WITHOUT WAX

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and
more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be SINCERE and without offense
till the day of Christ,”        Philippians 1: 9,10

Paul here prayed that the Philippians would gain knowledge and discernment “so that you may be sincere and without offence…” The word “sincere” in the Greek is eilikrines, meaning; unmixed, without alloy, pure. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines the word sincere as “free from hypocrisy, honest, genuine, real. In Latin it translates, sincerus: The prefix “sin” means “without” and “cere” means “wax.”

In making the point of sincerity, many people have given the story of the ancient pottery makers. As the story goes; there were many fine pottery makers in the Roman world.  The pottery would be formed then placed in an oven to cure. The well respected potter would inspect his work after firing, and if any cracks or blemishes were discovered the vessel would be discarded and he would start the work over. This refining process would increase the overall cost of making, thus the price of the finished work.

At the same time, other, less scrupulous potters would take the blemished vessels and rub the cracks with colored wax blending it into the imperfections. They would often paint over the entire work, this made the cracks practically undetectable on the shelf. They would be sold as if they were without blemish and for a cheaper price, undercutting the honest pottery maker.

By some accounts, a person could test the purity of a vessel by filling it with hot water, if wax was present, it would melt therein exposing the fraud.

This deception with wax could also be uncovered if the pottery was held up to bright sunlight, the cracks would show up as dark lines. It was said that the wax was detected by “sun-testing” or said to be “sun-judged.” It is notable that the honest pottery dealers would mark their product with or hang a sign above the door of their establishment with, the words “Sine Cera” which means “without wax.”

Whether these stories of the ancient pottery makers are authentic is debatable – but the idea of us being “without wax” in our personal Christian life’s is valid. So, we ask ourselves these questions, “What does it mean to be sincere?" And a follow-up question to that is, “Am I sincere in my relationship with God and others?”

“This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your SINCERE mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,”  2 Peter 3: 1

Paul’s and Peter’s point is that the sincere Christian is not to be afraid to “stand in the light” for they know that their character can withstand any light turned upon it. God wants His people to have “Son-judged” minds, not those in which their sin has been covered over. There is no hypocrisy in such a saint, his or her life is like an open book waiting to be read by the Author and Perfector of our faith.

The Greek word for sincere is eilikrines, which is made up of two Greek words, heile, which means “the sun’s ray” and krino, which means to discern or to judge. So, eilikrines literally means “to be judged by sunlight”

By being tested with sunlight then, something is shown to be genuine, pure, sincere, uncontaminated, unmixed by seductive influences of the world, the flesh and the devil. Eilikrines, describes that which is free from spot or blemish to such a degree as to bear examination in full splendor of the sun. The Gospel Message is the light that exposes a man for what he truly is.

Jesus the Messiah is the “Light of the World” (John 9:5). If you and I are held to the light of His countenance, will the cracks and flaws in us be open to scrutiny and correction, or will we be found vainly covered for outward appearance only?

Beloved “vessel” of the Lord, how would your life stand up to the “Son-judged” test?

 Does the life that people see on the outside match what I am on the inside?

 Are their secret sins in my heart that I am hiding from the light of Christ?

 Do I judge others for things that I know that I am guilty of?

 Do I trust in people, things, or money rather than in God?

 Am I seeking the Lord with my whole heart?

 Do I resent trials and tribulations or do I welcome them as friends?

 Could my innermost thoughts stand being brought out into the light?

 Could my motives stand being revealed by the light?

Even as it was wise for customers in the ancient marketplace to give all pieces of pottery the “sunlight test” by holding it up to the light of the sun, our lives need to be tested for the “wax of hypocrisy.” In the church are those who appear as fine pottery but are not. There are cracks of sin in their lives filled with the wax of religious ceremony and activity. When held up to the light of God’s Word, the presence or absence of sinful cracks will be revealed. That’s why it is so important for us to feed daily on Scripture and to allow our lives to be shaped by its power.

“But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” 
                                                                2 Timothy 2: 20,21

Believers are to be vessels of the Lord, sanctified vessels of honor, useful to the Master and prepared for every good work. So, Let your love be genuine and your words be true. 

Let this be our testimony to this lost and dying world.

God Bless and Press On
Larry