“But they were sincere in their beliefs,” my friend said. “Why would a loving God not allow someone to go to heaven if they were sincere?”
“Because,” I replied, “there are two kinds of sincerity—being sincerely right and being sincerely wrong.” I sensed my friend was confused and thought all kinds of sincerity were acceptable.
Sincerity boils down to the question of truth. I question my GPS and its instructions all the time because I think another or better way of getting to my destination exists. Only after driving an extra thirty minutes am I willing to admit I should have believed its routing.
Eve was convinced eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was sincerely right. After all, it looked good and would make her wise enough to know the difference between good and evil. Duped by Satan, she bit the lie she could be a little smarter and more spiritual. And why not? Satan convinced her God hadn’t really said they would die—a half-truth with eternal effects.
Choosing to be sincerely wrong has consequences for us as well. Jesus reminded His disciples the path leading to heaven was narrow. And Jesus’ announcement that on judgment day people who were not His children would claim to have done miracles in His name—but would be rejected by Him—must have startled many.
Truth is what matters. Truth is what we live for and what we die for. Substitutes for truth are deception. We can be sincere and yet sincerely wrong.
Test your convictions again the unchanging truth of God’s Word, and pray for discernment.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Marcellus George is an author and a professor of theology. He and his wife are thankful for their adopted twin sons. He enjoys writing and reflecting on all the things God has done for us in adopting us. You can connect with him on his website, "Lessons From the Adoptive Journey," at https://marcellusgeorge.com.