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QUESTION:  “If a person is really sincere and loves Jesus, why does it make any difference what he believes or practices in religion?  What do you think?”

ANSWER:  Rather than learning what I think, let’s go together to the Word of God and see what He thinks (Isa. 55:8-9).

Sincerity is certainly important, in fact, it it essential to salvation.  “That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” (Phil. 1:10; cf. 2 Cor. 1:12; 2:17; Col. 3:22).

However, we must never forget that it’s possible for a person to be sincere, and yet be sincerely in error.  Years ago, a preacher friend of mine who preached in Chattanooga drove to Pensacola for a speaking/preaching engagement.  We he arrived at his destination, he decided to first go in the hotel restaurant for a bite of dinner.  He’d been driving for several hours and was looking forward to a nice meal and a tall glass of ice tea.

After he had placed his order, his waitress came back to his table, poured his drink, and then left the pitcher on the table.  Unfortunately, what my friend thought was a glass of tea – in reality, turned out to be a tall glass of ice-cold bleach!

Someone had set a pitcher of bleach next to all of the tea pitchers, and my friend was obviously given the wrong one.  Imagine his shock when he took that first big drink!

“So Mike, what’s the point of the story?”  Just that this was a simple, honest mistake of where the waitress THOUGHT she was serving tea, and where my friend PRESUMED he was drinking tea.  Both of them were sincere in their convictions, but both were very wrong.  Their feelings were unreliable.

Many religious people are just as sincere in their love for the Lord, and yet their worship and service is in error.  Does sincerity alone save?  Does sincerity guarantee that a person is automatically in a right relationship with Jesus?  The Bible says, “There is a way that SEEMS right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12; cf. Mat. 7:21-23).

The Lord requires obedience based upon truth.  Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Mat. 7:21).  Joshua urged, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth…” (Josh. 24:14–emphasis mine, mb).

Thank you for this good question.  I hope we can continue to study together soon.

“God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike

 

THE MAN AFTER God’s own heart had followed the crooked path off self-destruction.

One sin inevitably led to another, then another, then another.

It all started with a small, perhaps even innocent, distraction from his palace rooftop (2 Sam. 11:2).

Little did the monarch realize that his momentary lapse of judgment would lead to much more serious events.

Incrementally, David would migrate from lust, to adultery, to lying and deception, to murder, and finally to an elaborate cover-up plan of his indiscretions.

Oblivious and unconcerned about the consequences, he continued this activity until God sent a preacher – Nathan, to confront him.

The prophet’s divinely-ordained job description was to “call down” the king of Israel.

Tell a story, expose hypocrisy, and then petition his majesty to humble repentance.

A daunting responsibility, at the very least.

I have often wondered about Nathan’s emotional and mental state just prior to that sermon.

• Exactly how did he feel?
• Was he afraid?
• Did he experience any heightened anxiety?  (If it had been me, I would have been terrified!)

If Nathan was like his contemporaries (1 Kgs. 19:3; Jas. 5:19), he experienced a certain trepidation at his task. 

And why not?! 

David had, with Joab’s assistance, murdered Uriah without remorse (2 Sam. 11:15-25).

What prevented the proud king from doing the same thing to this puny prophet also? 

He had done it before; he could do it again, couldn’t he? 

I imagine Nathan was well-aware of the potential repercussions of delivering his message.

Why I don’t know exactly what Nathan felt, because the Bible doesn’t tell me so, I do know what he did.

He preach is “firing” sermon.

You know, the kind of sermon that sometimes gets a man his pink slip.

Note the components of Nathan’s bold proclamation:

• There was CERTAINTY.  “Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight?  You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon” (2 Sam. 12:9).  There was no doubt as to what David had done and that he would be held accountable for his actions (2 Sam. 12:10-14).

 

• There was AUTHORITY.  The prophet appealed to, “Thus says the Lord God…” (2 Sam. 12:7, 11) rather than to his own human initiative.  He spoke for God and announced His decree.

 

• There was RIGIDITY.  David was guilty of gross misconduct, and nothing short of full-fledged penance and contrition could clear his spiritual record (Psa. 51:1-4; 24:18; 2 Sam. 12:13) before Jehovah.

Telling a sovereign king what he didn’t want to hear had to be very difficult.

It took conviction.

That’s a trait that few preachers possessed then, or for that matter, possess today.

Exposing sinful behavior is tough.

It invites retaliatory criticism and personal attacks.

It opens doors to insult.  It can cost a man his reputation, his job, his livelihood, even his very life (cf. Mat. 14:1-12; Acts 7:51-60).

But that didn’t matter to Nathan.

He knew the price of preaching (2 TIm. 3:3-6).

He understood the expense of unyielding conviction (Mat. 16:24) and he willingly made the payment.

Sound preachers don’t enjoy pointing out people’s faults, but it part of what God has called them to do (2 Tim. 4:2-5).

Love the sinner, but hate the sin.

Folks bound up in the fetters of iniquity need release (Rom. 6:17-18).

Watered-down, wishy-washy sermonettes won’t bring that about.

Firm, yet loving gospel preaching will.

“Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority…” (Titus 2:15; cf. 1 Tim. 5:20).

God loves you and I love you and that’s the way it’s gonna be!” – Mike