When accusations of insincerity swirled around Apostle Paul, he stood firm and explained his Godly sincerity to the Corinthian Church. What does Godly sincerity look like? How do we develop Godly sincerity?
“For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the World in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. For we are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand. Now I trust you will understand, even to the end (as also you have understood us in part), that we are your boast as you also are ours, in the day of the Lord Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 1: 12-14
Simplicity: Greek definition– singleness, sincerity (without dissimulation or self-seeking), or generosity, bountifulness, liberal, candor, simplicity of heart, frankness, integrity, fidelity
Sincerity: Greek definition- judged by sunlight, tested as genuine, clear as light, pure.
The above passage from 2 Corinthians is as a powerful reminder of the importance of living with integrity and sincerity in our faith. It underscores the idea that our true boast should be in the testimony of our conscience, knowing that we have lived in alignment with God’s will. If our boast is in what we do, we will not dare to look at the testimony of our conscience.
Paul emphasizes the simplicity and godly sincerity with which he and his companions conducted themselves in the world. This simplicity refers to an absence of deceit or hidden agendas but rather the straightforwardness and transparency in their actions and words. They didn’t act a certain way to gain advantage with people. Furthermore, they didn’t rely on human wisdom or strategies to open doors for them; instead, they trusted in the Lord!
To develop Godly sincerity is to embark on a journey of self-discovery and spiritual transformation. It requires courage to confront the depths of our own hearts, to unearth the hidden motives and desires that may lead us astray. To do that, we should question ourselves and our motives to understand why we do what we do. But then, we shouldn’t rely solely on the immediate response we give ourselves. We should ask ourselves, ‘Why do you really want to do this?’
The truth is that we cannot lie to God and He will not mocked. The sooner we come face-to-face with what motivates us, the sooner we can be on path of healing and deliverance. Furthermore, when we are honest with ourselves, we can then be on the right path to being honest with others.
May we, like the Apostle Paul, strive for Godly sincerity in all that we do, that our lives may be a testament to His work of grace and mercy and that we can bring people together in common union in Christ for the Kingdom of God!
I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.
Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay