Articles
The Need to be Sincere
Sincerity is "the quality of being free from deceit (i.e. the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth) or the quality of being free from hypocrisy (i.e. the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one's own behavior does not conform). Now, did you know that the Bible has a lot to say about sincerity? You see, the Scriptures do emphasize the importance of sincerity. Therefore...
Be Sincere In Your Love For The Lord.
In Matthew 22:37, Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Simply put, Jesus said you need to love the Lord thy God with thy all, and not only shall we whole-heartedly love the Lord, but we likewise need to do so without hypocrisy (Matthew 15:7-8). Therefore, be sincere in your love for the Lord, and hold on to these words of the apostle Paul, "Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen" (Ephesians 6:24).
Be Sincere In Your Service To The Lord.
Not only do we need to be sincere in our love for the Lord, but we also need to be sincere in our service to the Lord. In Joshua 24:14, Joshua commanded the children of Israel to "fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth." You see, just as Joshua instructed God's people of old to serve the Lord in sincerity and in truth, we likewise need to be a people who do the very same today (John 4:24). Therefore, let's be sincere in our service to the Lord, and let's serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear (Hebrews 12:28).
Be Sincere In Your Love For One Another.
We also need to be a people who sincerely express our love for one another. In John 13:34, Jesus speaking to his chosen disciples said, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." In verse 35, He goes on to tell them why that is important when He says, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
You see, having love for one another, so to speak, is a "badge of discipleship." Therefore, let's fervently and sincerely express our love for one another (1 Peter 1:22, 4:8), and remember, if someone says, "I love God" and hates his brother he is a liar (1 John 4:20).
Be Sincere In Your Faith.
In 2 Timothy 1:5, Paul informed that Timothy possessed a genuine (i.e. sincere) faith, and just as Timothy had a sincere faith, we likewise need to be sincere in our faith. Knowing that, let's be one who draws near to God with a true heart in full assurance of faith (i.e. a faith in God that leaves no room for doubt) (Hebrews 10:22). For, as John informs, "whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith" (1 John 5:4).
Be Sincere In Your Entire Conduct.
Now, the fact of the matter is, we need to be sincere in our entire conduct. You see, just as Paul and Timothy sincerely conducted themselves (2 Corinthians 1:12) we likewise need to do the same, and in Philippians 1:9-10, Paul's prayer for the saints in Philippi was for them to be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ. Therefore, let us all lay aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking (1 Peter 2:1), and let's be a people who sincerely conduct ourselves.
Once more, there is a crying need for sincerity. Therefore, strive to live a life that is characterized by sincerity.
