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Sermon Illustrations: Sincerity

A person may sincerely believe their plane won't crash, but their sincerity won't save them if it does. It won't change what actually happens. "Our beliefs - no matter how deeply held - have no effect on reality."1

Believing it is safe to cross the road when it isn't, or believing the speed limit is 80 rather than 100 won't change the consequences of the law.

The word sincere comes from a Latin word meaning "without wax". In the original Greek it means "sun-tested". In Bible times merchants sold very fine porcelain that was greatly valued and therefore expensive. Sometimes when it was fired in the kiln tiny cracks would appear. Dishonest merchants would smear pearly-white wax over these cracks, which would pass for unblemished porcelain - unless it was held up to the light of the sun. honest merchants marked their wares sine cera - "without wax". That's a picture of genuine sincerity. No sham, no hypocrisy, no hidden cracks to be covered over. Word For Today 6-2-08 on Phil 1:10

Sincerity is no substitute for the truth.

1 Mittelberg, Mark , Lee Strobel, and Bill Hybels Becoming A Contagious Christian p.91