Part 3: Christian Basics
Many good people trust their sincerity, believing that God will favor them with salvation because their religious or moral convictions are sincere. But, is sincerity enough?
A devout and sincere Jew, Saul of Tarsus, believing Jesus to be an impostor, persecuted the early Christians. He participated in the execution of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. This is recorded in Acts, Chapter 7, Verse 58. Later, he went to the high priest asking that letters be sent to Damascus authorizing him to arrest and imprison Christian men and women. See Acts, Chapter 9, Verses 1 and 2.
Saul diligently sought ways to persecute the early church. Later, after encountering Jesus on the road to Damascus he repented of his actions and became a devout Christian. Saul, now renamed Paul, said of his former life in Acts, Chapter 23, Verse 1, "I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day." That, of course, meant that he had been acting in good conscience even while persecuting Christians. We can clearly see that sincerity, if not directed by the Word of God, can be quite misleading.
Jesus said in the Book of John, Chapter 14, Verse 6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Obviously, one does not come to the Father through sincerity alone--unless that sincerity is directed by a knowledge of God's expectations. Sin is not just a matter of violating one's own conscience. Sin is a matter of violating the will of God.
The Apostle John, in First John, Chapter 3, Verse 4 said, "Sin is the transgression of the law."
In Acts, Chapter 2, you can read that devout Jews from every nation under heaven were in Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. This was about two months after many of them had participated in the execution of Jesus. As the apostles told these Jews about Jesus they were exceedingly sorry about what they had done. In sorrow they asked the apostles what they should do. Peter told them that they must repent and be baptized. Many of them did as they were told. The point here is that these were devout people and some had helped crucify the Lord Jesus. Being devout, that is, sincere, did not keep them from having performed actions against God.
Plainly, sincerity alone does not determine truth, scientifically, medically, legally, or religiously.
In the Book of Matthew, Chapter 7, Verse 21, Jesus is recorded as having said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Those Jesus will speak against have been sincere and hard working, yet they will be found lacking on Judgment Day. It is needful not only to be sincere, but to be honest and careful with the Word of God. The Bible must be studied carefully. All need to search the scriptures daily to be sure that their knowledge and actions are in accord with God's will. (Read Acts, Chapter 17, Verse 11.)
One must ask one's self, "Am I living in harmony with God's will, Do my beliefs agree with God's will?"