Read 1 John 2:18–20
You have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 1 John 2:20

“It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you are sincere!” That statement expresses the personal philosophy of many people today, but it is doubtful whether most of those have really thought it through. Is “sincerity” the magic ingredient that makes something true? If so, then we ought to be able to apply it to any area of life.

A nurse in a city hospital gives some medicine to a patient, and the patient becomes violently ill. The nurse is sincere, but the medicine is wrong, and the patient almost dies. A man hears noises in the house one night and decides a burglar is at work. He shoots the “burglar,” who turns out to be his daughter, who had gotten up to get a late-night snack. She becomes the victim of the father’s “sincerity.” It takes more than “sincerity” to make something true. Faith in a lie will always cause serious consequences; faith in the truth is never misplaced. It does make a difference what we believe! People who are real build their lives on truth, not superstition or lies. It is impossible to live a real life by believing lies.

Something to Ponder
What connections have you discovered between faith and truth in your own life?