Acts 23 1 26 9 -11 By Ron

(Acts 23: 1; 26: 9 -11) [By Ron Halbrook]

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Introduction: 1. Acts 23: 1; 26: 9 -11 Paul sincere And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 2

1. Acts 26: 9 -11 Paul sincere 9 I verily thought within myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And I punished them oft in the every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 3

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Introduction: 1. Acts 23: 1; 26: 9 -11 Paul sincere Ø Sincerity: “honesty of purpose or character; freedom from hypocrisy, deceit” (Dict. ) 2. Saved while persecute & murder Christians? 4

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Introduction: 3. Sincerity alone saves: Ø Atheists? Ø Ø Ø All religions? Christendom? Protestant denominations? All wings of “restoration” movement? If draw a line, premise fails 5

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Introduction: 4. Sincerity alone saves in all realms? Ø Driving into a train, no wreck? Ø Accept bogus money, no loss? Ø Drink poison, no effect? Ø If sincerity will not save, what will I do when see error? 6

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Introduction: 5. How does sincerity relate to salvation? Ø God seeks sincere souls Ø Sincerity did not save these Ø How to recognize true sincerity 7

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? I. God Seeks Sincere Souls A. Jn. 4: 20 -26 Sent His Son to Save Sincere Sinners Ø Jn. 4: 10, 14 Sincere souls drawn to Christ 8

Jn. 4: 10, 14 Sincere souls drawn to Christ 10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. gave my voice against them. 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. 9

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? I. God Seeks Sincere Souls A. Jn. 4: 20 -26 Sent His Son to Save Sincere Sinners Ø Jn. 4: 10, 14 Sincere souls drawn to Christ Ø This woman not saved by sincerity alone but by hearing & obeying Christ Ø If souls saved by sincerity alone, why did Christ come to die for our sins? 10

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? I. God Seeks Sincere Souls B. Lk. 8: 11, 15 Preach: Seeking Honest Hearts 11

Lk. 8: 11, 15 Preach Seeking Honest Hearts 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 12

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? I. God Seeks Sincere Souls B. Lk. 8: 11, 15 Preach: Seeking Honest Hearts Ø Seed not in good soil: no fruit— word not in sincere soul: no salvation Ø If souls saved by sincerity alone, why do we preach? 13

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? II. Sincerity Alone Did Not Save These 1. Gen. 37: 31 -35 Jacob Not Saved from Grief 2. Josh. 9: 8 -15 Joshua Not Saved from Making Peace with Gibeonites 3. 1 Kgs. 13: 14 -19, 24 Young Prophet Not Saved from Death 4. Acts 23: 1; 26: 9 -11 Saul Not Saved from Persecuting God’s People 14

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? Acts 23: 1 Paul sincere: clear conscience And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. 15

Acts 26: 9 -11 Paul sincere: persecuted God’s people 9 I verily thought within myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And I punished them oft in the every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 16

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? II. Sincerity Alone Did Not Save These 1. Gen. 37: 31 -35 Jacob Not Saved from Grief 2. Josh. 9: 8 -15 Joshua Not Saved from Making Peace with Gibeonites 3. 1 Kgs. 13: 14 -19, 24 Young Prophet Not Saved from Death 4. Acts 23: 1; 26: 9 -11 Saul Not Saved from Persecuting God’s People a. Acts 9: 4 Thus persecuted the Lord! 17

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? II. Sincerity Alone Did Not Save These E. What Each Case Has in Common Ø Sincere, honest, good feeling, clear conscience: deceived! Ø Needed the truth! F. Sincerity Alone Not Save Us from Eternal Punishment 18

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity A. God Saves Sincere Souls through the Truth Ø How can we know whether we are truly sincere? 19

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity B. Signs of Sincerity VS Insincerity 1. Love Truth 2 Thess. 2: 9 -14 Ø VS Love sin, darkness, error, even when pointed out Matt. 23: 9 Confraternity Ver. & New American Bible notes: does not forbid titles such as Father 20

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity B. Signs of Sincerity VS Insincerity 2. Seek Truth Matt. 7: 7 -8 Ø VS Avoid, run from truth Jn. 3: 16 used to run from water baptism in vv. 3 -5 21

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity C. Signs of Sincerity VS Insincerity 3. Obey Truth Rom. 6: 17 -18 Ø VS Disobey truth for personal desires, family, friends, & false teachers “Where does the Bible say immerse not sprinkle, keep Lord’s Supper not Christmas, sing not play? ” Col. 3: 17; Rev. 22: 18 22

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity C. Signs of Sincerity VS Insincerity 4. Share Truth Jn. 4: 28 -30; Matt. 10: 8 Ø VS Hide the truth, ashamed “Preach positive truth not negative, ” “Don’t run off people” What can we preach: one true God, Christ, Bible, baptism, church? ? ? 23

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity C. Signs of Sincerity VS Insincerity 5. Buy Truth, Not Sell Prov. 23: 23; Matt. 13: 45 -46 Ø VS Sell out for gain or pleasure “Every man has his price” Demas 2 Tim. 4: 10 Sell truth for building, family, friends 24

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity C. Signs of Sincerity VS Insincerity 6. Defend Truth Jude 3; Phil. 1: 17 Ø VS Put peace above truth “I don’t believe in arguing, discussing, or debating religion” Do not believe they have the truth Do not believe truth worth defending 25

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? III. How to Recognize True Sincerity C. Signs of Sincerity VS Insincerity 7. Identify with God’s People to Uphold the Truth Phil. 1: 7; Heb. 11: 25; 1 Tim. 3: 15 Ø VS Avoid stigma & sacrifice of saints suffering for the truth Silent, mumble, criticize, or deny relation to God’s people 26

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Invitation: 1. How does sincerity relate to salvation? Ø God seeks sincere souls Ø Sincerity did not save these: Jacob Joshua Young prophet Saul Needed the truth! 27

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Invitation: 1. How does sincerity relate to salvation? Ø How to recognize true sincerity Love truth Seek truth Obey truth Share truth Buy truth Defend truth Identify with saints upholding truth 28

DOES SINCERITY ALONE SAVE? • Invitation: 2. Sincere souls obey the gospel abide in the truth Ø Mk. 16: 16 Christ offers salvation & He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Infants baptized shall be saved, and believe later. He that believeth shall be saved, and be baptized later. 29