What Singleness Of Eye Is

What is singleness of eye? How does it work? What does it mean?

If we were using another phrase, we would say it is a circumcised heart, for it is just here that the whole question of the intrusion of a second consideration is found.

You cannot have singleness if there are two. Singleness obviously means just one, not the intrusion of a second thing...

Which second thing is in the main, if not entirely, the intrusion of self-interest.

Numerous and deep-rooted are its forms; deeper than our consciousness, deeper than our intention...

Deeper than our will that something should be, deeper than we can reach...

This self-life is seated and rooted and its intrusion, consciously or unconsciously, destroys or prevents singleness of eye.

Singleness of eye is the utter exclusion of all self-consideration and self-interest in any way whatever...

A complete, unreserved concern and abandonment to the glory of GOD.

It raises very many practical questions.

Can we rejoice in the work of GOD without being the instrument, without feeling at all bad that we are not the instrument and just rejoice in the work without any place being given to us in it?

Or in seeing the work of GOD being done and going on, do we at once get into it with self-pity or with our own ambition and desire to have some place in that, which is not a pure, utterly selfless desire, completely circumcised in heart?

Can we rejoice and be thankful when the gospel is preached even of contention?

You remember Paul...Php 1:15  Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:  

Php 1:16  The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

Php 1:17  But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the gospel. 

Oh, their motive! Unholy motive, the evil of that heart that is not singleness of eye, that is not purity of heart.

But what was Paul's reaction, "There is something wrong here; people like that ought not to be allowed to preach the gospel.

The LORD ought not to use that"? Paul said, "No, whether it be even of contention, whether it is with that evil motive, I rejoice that the gospel is preached anyway!"

That is singleness of eye.

Can we be even used of the LORD in any way, many ways, not only in public ministry or spoken ministry, but in other ways - in practical service, in giving - and then disappear?

Go right away at once behind the curtain?

It is the LORD'S interest, not ours - hands off; glad to be used, but out of sight at once, not peeping round to get the appreciation or thanks for what we have done, or to have some place in things because we have helped them.

All such matters go to the heart of this whole question of singleness of eye.

Can we let go, and stand right back?

You must not misunderstand what I am saying because there is another way of interpreting it - being careless, indifferent, "Let them get on with it!"

That is only another form to the contrary of purity of heart.

But I mean being out of it ourselves, letting go.

~T. Austin Sparks~