Sincerity
“That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10).
The word sincere comes from two Latin words, sine cera, which mean “without wax.” This used to be stamped on the bottom of pottery during the Roman Empire when the piece was certified as having no flaws. A dishonest potter would take a piece which was flawed and fill in the cracks with wax. But when it was held up to the sunlight the flaws would appear. This is a great lesson to learn because, in Scripture, we are likened to vessels. For example, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
The Lord wants reality in our Christian life. Joshua exhorted the people in His day, Joshua 24:14, “Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth” (Joshua 24:14). We can’t fool God, He sees right through us, but are we being hypocrites in front of others? Are we “faking it”? Or are we sine cera? Sincere!
