Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen. Ephesians 6:24
The so-called Christian religion has in the past five or six hundred years been divided and subdivided into hundreds of different groups, although Roman Catholicism remains the largest group, with more than a billion adherents. The protestant (non-catholic) groups are made up of several major categories – such as the Anglicans, Orthodox, Calvinist (Presbyterian and Reformed), Lutheran, Baptist, and Pentecostal – and a large number of minor categories, some with only a few thousand adherents, as well as some of the cults. All of these groups would call themselves Christian, although that is the only thing on which many of them actually agree. For most of them, their Christianity depends on their following a set of particular ordinances, conducting their services according to a particular form, and agreeing to a particular set of creeds or doctrines. For most, their adherence to their particular denomination is fairly casual, with very little commitment in terms of personal involvement, financial support, or genuine interest. For others, their commitment is intense and strong, and their religion is the primary focus of their entire lives. However, almost all of these groups and individuals fail to fall within the description in our text of loving our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.
Despite the sincerity of many of the religious people we see around us, there is a vast gulf between sincerity toward religion and sincerity toward the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody would doubt the pope’s sincerity toward his religion, for example. But his sincerity toward Christ is in grave doubt because of his rejection of the Word of God in favour of Rome’s traditions, rituals, and idolatry, as well as the fallacy of papal infallability. We could point to the leaders and the clergy of many other religious groups, and find their sincerity likewise misdirected. The bulk of the followers of such groups are fooled into thinking that sincerity to their religion is all that is necessary. How great a contrast all that is to those few whose sincerity is not toward a religion but toward a person.
Recall the question that the Lord Jesus thrice put to Peter: Lovest thou Me? What would we say if the Lord Jesus were to ask us that question? All Peter could do was to remind the Lord that He knew all things. Yes, He knows whether our love for Him is sincere. We who have discovered the greatness of His love for us and the magnitude of His sacrifice for us must surely love him. However, there are too many times when we fail to show or express our love for Him. We are thankful that we can refresh our minds on His great love to us each week as we gather to remember Him. And we can daily refresh our minds on Himself as we meditate on His Word and pray.
To we who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, may His grace produce a greater love today. -Jim MacIntosh