ways he loves God's Word.

He loves God's Word because it is his source of protection (v. 114, You are my hiding place & my shield; I hope in your word).

He hopes in God's Word because he has found in it a source of protection; a refuge; a hiding place. So many other verses come to mind:

Ps. 3:1-3, 1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; 2 many are saying of my soul, “There is no salvation for him in God.” 3 But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, & the lifter of my head.

Ps. 18:2, The LORD is my rock & my fortress & my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, & the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Ps. 27:8, The LORD is my strength & my shield; in him my heart trusts, & I am helped; my heart exults, & with my song I give thanks to him.

And of course, Ps. 91:1-2, 1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge & my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Many of us have had the experience of a rock hitting our windshield—the windshield protected us from injury. Our homes shelter us from the elements of nature—rain, snow, extreme heat, & cold.

But there is no shelter, no protector, like God Himself.

Deut. 33:27 is a wonderful comfort to me: The eternal God is your refuge, & underneath are his everlasting arms. Satan loves to attack us; or use others to attack us…

The NLT in Eph. 6:16 refers to them as the the fiery arrows of the devil. His attacks & fiery arrows come in the form of lies.

You're a failure…

You have no worth/value… It's no use trying…

God will never forgive you…

But God's Word—God himself & his truth is our shield. His Word is effective defensive armor which deflects those fiery arrows & prevents them from destroying us.

Paul calls God's truth the shield of faith, because truth must be believed in order to defend the devil's lies. And his truth is found in His Word.

And God says, you have value/worth;

God says that you're not a failure;

God says that he doesn't treat us as our sins deserve & has removed them……

I join the psalmist: I love God's Word because it is my protection!

He loves God's Word because it is his source of separation (v. 115, Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God).

I absolutely love the tenacity & the spirit of the psalmist: he tells the compromising & half-hearted to get away from him. He has chosen to obey God's commands whatever the cost, and he wants nothing whatsoever to do with any evildoer who tries to lure him into compromise & sin.

NLT: Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God.

We are sadly living in a time when God's people are increasingly expected to condone or accept ungodly, & unscriptural conduct. As the values & morals of our society & culture are changing, those who hold fast to God's Word are facing intense pressure to compromise or water down their beliefs. Sadly, many professing believers & even some denominations, have betrayed truth to accommodate behavior that Scripture clearly identifies as sin. If you love God's Word, you will not be double-minded or half hearted about what he says.

Remember how Ps. 1 warns us about our associations. It instructs us to not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the company of scoffers. Our companions will impact our way of thinking & our morals.

Knowing this, the psalmist says Get out of my life, you evil-minded people, for I intend to obey the commands of my God. He desires God's Word be his source of separation & purity.

What about you…..?

Before we move on, take note of the last two words of v. 115: …my God. This is the only place in the psalm where these words occur. And they are important because they highlight a double grip, on the one hand, the writer’s grip on God &, on the other, God’s grip on him.

Is he your God?

2. Seek God (vv. 116-117)

As the Psalmist continued to endure persecution, he prays for God's help & strength. He's done everything he could possibly do to resist the efforts of the double-minded to pull him down. Knowing that he cannot persevere by his own strength, he seeks God & prays for God to uphold & sustain him.

Let's personalize these prayer requests:

God, sustain me as you have promised (v. 116a).

The psalmist uses two different Heb. words to request support from God in vv. 116 & 117.

The verb in v. 116 means to support, sustain, or help. Take note of those words: according to your promise… God has promised to sustain, protect, & care for his children. God's promises are based on his character & his word which never changes & never fails.

Ps. 145:13, …the LORD is trustworthy in all he promises & faithful in all he does (NIV).

The promises of God are all about God, not us! Trusting in the promises of God starts with trusting God for who he says he is. As we begin to trust him in his character & attributes, we see his incredible power translating into his actions. The promises of God are trustworthy because they are founded upon the character & power of God Almighty.

God, don't let my hope in you become crushed & put me to shame (v. 116b).

He has placed his hope in the Lord, so if the Lord does not sustain him then both the Lord’s honor & the psalmist’s honor are at stake.

This reminds me of the conversation between God & Moses in Num. 14 when they people revolted against the good report of Joshua & Caleb & believed the bad report from the other 10 spies. God was ready to wipe them out & just start all over. But Moses reminded God what this whole thing was about: God's name; God's reputation; God's character; God's word & nothing else. If God would have destroyed his people at that moment, his own name & his promises & Moses himself would be put to shame & the Egyptians & others would point their fingers & say that cannot keep his promises/word.

For his name’s sake, God will not cast you away. …he will not fail to uphold/sustain you…

The rock bottom foundation of our hope is the commitment that God has to his own great name. He is committed to act for his own name’s sake. And for that reason, he is committed to act for his people. Therefore, we will never be put to shame; our hopes will not be crushed because God always comes through; if not for our sake, then for the sake of his own name & reputation.

