Daily Word

How can one have "sincerity in the sight of God" - that is, have completely pure and right motives, be without all kinds of deceit and falsehood?

The word Paul uses here literally means "to be examined in the light of the sun" - that is, to be exposed by being searched through and through by the Light of God and found pure and upright.

How is it possible to get there?

Only by living in complete openness before God without trying to hide anything from Him.

None of us have the slightest idea about what lies hidden in the depths of our hearts: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?”, we read in Jeremiah 17:9.

That sounds really disappointing!

But there is hope: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the kidneys."

"Heart" and "kidneys" speak about our innermost driving forces, feelings and motives.

Therefore, we need to constantly pray the prayer in Psalm 139:23-24: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.”

We find a similar prayer in Psalm 19:13-15: "Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not rule over me; Then I will be blameless, and I shall be acquitted of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.” “Presumptuous sins” arise out of self-confidence and conceit, the belief that everything is right, when it is not.

Paul lived in this complete openness before God. Again and again we read words like: "God is my witness..." ; ".. we are made manifest to God."; "Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day."

God's Word and the Holy Spirit are God's searchlights.

If we allow ourselves to be completely exposed by God´s Light, through being constantly open and sensitive to God's Spirit and obedient to God's Word, we can live in the same open freedom and joy as Paul: with a completely clear conscience before God!