The apostle Paul wrote, “But the goal of our instruction is love from
a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” (1 Tim. 1:5). A sincere faith is a faith that's genuine. It’s not fake.
The word sincere comes from two Latin terms sine and cere meaning “without wax.”
In those days, sometimes potters would accidentally crack their vessels they were making. If they were crooked, they would try to deceive the buyer by patching the crack with wax, painting over it,
and then selling it. After the people took the jar home and set it in the hot sun, the wax would melt and it would start leaking.
When honest
potters cracked a jar they would throw it away. When they made a pot in perfect condition they would stamp it "Sine Cere" —without wax. They guaranteed that their jars didn’t have cracks in them and that they weren't patched with wax. What the seller made was genuine. It wasn’t a fake.
When Paul says he wants your faith to be sincere, he means having a faith without any cover-ups. What you see is what you get. It's not a patched-up fake. Do people see a sincere faith in you?
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