A New Day

By: Pastor Johnie Akers     

Philippians 1:10, “That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.” The word “sincere” in the Greek is eilikrines, meaning, “unmixed; without alloy; pure.” In Latin it translates sincerus. The prefix “sin” means “without.” The suffix “cere” means “wax.” To be sincere, thus, literally means to “be without wax.” In ancient pottery making, the pottery would be formed from clay and then placed in an oven to cure. A well-respected potter would inspect his work after firing, and if any cracks or blemishes were discovered, the vessel would be discarded and the work started all over. At the same time, less scrupulous potters, to save time and money, would rub cracks with colored wax, blending it into any imperfections. They would then paint over the entire work. This made the cracks practically undetectable on the shelf of the potter’s shop. They would be sold as if they were without blemish. A potential customer, though, could uncover this deception by holding the pottery up to the bright sunlight where the cracks would show up as dark lines. It was said that the wax was detected by “sun-testing” or “sun-judging.” It is notable that the honest pottery dealers of the time would mark their product with or hang a sign above the door of their establishment with the words “Sine Cera” which means “without wax.” Notice our text today. The apostle Paul challenges the church at Philippi to only engage in Christian works with excellence and sincerity. In other words, their testimony should be able to withstand the scrutiny of being “sun judged.” However, in the kingdom of God, the concept would better be rendered “Son judged.” The work we do for Christ should be pure, undiluted, and without any hidden personal agenda. As Christians, what we do should be all for His glory, without pretense—no cracks, no wax, and no façade. As we go about our day, we should constantly evaluate our motives behind all we do. Whether it is secular work for our employer, voluntary work on behalf of a community or social initiative, or work on behalf of our church, all we accomplish should be “sin-cere,” “without wax.” It should all be for His glory, never ours. When exposed to the scrutiny of the Light, may our works be proven sound and for the benefit of those to whom our lives touch, with excellence and sincerity for this and each new day.