"A sincere faith." Ha!
Sincere???? anupokritos = one without hypocrisy or pretense, unfeigned, genuine, real.
Sincere???? from Latin sincerus or "without wax."
Used when evaluating marble statues.
When the marble had a crack of nick in it, less scrupulous dealers would fill the crack with a wax compound, put marble dust on it and then polish it so that the crack was hidden. But, the right amount of heat would cause the wax to melt and expose the cracks and flaws that were being hidden. that's why I teach and why I write - the way I do.
I only hope the heat I bring to bear is just hot enough to melt the way we've used to cover our cracks - the flaws in our faith.
These flaws are both what we believe and how we live out those beliefs. If we hold to an error our living will demonstrate that. We live what we believe, it shows. We cover up these flaws as best we can but when the heat is on these beliefs are exposed.
They say doctrine divides - and so it does. It divides the wolves from the sheep and the hypocrite from the non-hypocrite. Heat, that is trials, are God's loving providence to show us these flaws - and to expose them to others.
By the way, sin is also treated with wax and dust to keep them hiddden. but they will always be exposed.
This is the work of the Word and the Spirit - but it is also the work of the believer. How can we say we love another and yet continue to allow them to hide their sin/flaws? Though very common this too is a sin and perhaps a very cruel one. It's not fun, it is not comfortable but it is, when done in humility and love, needful.
We are to admonish one another:
(Rom 15:14) And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.
We are to admonish - WARN - one another when we see a sin or a flaw and we are to do it because we love God, honor Christ and love our brothers. I is not comfortable and should not be engaged in lightly but it must be done.
OK, we all wax up and polish our sins and flaws. But why? Certainly not so God won't see them. No, we do it so others won't see them. I am stealing Paul Tripp's idea here - but we want our horizontal relationships to protect our pride and our illusions. We can't hide from God but we can hide from one another.
What a waste of time and effort. What a waste of grace and blessings. Paul was "sincere" when he identified himself as the foremost of sinners. He was probably recalling his heroic efforts to destroy the church. How that must have weighed on his heart and yet he makes no attempt to hide it because the change God wrought in him was a witness to God's grace and power - as well as a witness to the awfulness of unbelief and it's results.
Note please that it is the common believers who are admonished to admonish one another. Not a priest, not a pastor, not an elder although this is a very big part of their role. Rather we need to find our way to admonishing, melting the wax, at the grass-roots level. Common believer to common believer.
When scripture speaks of going to an offending (or offended) brother it is not speaking about sending in the Marines (pastors/elders/etc). It is talking about YOU going to THEM. Is there a condition? Certainly.
(Gal 6:1) Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
Note a few things:
"caught" = ensnared
"any trespass = really does mean "any"
"spiritual" = mature (already had lots of wax melted)
"restore" = not remodel but restore - put bad as it should be
"spirit of gentleness"= remember your experience and learn to tough lightly as
possible
"looking to yourself'= we should all admonish another with a mirror in our
hands so that we see ourselves as we admonish. Like
it is said, when you point a finger at someone you have
three fingers pointing at you.
its dangers. As a Discpler I am
woefully ware of them. We must pray
diligently BEFORE - DURING AND AFTER-
that we might not be trapped/caught in
their sin and not be caught in a sin of our
own such as pride.
Let's not kid ourselves. We see sincerity as a feeling and not a fact when the very work itself proposes a fact about which we should have a feeling. We all have cracks we seek to hide. Some of us do it well, others don't but none of us can hide them from God - so why, if we are all under His grace, do we work soooo hard to hide them from others.
Is is a lack of a sense of insincerity (sin) that is killing the church and allowing hypocrites and even unbelievers to enter and feel a part of something they really despise. If we were more concerned with sin, if we could but grasp how evil it is we would be repentant and repentance is always the necessary precursor to revival.
Although God certainly desires that my theology and doctrine be as correct as my little brain can take - He did not send His Son so I could "get it all right." He sent His Son so that my sins might be forgiven and I might serve His purposes here as one of His children not just as one of His creatures.
Sincerity can be very deceptive to others and even ourselves. But have courage, God will turn up the heat to melt the wax and He will restore those places where the flaws are. Trust Him - ask Him - wait upon Him - He will do what only He can do.
(1Ti 1:5) But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Tetelesthai!
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