The two sides of the heart or the “double mind” is another way the Bible describes “our own two eyes” verses the “eye of God”.
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 15:13 “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”
Proverbs 16:9 “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.”
Proverbs 19:21 “There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.”
The heart can influence us according to the Bible scriptures above. The heart wants things for us and tells us things, which may be different than what our “man”, or what our carnal mind is telling us. The “man” or carnal mind is also comparable to our “own understanding” spoken of in Proverbs 3:5 above. The heart will tell us where we need to go in our way, but the LORD will provide the means and steps to get there. Here in Proverbs 16:9 the word “man’s”, when describing the heart is the Hebrew word “adam” which means human being, in contrast to male or husband.
The word “man’s” used in Proverbs 19:21 is the Hebew word “iysh”, which again means male or husband. So this verse implies that a male’s heart has many devices (thoughts and plans) but the council of the LORD will overrule them. There is a difference between the man’s heart (human’s heart) in Proverbs 16:9 and the man’s heart (male’s heart) in Proverbs 19:21. The heart in Proverbs 16:9 deviseth the way, whereas the devices, or thoughts, in Proverbs 19:21 will be overruled by the LORD.
So how do we come to understand the difference between devices in our carnal (male) mind and/or heart verses the heart of our human being which can be seen as a companion to “Christ in you your hope of glory” (remember, where again “glory” means opinion, judgment, or vision)? And what is true knowledge and judgment?
Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:”
Luke 11:34-35 “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.”
In comparing these two scriptures, the heart can be compared to the eye which produces either light or darkness in the body. Ezekiel 11:19 says we will be given “one” heart, and Luke 11:34 says our eye needs to be single, or one in contrast to two. If the eye or heart be “one” the body is full of light. Both of your eyes cannot be open; Genesis 3:7 “And the eyes of them both were opened…”. Again eating of the tree of knowledge of good and evil gives us double vision.
2 Corinthians 3:3 “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.”
Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”
Here in 2 Corinthians it says we become the epistle, by the epistle being written in our heart, not in tables of stone, but tables of the heart. In comparison to Ezekiel 11:19 and Colossians 2:14, the one heart is obtained by blotting out the ordinances on the tables of stone (literal words and ordinances), and allowing Christ to rein in our heart, one heart and full of light.
Luke 8:15 “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Matthew 13:23 “But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
In comparing Luke 8 and Matthew 13, its says an honest and good heart is good ground, where good ground is one that heareth the word and understandeth it. So the heart can obtain understanding and keep it. The “heart” in the scriptures represents more than the physical organ, but is the inner mind and understanding of a person.
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The heart can understand and believe. It is an offshoot of the mind. Now more about the one versus two eyes or two hearts/minds.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
Mark 8:23-25 “And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.”
Luke 6:44-45 “For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”
Luke 8:15 “But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
The heart can be deceitful but is also can be honest and good. And God says he will also search out our heart and give us according to our ways. We will know it by our fruit. We will know our heart by what it produces. How will we come to know our fruit and therefore our heart?
Psalm 26:2 ” Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”
Psalm 27:14 “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
The psalmist in Psalm 26:2 asks God to try or test his reins and heart. He asked God to examine him or put him through the test or trial. The trials we go through prove and test our heart’s intentions and give us information about our heart. Remember Jeremiah 17:10 above also talks about the LORD searching our heart and trials of the heart. But before we discuss the trial and tests that prove our heart, let’s look a little more into the two sides of the heart and mind to know more about how it can be tested.
James 4:8&10 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded… Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”
Humility has something to do with purifying our heart and mind and making it single rather than double.
The “double mind” or double heart needs to be cleared somehow. This double mind can be compared to the heart and mind of our logical “man” (i.e logical carnal law based male counterpart within us) versus the heart and mind of Christ
All of these verses in James, Ezekiel and Luke above have something in common. They speak of a double mind verses a single mind or eye. James 1 says that trials (temptation) are things to be glad about. The testing of our heart shows us patience, patience to learn truth about ourselves. James 1 and 4 says to ask for wisdom, draw close to God, and humble yourself (bring yourself low). If you ask for wisdom without being double minded, it will be given you. Ezekiel 11:19 says our heart will be made “one” in contrast to two or double minded, and we need to be careful that the light or understanding in us is not indeed darkness! Luke 11:34 says the light of the body or the eye also needs to be single or it will be darkness! Refer back to Psalm 32:8, where it says the “eye” of the Lord will guide you where you need to go. The eye of the Lord is one and not two eyes or double minded. The actual meaning of a double minded can be hard to understand and arbitrary in itself until one is single minded.
Double minded is having the carnal mind and the spiritual law in conflict with each other. How do we know if our eye is single and our heart is pure (not double spirited)?