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THREE UNSTABLE THINGS
Setting: Gen 49:1 - 4
Gen 49:4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because
thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it:
he went up to my couch.
I’ve often wondered what Reuben must have felt like when
listening to his father’s description of himself that day?
How could he feel? I mean, who in their right mind wants to
be told that they are irresolute, undisciplined, undecided,
wavering, unfixed, etc. etc. etc. Surely I don’t! I want to
be fixed, decided, permanent, unbending.
I saw a T-shirt in a Christian book store once that said
“American by birth, Christian by choice” and I though how
true that is. But many that call themselves children of God
have not fully and completely made up their minds. They are
unstable as the sea, tossed by opinion, and pressures over
and over - Unsure, unsteady and unresolved.
Did you know that the Bible talks about this condition as
being “Unstable”! When I think of that word I almost always
conjure a picture of a man carrying a vial of nitroglycerine
(a very explosive but unstable liquid) gingerly walking,
because he is not sure if the slightest little bump will set
this liquid off.
The Bible talks of three things as being unstable, well four
if you count this description of ol’ Reuben being unstable
as water.
UNSTABLE SOULS:
2Pe 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease
from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have
exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
This is a person that is not strong in Christian principles.
The idea is that there are people that are out there that
enjoy beguiling or baiting the Christian that is not strong
in the Principles of Christ, in the same way you bait a trap
for an animal. They do this by entrapping the man or woman
taking advantage of their animal like instincts and urges.
Notice, this does not imply the unlearned or uneducated
convert… that comes in on our next “Unstable” thing…. No,
this is not an educated person – someone that knows!
They know right from wrong.
They know of sin and righteousness.
But they are week in resolve because they are not
principled.
THE UNLEARNED
2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of
these things; in which are some things hard to be
understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable
wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own
destruction.
Unlearned is defined as Forgotten. Not learned; ignorant;
illiterate; not instructed. Not gained by study; not known.
These are the people that do not have the information
necessary to help them become fixed – steadfast – unmovable
– unshakeable.
But notice that our definition shows us that an unlearned
person can be someone that is not learned or ignorant
because they have not been instructed or taught (novice,
new) they can also be people that have not gained the
information needed because of lack of study.
Newbees in any group are given grace for their lack of
knowledge but they are not given eternity to learn. They
have a reasonable amount of time to find out and fall in. So
it is with soldiers in the army of the Lord. They are
expected to 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.
How much time is reasonable? Well to the one that gets in
trouble for being out of line they never have enough. But to
a conscientious Christian it can be, in some cases only a
matter of days! Every service and lesson we hear have things
that are laid out and that are no doubt new and challenging
to you.
Each night when you go home you can then research these
handfuls on purpose to expose your areas of weakness.
But why wont people research? 2Pe 3:5 For this they
willingly are ignorant of,…
They just don’t want to know! Ignorance is bliss they say .
And yet by their ignorance they keep themselves in an
unstable condition – any little glitch can set them off.
THE DOUBLE MINDED
Jam 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
All sources agree that a double minded man is better
rendered “a man of 2 souls” in other word a person that
wants the things of heaven but can’t let go of things on
earth.
Sure they know what the higher life is all about and they
want it – their heart yearns for it… even for a time they
begin to pursue it but then their second “soul” begins to
burn when they see what they are loosing and then they begin
to weaken to the point of collapse.
Their mind is divided on almost every point James further
explains this person in Jam 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.
He lets us know that the answer for this form of unstable
living must be found first in Drawing close to God, then
cleaning your hands (The idea is that when you work your
hands get soiled but once you have washed them there is a
tendency to avoid touching unclean things for fear of
contamination) and then purifying your heart (purification
takes place when all contaminants are taken out).
Many examples of this kind of unstable living is found in
scripture
Paul speaks of young widows in 1Ti 5:11 here he tells the
church to refuse young widows In the same manner God refuses
the double minded person that says today “I’m going to live
for God and work for God” and then tomorrow is “sorrowed
over the people and things that such a life now causes them
to loose.
CONCLUSION:
Reuben was first born but he was unstable – all who are
first born are in the same category – unstable they must be
born again…. But also they have to make some difficult
choices.
We then must study, learn, educate ourselves as a defense
against the pitfalls and people the devil sends our way to
trick us and lead us off of the straight and narrow.
We must allow the education we gain to discipline our lives
by giving into it, making the choice, saying no when a
smoother simpler way comes by.
And last but not least we must face the nature that rests
within all Christians at conversion “To mind the things
above, while dealing with the things here below”. It is not
easy for any of us – there is a constant resurrecting of
that “other soul” that would have us neglect the right of
God for the comfort of the here and now.
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