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
following if he had flattered the people and told him how truly pious
they were, and that God would certainly welcome such good people
as themselves. But he appeals to their memory and reminds them
that he said no such thing. The implication is that Paul preached
that all were sinners, were lost and the only hope was in Christ who
was crucified and risen again. There was no flattery, but just the
pure Gospel that flowed from his tongue. He never used flattery in
his teaching. It can never be a proper means for any goal in the
Christian life, for it means false, and insincere praise. There is a
true praise, and we ought to exercise it constantly. We ought to
express appreciation, but we must avoid trying to build the kingdom
of God by use of insincere speech.
What Shakespeare said of a character in Two Gentlemen Of
Verona fits Paul perfectly, and we need to pray that we fit this
description as well.
“His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles;
His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate;
His tears pure messengers sent from his heart;
His heart as far from fraud, as heaven from earth.
II. IN THE MATTER OF SUPPORT.
For Paul, Christianity made good armor, but not to be used as a
cloak. The idea of the cloak gives the thought of insincerity, or of
seeming one thing on the outside, but underneath the facade,
something different. Let us remember that a number of the upper
class received Christ at Thessalonika, and so the standard charge of
Paul’s enemies in such a situation would naturally be that he comes
with all this sweet talk of good news because he has an eye on your
purse strings. He is out finding lost sheep alright, and the woollier
the better, for under his cloak he carries his shears.
This is as contemporary as today’s paper. You hear every once
in a while of someone in the church who runs away with all the
funds, or that people are threatened into giving. We must be
prepared to face such stories with an answer. We can point out that
it is never proper to judge anything by a poor example. You do not
judge a rose by a wilted one, or the taste of milk from a sour carton.
The folly of men does not take God by surprise. He knew the
corruptions that would enter the church, and that is why He warned
in II Peter 2:1-3: “But there were also false prophets among the
people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will
secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign
Lord who bought them-bringing swift destruction on themselves.
Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of
truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you
with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been
hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”
Covetousness and greed cover over with flattering words would
play a large part in the history of the church, and the very fact that
it was known from the start assures us that we need not be shocked,
for we are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. This makes it all the
more important that we be completely sincere in all matters of
financial support. Billy Graham recognizes this. All evangelists
have been accused of making a haul by preaching the Gospel, and so
he publishes his income in the papers of the cities where he has
crusades. He follows Paul’s example of complete honesty in
avoiding all appearance of evil.
There is a fable of the fox who was flattering the crow for her
lovely singing because he wanted what she held in her mouth. If
Christians cannot make it plain that this is not our motive in trying
to reach people, we shall fail. The world has evidence galore that
this is the motive of so many who approach them, and so only honest
and open sincerity can convince them that this is not our motive.
Only the sincere Christian really has an offer of this kind to the
world. There are motives of greed to one degree or another in every
appeal that comes to men. Even the salesman who has a good
product and knows it will be for your benefit has another motive
besides concern for you, and that is that there will be gain for
himself. But we have the privilege of offering good news with the
power to save without asking any price.
The tragedy of many money making schemes in the churches is
not only that they brainwash people into thinking that the end
justifies the means, but they also convince the world that the end,
which is salvation, is not free at all, and like everything else it is
going to cost you. What the world hears is not justification by faith
alone, but justification by faith, plus cash, and especially the cash.
Paul avoided all possibility of such charges, even if he had to work
nights to make a living. He wrote in Acts 20:33, “I have coveted no
man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.” In II Cor. 12:14 he wrote, “I will
not be burdensome to you, for I seek not yours, but you...” His
complete sincerity in all matters of speech and support was the
Apostle’s attitude, and it must be ours.
III. IN THE MATTER OF SUCCESS.
Success never went to Paul’s head. He could have stood on his
dignity as an Apostle, and from a pedestal of superiority thrown his
weight around, but he never did. Here again we see Paul’s absolute
sincerity, for he knew he only had the position he did by the grace of
God. He was the chief of sinners in his own eyes, and honesty with
the facts demanded that he not use his position of power for self-
advancement.
It was said of Leonard Bacon of Yale, “Dr. Bacon’s idea of
heaven is a great debate in which Dr. Bacon had the floor.” The
same motives that operate in Hollywood often operate in the church,
and unless a Christian is characterized by the attitude of sincerity in
all that he does, he can forget he is a servant, and begin to think he
has some claim to honor.
Goodspeed translated, “We might have stood on our dignity.”
Luccock wrote, “More institutions have died of dignity than for any
other cause. Or, if they have not actually died, they have been so
crumpled up with rheumatism that they could not get up from an
invalid’s chair. The church has had tragic seizures of the paralysis
of dignity, when she has been unable to rise, gird herself, take a
towel like her master, and follow him in lowly service.”
Success is dangerous to the insincere person, for he cannot say
with Paul that to please God is his highest motive, or that he seeks
not the glory of men. The danger is that his dignity will lead to the
decay of his devotion to Christ, and self will again take the throne.
Many of the problems in the Christian life, and in the relationship of
the Christian with the world would be eliminated if the apostolic
attitude of sincerity in all things became the attitude of all believers.
