An Apostolic Attitude Series

We have all heard it said that is doesn’t make any difference

what you believe as long as you are sincere. This is true only if what

you are talking about doesn’t make any difference. If you sincerely

believe that white potatoes are better for you than red potatoes it

will not make any great difference if you are right or wrong. If,

however, you are as equally sincere in your belief that rotten

potatoes are as good for you as fresh ones, it can have a great deal of

difference on your health. Whether corn or wheat would be the best

crop to raise can be debated by farmers, and men can have sincere

convictions either way, but when it comes to the matter of the best

time to plant-January or April-one might be sincere in his conviction

that January is best, but the consequences will be tragic. The point

is, sincerity is only enough when the question involved has no great

significance one way or the other. Are dogs or cats the best pets is a

good example.

If the consequences of our belief are important it is not enough

to be sincere. We must also be right or suffer the consequences.

This conclusion holds true on the natural level, and is even more

significant in the realm of the spiritual. No body with an ounce of

conviction can believe that sincerity is adequate in our theological

beliefs unless he is willing to conclude that the consequences of being

wrong are insignificant. In other words, are theological issues on

the same level as opinions about red and white potatoes?

As evangelicals we are ready to say in a moment that sincerity

is not enough, for you can be sincerely wrong. We are so on the

defensive against the idea that sincerity is enough that we neglect the

positive truth that though it is not enough, it is still essential. Water

is not enough to get your clothes clean, but we do not ignore it on

that account. We just add soap. Sincerity is not enough to save us,

but salvation without sincerity is just as inconceivable. Sincerity

means being in reality what one appears to be. It means to be

genuine and honest in intention. It is the opposite of hypocrisy.

Paul in his defense to the Thessalonians stresses the fact of his

sincerity in all areas of his conduct among them. Paul would not

have deified sincerity as Lady Chudleigh did when she wrote,

Sincerity’s my chief delight;

The darling pleasure of the mind;

Oh, that I could to her invite,

All the whole race of human kind;

Take her, mortals, she’s worth more than all your glory,

All your fame,

Then all your glittering boasted store,

Then all the things that you can name.

She’ll with her bring a joy divine,

All that’s good, and all that’s fine.

Paul would not give sincerity the place of the Savior, but he

would, no doubt agree with Mencius who said, “There is no greater

delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.” Paul

does just that as he reviews his life before them and notes 3 specific

areas in which sincerity characterized him.

I. IN THE MATTER OF SPEECH. v. 5

Almost every man of literature from the ancient Greeks on down

had something to say about the dangers of flattery. The power of

words does not depend upon their truth. There is great power in

falsehood when that falsehood is pleasing, or in accord with what

people want to hear. Hitler proved that a big lie told often enough

can sway a nation. Flattery played a part in the first sin, for Satan

appealed to Eve’s pride by suggesting, “Surely you realize you are

capable of being like God, knowing good and evil. Such capacity

should not be held back. Exert yourself and become the great one

that you are.” Eve was the first, but far from the last, to be flattered

into thinking they could disobey God and come out on top.

Man is an easy target for flattery. Robert McCraken says there

are praise records that tell you how good you are. Man has such a

craving for acceptance and praise that he is capable of believing

anything good said about him. He does not like flattery as such, but

he likes to believe that what is said about him is simply stating the

facts. The Roman Emperor’s stated Emperor worship just to unite

the people, but some of them got to the point where they believed

they deserved worship. The power of positive thinking works even if

it is not true. Because this is the case, it is a powerful means of

persuasion for gaining allegiance.

Paul could have come to the Thessalonians and gained a greater