Sincerity
Elder Oscar B. Mink
Now In Glory
“It
does not matter what you believe as long
as you are sincere in what you believe.”
Thus it was with Eve in the garden of Eden, she
believed the devil’s lie, and was most sincere in what she believed.
Yet her
sincerity in believing a lie did not win for her the least measure of
favor in
the court of divine justice. The threatened penalty was executed; Eve
lost her
exalted position in the Edenic economy, and became the first woman
sufferer on
earth.
In matters of religion the Pharisees of Jesus’
day
have had none to excel them in sincerity. Christ speaking of their
sincerity,
said, “... Ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte
(Christ did not
stop with that remark, but went on to state the effect of their ill
directed
sincerity), and when he is made ye make him twofold more the child
of hell
than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15). There is no excuse for
insincerity, and it is certainly not our aim to belittle sincerity, for
there
is so much sham, pretense, and hypocrisy in Christendom that it appears
as if
true sincerity has all but taken leave of the earth. So it is today a
real
blessing to find a person who is sincere in his moral practices. But in
matters
relating to the eternal destiny of the soul, sincerity apart from
divine truth
is a tool of the devil to further aggravate the already condemned state
of
fallen men. All men need to take sincere heed to the twice repeated
warning of
God, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end
thereof are
the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25).
Let us be genuinely sincere, but let us make
sure
that our sincerity does not lead us to such a woeful end as is
appointed unto all
those who are sincere in what they believe, but have believed the
devil’s lie
as to the way of salvation. Jonah was truly, and fearfully sincere when
he
said, “Salvation is of the Lord” (Jonah 2:9). And any
gospel
which calls for creature contribution to the redemptive work of Christ,
be it
ever so sincere, is another gospel, which in the true sense is not a
gospel,
but the sincere work of Satan to damn the souls of men. Often the
pathetic, too
late, and sincere lament is, “I did not know the gun was loaded.” But
the
person’s sincerity provides no comfort to the bereaved. Many have been
the
sincere intentions to start going to church, and begin a new life, but
in spite
of their sincere intentions many of these same people will stand before
God eternally
condemned.