Sincerity is Not Enough

“And Paul, looking steadfastly on the council, said, ‘Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day’” (Acts 23:1, ASV)”  The apostle Paul made this announcement when standing before the Sanhedrin, the traditional Jewish “Supreme Court”.   Because Paul dared to say such a thing, the Jewish High Priest Ananias had him struck on the mouth.  No doubt Ananias felt that Paul had said something that could not or should not be said.  Considering what we know of Paul’s past, the question we must consider is this:  how could Paul say such a thing?

      Let’s take a moment to review what we know about him.  The apostle Paul, once known as Saul, is the same man we read about in Acts 8:1-3.  He had watched and approved of the martyrdom of Stephen (v.1).  In his attempt to destroy the church that Jesus Christ had sacrificed His life to establish, Saul dragged Christians out of their homes and sent them to prison (v. 3).   Later, when Saul was on his way to Damascus to do the same things to the Christians there, Jesus stopped him--literally--in his tracks.  Then, Jesus prepared him to receive Ananias who was to bring him the gospel (Acts 9:1-4). 

      Once again we ask the question:  How could a man with such a past stand confidently and claim to have lived his life “in all good conscience before God”?  The answer:  because his claim was true.  His life had been lived in good conscience.

      Paul himself, in Philippians 3:5-6, described what his life was like before his conversion:  He had lived his life correctly as a Jew.  As far as the Law of Moses was concerned, his life was blameless.  His zealousness for the Law was so complete that he even persecuted the church.  This described exactly what one who lived under the Law of Moses was supposed to do to fellow Jews who followed a false teaching (Deuteronomy 13).  Paul, believing that the Christian religion was a false teaching that taught about a “false God” (Jesus), did exactly what a Jew of good conscience would do.  But a good conscience wasn’t enough.

      When Ananias came to Paul in Damascus, he taught Paul the gospel.  Through the gospel, Paul learned that he had sin in his life that needed to be washed away (Acts 22:16).  Paul’s good conscience was not enough.  Paul’s belief that he had been doing right did not excuse him of his sins. 

      Paul made this very same point to the idol worshippers in Athens (Acts 17:30). He said, “The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent:” (ASV).  God at one time overlooked the religious ignorance of men.  We do not know how far or how much God overlooked, but we do know this:  That time is past.  God no longer overlooks the ignorance of man concerning His word. 

      The men of Athens were very sincere in their idol worship (Acts 17:22). We have seen that Paul was very sincere in his worship of God.  However, sincerity is not enough.  God requires repentance.  Repentance means a change of heart, which requires that we no longer live for ourselves, but for God.  Living for God means following His will, not just doing whatever we think is right (Matthew 7:21-23).

            Let’s all strive to be more than just sincere.  Instead, let us be sincere people who do things God’s way.