God, keep me safe & secure, so that I will always respect your word (v. 117).

Continuing his thought from v. 116, the psalmist asks the Lord to uphold him so that he could be safe, because without the Lord’s intervention he may succumb to the threat posed by the double-minded. He expects the Lord to be faithful to him, & he aspires to be ever faithful to the Lord—that I may have regard for your statues continually. The Heb. word means "to look at."

This is not a casual, disinterested, or half-hearted glance. Rather, it is a careful & respectful gaze. When you are tempted to turn away from God & his Word do what the Islamist has modeled for us: SEEK GOD!

Seek the Word of God & seek the God of the Word.

3. Trust God (vv. 118-119)

When I say trust God in the context of these verses I don't mean that broadly, but specifically trust God to do something: judge the wicked.

The psalmist has been plagued by the hypocrites & half-hearted trying to entice him to sin, so he recalls what God taught him in his Word about justice & righteousness. He looks fresh at God's judgment which reminds that God will judge not just unbelievers but also false believers. The compromising & double-minded who tried to deceive him were condemned as well, along with the God-haters who openly oppressed him.

According to these vv. we can trust God to do 2 things:

Reject the disobedient (v. 118).

The word spurn meant to reject. I know that we like to say that God accepts all, & he does, but he only accepts those who are repentant & put their faith in him & the proof of that faith is a life of obedience reflected in good works & fruit.

God doesn't reject those who are in Christ who are struggling; those who are gaining new light & struggling to understand it due to past conditioning, baggage, & fallenness. No!

But God does reject those who willingly set their heart against his statues & stray from God's Word.

Ps. 121:21 sheds some light on this: You rebuke the insolent…who wander from your commandments.

The insolent, arrogant ones are the ones rejected by God. The insolent are described a number of ways in this ps:

The insolent derided & mocked him (v. 51).

The insolent told lies on him (v. 78);

v. 69 says the insolent smeared him with lies.

The insolent dug pitfalls/traps for him (v. 85).

The insolent oppressed him (v. 122).

Is it any wonder then the psalmist cries out in v. 10:

With my whole heart I seek you; let me not…..LOOK AT THIS: wander from your commandments! I don't what to be like the ones you reject! This is something that is not easy & fun to talk about, but if you willing reject God; if you willingly reject his Word & his ways, he will reject you The Heb. Word for spurn expresses the idea of “to treat as worthless…”

Reject the wicked (v. 119).

These words are shocking to me: All the wicked you discard like dross…

NLT: You skim off the wicked of the earth like scum… When a metal is being refined, dross is the material or scum that forms on the top & is discarded by the metalsmith.

In Scripture dross is a symbol of impurity & worthlessness. Sin is really very much like dross:

Dross takes away from the shine & glory of metal—it makes it dull…sin takes away from your life & never adds to…

Dross is deceptive—it is not silver, but seems like it; it is not gold but seems like it…sin is deceptive…

Dross is not made better by the fire & refining process…sin never improves the sinner…

Dross is worthless—it has no value or purpose…sin takes away your value & purpose…

Dross is actually damaging to metal, because it can lead to rust—metal with dross in it will be eaten away…sin twill damage & eventfully destroy your life…

And the day is coming, that God, just like the metalsmith discards the dross, God will judge & discard the wicked. And the truth is, God can be trusted to do what is right in the world he rules, & this confidence causes the psalmist to love what the Lord has decreed: v. 119b, …therefore I love your testimonies. And as he reflects on the Lord’s judgment, he trembles in awe of the Lord, & he shudders when he contemplates God’s retribution of the wicked, & we should to.

When we tremble before the exalted & holy God, our eyes are opened to the true nature of this world: twisted & empty. When wicked people rise up against us & seem to prevail, we need to remember that one day they will face God's terrible judgment. Note that the psalmist did not rejoice in the solemn truth, & neither should we. The reality of God's undiluted & righteous wrath on the wicked should strike intense fear in the depths of our souls, even as it did the psalmist. And it should motivate us to obey & revere the Lord more deeply & it should compel us to pray even for those who persecute us, recognizing that they too are souls for whom Christ died. Amazingly, though God hates their evil, wicked ways, he still loves them & has made a way of escape possible. It is the way of salvation proclaimed in the gospel & accomplished by the death & resurrection of Jesus. We who have believed the gospel & received forgiveness must warn unbelievers of the wrath that is to come. We should tremble at the very thought. We should do what we can to “snatch them out of the fire” (Jude 23) while there is still time. Judgment Day is coming.

There's a great day coming, a great day coming, There's a great day coming by & by, When the saints & the sinners shall be parted right & left, Are you ready for that day to come?

There's a sad day coming, a sad day coming, There's a sad day coming by & by, When the sinner shall hear his doom, "Depart, I know ye not!"