Sincerity

It is of utmost importance to be sincere to please God. However, sincerity alone is a very dangerous crutch to rely on.

Jesus said we must love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind in Luke 10:27. This is sincere love. Yet, this love leads us further on, for Jesus also said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) If we have sincere love for God and Christ we will want to know what we are to do.

The Bereans in Acts 17:10, 11 “searched the scriptures daily” to know the truth. They were sincere in wanting to please God. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to “prove all things, hold fast to that which is good.” If we are really sincere, we will continually study God’s word and our ways to make sure our sincerity is not blind.

Jesus speaks of some who were sincere in Matthew 7:21-23 and yet says, “Not everyone that says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father in heaven.” “...I will profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me…”

In Matthew 15:1-9 the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus why His disciples did not observe the “traditions of the elders” because they didn’t wash their hands before eating. Jesus answered, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” and then continues, “In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Tradition may be sincere, but it is not necessarily what God wants.

God’s Word, according to 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, is “profitable for doctrine (what to teach), for reproof (to tell us when we do wrong), for correction (how to correct the wrong), for instruction in righteousness (to tell us how to live to please God): that the man of God may be perfect (or, complete), thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” If we are thoroughly furnished by God’s word, do we need more?

John 12:46-48 says the Word will judge us in the last day. So, we must depend only on God’s word if we are to be able to distinguish between being sincere and what God expects. If a person sincerely wants to do Bible things in Bible ways, then he cannot depend upon the traditions of men. “Prove all things, hold fast that which is good.” says God’s word (I Thessalonians 5:21).

Service to God must be sincere, but sincerity based on anything other than scripturally sound doctrine is vain and cannot be pleasing to God.

See you when the saints meet, Lord willing.

Love, Tony