THE TRAP OF SINCERITY

2 Timothy 2:16-19
16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

Sincere religious belief was a major factor in the worst terrorist attack ever on US soil. According to reports that have been written since September 11, 2001, it's clear that the men who took the lives of more than 3,000 people sincerely believed they were doing the right thing. They thought they would be rewarded in the afterlife for their unspeakable acts of cruelty. As inhumane as their actions were, one cannot question the terrorists' sincerity.

To many people, sincerity of thought and action is all that is required for something to be true. In other words, if I believe something is true--if I sincerely believe it--then it is. This philosophy has led to the casting of doubt on so much of what once was acknowledged as unshakably true.

Here's an example: A person who advocates abortion said recently, "I think the soul or personage comes in when the fetus is accepted by the mother." In this person's sincere way of thinking, the developing fetus becomes a human being only when the mother thinks he or she is human.

To people who think like this, reality is not based on empirical evidence or on proven truth, but on sincerity of thought. Another result of this kind of thinking is that marriage--an institution that was for thousands of years unquestioned as the social basis of society--has been redefined.

For many, God's Word--the Word of the Creator of mankind and its institutions--is no longer the source of truth on these and other subjects. To them the ultimate source appears to be individual feelings, held sincerely.

Sadly, a growing number of people trust in their sincerely held ideas instead of God's solid foundation of truth as presented through the church and God's Word.

We need to avoid the trap of sincere error. Let's refine our thinking with something outside of ourselves--something reliable, something dependable, something verifiable (Acts 2:19). And that something is the Bible, God's Word of truth to mankind. --Dave Branon

DESTINATION POINTS

* In the most important matter of all--the matter of faith in Jesus--am I depending on the truth of the gospel?
* Have I fallen victim to the quest for sincerity at the expense of truth? What might be one area in which I have done this?

LINKS:
Is Jesus the Only Way?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/cl/7c1/7c1053.html

Right & Wrong: A Case For Moral Absolutes
http://www.discoveryseries.org/q1107

bottom line: Sincere beliefs should be tied to solid truth.

soul journey