Have you ever known anyone that you would consideras half-hearted? Of course we understand that this expression is not speaking of someone with half a blood pump. The idea here is that the one under consideration is not putting forth his best effort. In Deut. 6: 5-7, and other passages, God commanded Israel that they were to put forth their best effort and not be half-hearted. And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Not only were they to give themselves fully to loving the Lord and keeping His commandments; they were to make sure their children were properly instructed so they too would have the proper love for God and the willingness to faithfully keep His commandments.
We see what happened to the nation of Israel when parents refused to adhere to this admonition of the Lord. They were half-hearted in their relationship with God and did not properly follow Him or teach their children to properly follow Him. Because of their half-hearted service to God, Isaiah as directed by the Spirit addressed them in this fashion in Isa. 1:4: Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
How many people do you know that have cleared an obstacle when they made a half hearted attempt to jump over it? Try making a half-hearted attempt to jump a large ditch filled with venomous snakes. I suspect you will make a wholehearted effort to get out of the ditch.
The church in Laodicea (Rev. 3:14-16) was half-hearted, and because of this was identified as lukewarm. Notice the effect this has on the Lord. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
The church today has too many that are half-hearted. This is evidenced by the failure to attend all the services of the church, the refusal to give of their means properly, the failure to know the scriptures because they do not read and study, therefore rendering them useless in defense of the gospel. In many places our young people are not being properly taught as the adults are half-hearted in their service to God and their responsibilities to their children.
If God was O. K. with half-hearted Jude verse 3 would not read as it does. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. One cannot earnestly contend half-heartedly and be pleasing to God.
Let us fully apply ourselves to God's work in every aspect of our lives. Your soul and the souls of others depend upon it.
Dennis Strickland - Mooresville church of Christ
