Sincere

“so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” Philippians 1:10

Sincere – But what’s the point of being sincere if you are sincerely wrong?  Paul isn’t interested in sincerity.  Sincerity by itself has never been enough.  In this verse, “sincere” is misleading.   If we see the roots behind the word (eilikrineis), the meaning will be clear.  In fact, that is the meaning: clear.  This word is like a glue word.  It gets coupled with other words to make up a whole picture.  Paul uses it with the word for discern (approve) in order for us to see that we need to discern clearly.  Peter uses this word with “understand” so that we will understand clearly (see 2 Peter 3:1).  All of this makes sense when we realize that the two root words are heile (Helios- the sun) and krino (Crisis – point of judgment).  Voila! Clear judgment.  Just like the sun shining on something so you can see what it really is.

It’s amazing how easily we get this confused.  God isn’t interested in your sincerity unless it emanates from clear judgment.  The Pharisees were sincere, but it profited them nothing.  If sincerity is going to matter, it must be based on the truth.  But we have a tendency to think that God weighs how hard we try.  “I’m doing the best I can, God” is our usual response.  We are confused.  God doesn’t care if we are trying hard.  In fact, He is interested in “trying” at all if “trying” is our attempt to earn His favor.  Sincerely trying to appease God is all backwards.  All of my sincere effort to earn God’s approval is wasted work.  It is based on a lie.  If I see clearly that God accepts me only on the basis of what Jesus already did, that I am not expected to appease Him but rather to surrender to Him, then my life is based on the truth.

Paul uses this word to emphasize a very important point.  Discernment about differences leads to clarity.  It is clarity that counts.  God is not a god of confusion.  He is a God of light, bright, illuminating sunlight that reveals everything in the shadows, that makes it all clear.

Forget about the sincerity trap.  Concentrate on clarity.  Then live accordingly.