From the Pen of Paul

Is Sincerity Enough?

One of the fallacies often heard in the religious arena is that sincerity is all that is necessary for one to be well-pleasing unto God. Sincerity of heart—proper motives—must be behind everything we do in response to God's instructions for our lives. Brother Glenn Ramsey did an excellent job in presenting "God's Plan for the Heart" as he closed out the 2008 annual lectureship at TBC. He used Acts 8:18-22 to show that Simon's sin in attempting to purchase the ability to lay his hands on others and impart to them miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit was really a heart problem. "Thy heart is not right in the sight of God" he was told by Peter; and he was instructed to "Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee."

If man's heart is not right, his actions in response to the Lord's instructions are not right. I Corinthians 13 shows this plainly. One may "speak with the tongues of men and of angels" (v. 1); he may "bestow all my goods to feed the poor and give his body to be burned" (the ultimate sacrifice, v. 4); and if the heart is not right, all of these actions are useless; "I am nothing" and "it profiteth me nothing" (v. 2-3). Man's heart must be right in God's eyes! Our hearts must be guided by God's plan for the heart before they are right in God's eyes.

However, sincerity alone is not enough. We must be motivated by proper and sincere motives to follow God's plan. But just being sincere in our belief that we are following God's plan or sincerely believing that God will accept what we do when our actions are not in harmony with His instructions is not sufficient to make us right in the sight of God. Let me illustrate this from an important Old Testament example.

In I Chronicles 13 we read about an event that the chronicler viewed as an important event in the reign of David over Israel as their second king. David, after consulting with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader, called for an assembly of all Israel; he was going to "bring again the ark of our God to us" (v. 3). The ark had not been used properly during the days of Saul. And the people said they would do so: "for the thing was right in the eyes of the people" (v. 4). So far, so good. But when David and his men went up to Kirjathjearim to bring back the ark, "they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart" (v. 5-6). As they were transporting the ark back to Jerusalem, we are informed of a tragic event. Listen as the chronicler relates it: "And when they came to the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark; and there he died before God" (v. 9-10). Of course we are unable to know of a certainty what was in Uzza's mind; however, it seems apparent from the narrative of this event given by the chronicler that Uzza's intentions were honorable; it seems that he was sincere in his desire to prevent the ark from falling off the cart and being damaged. But his sincerity alone was not good enough. God had commanded that the ark be not touched. In fact, they were not even transporting it properly as God had instructed.

This tragic event proves that sincerity and integrity alone are not enough to make one's heart right in the sight of God. As important as sincerity of heart is, that sincerity of heart must be motivated by proper knowledge and by proper desire to follow God's instructions for our lives—whatever they may be.

How does that relate to us today? There are some—perhaps many—in religious circles who are doing and practicing things which they sincerely believe to be right, but are contrary to God's instructions. Sincerity alone will not suffice in these areas any more than it did in the days of Uzza. Let me encourage each of us to never be satisfied with what someone tells us to do until we can read it and properly understand it in the Bible. After all, Paul said, "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him" (Col. 3:17). Read Matthew 7:21-23 as another powerful teaching on this subject. Yes, sincerity and integrity of heart is vital; and it is just as vital that sincerity and integrity of heart be prompted by our desire to follow God's instructions for our lives.
—Paul Wilmoth

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

Wonderful Lectureship

Did we ever have a Tennessee Bible College lectureship and a gospel revival in the Northeast church! Nineteen souls came before the church asking for prayer and determined to do better in the Lord's work. All we can say is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful.

It was wonderful to have all the visitors from far and near. While it is true that the number in attendance at Spiritual Renewal Week at Tennessee Bible College is not as large as some lectures among us today, it is also true that there are no lectures better than the annual lectureship at TBC. The material covered at the TBC lectures deals with where we live and what we face today as Christians.

In spite of the devil and his workers both inside and outside the church, our program keeps on gaining in strength. The reason this is true is because God gives the increase (I Cor. 3:6).

We intend to keep on fighting the devil and his workers no matter who they are nor what their name and position. This makes little difference to us because we are determined to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified only.

We have those who tell us to tone it down. Well, we will do so whenever we deem it wise to do so. On the other hand, we will rev it up when such is necessary. God is our Lord and Master and to Him we give an account and to Him only. We have called names in days gone by and we shall do so in the future when such is necessary. We refuse to keep quiet when the well being of the church is at stake. We have those who have one foot in the kingdom and the other roving, prowling, straying, and gadding with anyone that will hunt with them.

You can depend on us because we are going to go where the Bible leads us. Our allegiance is to Jesus and to Jesus only.
—Malcolm L. Hill

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