2 Cor 12 – Gal 2
As a ski patroller I hear of various situations other patrollers have responded to. One situation involved a patroller witnessing a skier take a nasty fall, so he immediately went to check on the man. The man was adamant that he was okay and did not need any help. The patroller had to take him at his word, but he was not convinced, so from a distance he followed the man down the hill. Both got onto the chair-lift, separated by several chairs, and when the patroller got to the top the other man had been there for several minutes already. Plenty of time to have skied off, but he had not done so.
As the patroller watched the man he could tell something was wrong and went over to him. This time the man described some symptoms he was experiencing and decided to accept the patroller’s help. The patroller, having seen the fall and heard the symptoms, immobilized the man’s neck and with the help of others from the patrol they put him onto a backboard and sent him to the hospital. It was learned later that the man had indeed fractured his neck and it had not yet displaced, but was on the verge of doing so. He was fortunate.
This is one of those stories that illustrates that sincerity, while important, must also be coupled with truth. Or else a person might be sincere, yet sincerely wrong. The skier was sincere that he was okay, but he was sincerely wrong and it nearly cost him a great deal.
When it comes to faith, sincerity is important. The word comes from the Latin meaning whole, pure or genuine. Faith does need these qualities, but faith must also be coupled with the Truth. This is why Paul speaks so strongly to the Galatians in chapter 1.
He tells them that they are turning away from the gospel of Christ and that it has such immense ramifications that “if anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let that person be under God’s curse!” (:9) If the person who preaches a different gospel is under God’s curse, what about those who put their faith in that false gospel? Like the skier with the broken neck, sincerity is nice, but if it’s wrong it can come at a great price.
Make no mistake, faith matters. But what matters more is what one’s faith is in. Or more to the point Who your faith is in. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. NO one comes to the father but by me (John 14:6)”. These are words we can count on.
Nils
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