Topical Bible: Sincerity: Does not Exempt from Guilt

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Sincerity, while a commendable trait, does not absolve an individual from guilt in the eyes of God according to biblical teachings. The Bible emphasizes that genuine intentions, though important, do not negate the consequences of actions that are contrary to God's commandments. This principle is evident throughout Scripture, where sincerity is acknowledged but not deemed sufficient for righteousness or justification.

In the Old Testament, the account of Uzzah provides a poignant example. When the Ark of the Covenant was being transported, Uzzah reached out to steady it as the oxen stumbled. Despite his sincere intention to protect the Ark, his action was contrary to God's explicit command that no one should touch the Ark. As a result, God struck him down (2 Samuel 6:6-7). This incident illustrates that sincere motives do not override divine law.

The New Testament further reinforces this concept. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, addresses the issue of zeal without knowledge. He writes, "For I testify about them that they are zealous for God, but not on the basis of knowledge" (Romans 10:2). Here, Paul acknowledges the sincerity of the Israelites' zeal but points out that it is misguided and not aligned with the truth of the Gospel. Their sincerity does not exempt them from the guilt of rejecting God's righteousness through Christ.

Moreover, the account of Saul of Tarsus, who later became the Apostle Paul, serves as a significant illustration. Saul was sincerely zealous in his persecution of Christians, believing he was serving God. However, his sincerity did not excuse his actions, and he was confronted by Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-6). Saul's transformation highlights that sincere intentions must be aligned with God's truth to be deemed righteous.

The Bible also warns against self-deception, where individuals may sincerely believe they are righteous while living in disobedience. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautions, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). This passage underscores that sincerity in professing faith is insufficient without obedience to God's will.

In summary, while sincerity is valued, it does not exempt one from guilt when actions are contrary to God's commands. The biblical narrative consistently teaches that true righteousness involves aligning sincere intentions with obedience to God's revealed will.

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Genesis 20:1
And Abraham journeyed from there toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
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Library

The Resurrection
... If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.' I John 3:3I. ... Love
is the truest touchstone of sincerity. ... Does conscience witness for you? ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a body of divinity/3 the resurrection.htm

A Home Question
... How anxiously does the man in the Church of England ... that he will look upon your
presumption as sincerity! ... and which heaven will carry out, will not exempt you. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/a home question.htm

Letter cii. (AD 409. )
... To Deogratias, My Brother in All Sincerity, and My Fellow ... in which the body shall
be exempt from every ... according to the time of day, he does not thereby change ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cii a d 409.htm

The Last Interview of Paul with the Elders of Ephesus.
... style of the New Testament, an elder does not signify a ... It is a proof of the sincerity
of the Apostles ... language is metaphorical, for Paul is not asserting his ...
/.../dick/lectures on the acts of the apostles/lecture xxiv the last interview.htm

P??dobaptism. Its Accordance with the Institution of Christ, and ...
... he is to walk before him in sincerity and innocence ... infants was either legitimate
and exempt from cavil ... Moreover, since God does not preclude this age from the ...
/.../chapter 16 paedobaptism its accordance.htm

Concerning Persecution
... Persecution is the touchstone of sincerity. ... divinity of his doctrine nor the sanctity
of his life could exempt him from ... This the flesh does not like to hear of ...
/.../the beatitudes an exposition of matthew 51-12/21 concerning persecution.htm

Latitudinarian Churchmanship.
... of error where there was ardent sincerity of purpose. ... doctrines which had been generally
exempt from it ... rejects the Origenian doctrine, but does not consider it ...
/.../chapter iv latitudinarian churchmanship.htm

The General Conference of 1832
... but does our practice bear witness of the sincerity and practical ... seen that the natural,
unperverted appetite of man does not ask for ... "They shall not allow of ...
/.../chapter 11 the general conference.htm

Letter cxi. (November, AD 409. )
... are wise in the exercise of humility and sincerity, confessing that ... in the power
of their captors, nor does He forsake ... For when the soul is not defiled by any ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter cxi november a d 409.htm

Of Prayer --A Perpetual Exercise of Faith. The Daily Benefits ...
... but that by which, while confessing our guilt, we utter ... to last; only let there be
sincerity of heart ... God rejects the prayers in which he does not find perfect ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 20 of prayera perpetual.htm