The Path to Second
The Path of Sincerity
Scripture Reading: Acts 9:3-9
Key Verse: Acts 9:1-2
Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
The path to salvation via sincerity sounds so good to us human beings. As long as we are going about our life in a sincere manner, God will allow us into His heaven. It sounds good, but unfortunately it is totally wrong—sincerely wrong!
Our scripture describes the conversion of a very sincere man: Saul. He was raised in a Jewish home, trained by the top scholar in Judaism, and lived a passionately sincere life defending the laws of Judaism. When Jews started turning to Jesus and His new way, Saul went after these traitors with a vengeance. He sincerely felt that he was defending God Himself. Saul was standing guard over the coats of those who were stoning Stephen for his faith in Jesus. Saul was there when Stephen prayed that God would not hold this sin against them. Saul heard Stephen’s speech of who Jesus was and why He had given His life to this “way”! (see Acts 9). But when Saul was on his way to go to Damascus to persecute more Christ followers, God knocked him off his horse and let him know he was sincerely wrong. Jesus was the only way to salvation!
After God changed Saul’s name to Paul, Paul became a great apostle of the new Way! Be careful throughout your day to not glorify sincerity. We can be sincerely wrong about a lot of things in this life, but the most critical thing is our eternity. Don’t be sincerely wrong about salvation.
Father, I confess that Jesus, not sincerity, is the path of my salvation. I praise you for the gift of eternal life in His name. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.