Sincerity

Holy living is even difficult for me to write about, because I realize my inadequacy as a sinner saved by grace. But even in my sinful state, God will give me the ability, because of His grace, to live a life that is more holy! Peter calls this holy life possible if we live in God’s will. 1 Peter 1: ¹³ So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. ¹⁴ So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. ¹⁵ But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. ¹⁶ For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

This holy life calls us to set a standard in our lives that is directed and made possible by God's holiness. God's standard for living must be the desire of our hearts, and it must in be in every are of lives, not just the ones we prefer. Verse 16 quotes the scripture in Leviticus 11: ⁴⁴ For I am the Lord your God. You must consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. In the above verse God states, that He is the one in control, and He sets the standard for holy living, and we must seek Him and His way in His Word. Hmmm. What does that mean in human terms? Read and study the Word of God to please God. Don't just memorize some verses, but use the verses to give you access to this holy living given to us through Jesus. Now, the word Paul gave about serving sure makes a lot of sense. 1 Corinthians 13:1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

We are called to pure sincerity. The definition of sincerity is as follows: sincerity (def) - the quality of being honest, genuine, and free from deceit, hypocrisy, or hidden motives. It seems we have quite a few "believers" who do a lot for the Lord, calling it work, and their sincerity is lacking. Their "works" are like clanging cymbals if they are only doing it for self-gain. God is to be glorified, not us. This is where holy living is established with the right heart or frame of mind. If we miss this foundational truth and attitude, it is all for us, which means it is all for nothing. I will end this blog with the very truth of the whole matter, and that is the matter of the heart.

1 Peter 1: ¹⁷ And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as “temporary residents.” ¹⁸ For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. ¹⁹ It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. ²⁰ God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.

²¹ Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.

²² You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.

Each of us is his favorite because He died for each of us as if we were the only people on earth, His creation. This is our personal relationship with a perfect God who calls us to sincerity in our faith, and not entrepreneurial faith. We are not hoping to gain, but to lead others to gain.....heaven. Makes sense, doesn’t it?

The Pilgrimage Continues,

David Warren