VOICES FROM THE PAST
"Just So You're Sincere"
(Raymond H. Crumbliss, The Way Of Life, February 1948)
The extent of religious conviction reached by many an alleged Christian inthe midst of this our enlightened civilization, is contained in the above words. Their idea is, no matter what a man does or believes, in religion, so long as he is sincere, he will be accepted of God in the last day. Your writer is extremely doubtful whether any THINKING soul actually believes that sincerity is the standard of acceptability with God. Certainly no one who has even a smattering knowledge of God's word can believe it. While sincerity in serving the Lord is indeed a MUST, this sincerity must be directed by the revealed will of God - particularly the New Testament. The reason for this is very simple: "... it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps." (Jer. 10:23) Therefore, without the guidance of God's truth, a man can very easily become SINCERELY MISTAKEN!
Doubtless Nadab and Abihu were sincere when they introduced strange fire into the worship of the Lord, which was not according to his command. But they died for it! They were sincerely mistaken (Lev. 10)
Paul the apostle, before his conversion, thought he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. (Acts 26) Was he sincere? After becoming a Christian, he said he had lived in all good conscience before God until that time. (Acts 23) So, even while as an unconverted Jew, he shut up the saints in prison, compelled some to blaspheme, punished them, persecuted them, he was sincere. But sincere though he might be, he was mistaken, and was fighting against God.
And Jesus himself, described some who, though doubtless sincere (Matt.7:21-23), had not built upon the rock of his Word (Matt. 7:24-27), and therefore cannot enter heaven.
It is obvious that sincerity alone is not the standard of acceptance with God. We must sincerely DO THE WILL OF GOD.
"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous unto life eternal." Matthew 25:46