“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.” Ephesians 6:14

You may be sincere but doubt persuades you otherwise.

1. Do not conclude you are a hypocrite because you cannot now see evidence of your sincerity.

Faith unfeigned puts a believer into the ark with Christ and shuts the door; but it does not necessarily keep him from getting seasick in the ship.

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”" 1 Kings 19:4

“Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.” Jonah 4:3

The Holy Spirit leads the soul into the light and reveals to His people the truth.

“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13

And He will show you things to come. He will fully explain every thing that may now appear dark or difficult to you.

You may be upright and not able to see clearly.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7

The devil will try to push you to the pit of despair, especially when your grace is not strong enough to speak for itself right now.

2. Realize that Satan wants to put doubt and fear in your heart.

The devil will try to distract you with false fears if he can’t flatter you with false hopes. Check who is knocking at your door. The devil has more temptations than an actor has costumes for the stage. The goal of the devil is to knock the wheels of the chariot which used to carry him into the presence of God. He suspects that he is not sincere, therefore stays away from God’s people.

“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25

Burkitt said, “For Christian assemblies are the life, the food, and nourishment of our souls; consequently forsaking of church-assemblies is usually the forerunner of apostasy.”

Satan doesn’t want you to grow fast in Christlikeness, so he will put stumbling blocks in your way. Keep your eyes on the Author and Finisher of your faith and step over the devil’s obstacle course.

Unless conscience brings scriptural proof to condemn your hypocrisy, dismiss the devil’s charge as a lie.

“I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” 2 Timothy 1:5

3. Look for evidence of your sincerity.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:17

Our blessed Lord says, I will put in your urn a white stone; that is, I will pronounce your absolved at the judgment seat, justified and accepted by me.

“For our boast is this: the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you.” 2 Corinthians 1:12

That the conscience of sincerity is such a crown of rejoicing, as will support a Christian’s spirit under and against the greatest difficulties which may arise in any condition.

“And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”" Acts 23:1

“So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man.” Acts 24:16

Paul was a saint of the highest form, but the weakest Christian in God’s family has the identical witness in him which they had.

“Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.” 1 John 5:10

Christ and the Holy Spirit live in your heart just as they abide in the most holy saint on earth. You have the same blood of Christ and the water of the Word to wash you.

Embrace any call God sends you. There are a few seasons when God gives opportunities for a man to know his own heart better than he will all the rest of his life. These opportunities are wrapped up in those times when God calls us to deny ourselves for His sake. God chooses to demonstrate evidence of His grace in a saint who is willing to walk in it anywhere and anytime.

The Master commends his servant most tenderly after he has diligently obeyed, no matter how hard the command might have been.

“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” Matthew 25:21

God will test you in a few things. God has sent your call of self denial to let you see your own sincerity.

“Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

Spurgeon said, “As our Lord, to fulfill his destiny, must sacrifice himself, so also must every one who would be his follower. To keep close to our Lord (which he intends by the words “come after me.”) we must have done with self; for he denied himself to redeem his people. We must not know self, not assent to it; but we must each one “deny himself.” If they did continue to be his followers, it must be as cross-bearers and self-deniers. Nor are the terms altered in these days. Do we accept them?”

When Abraham was to sacrifice his son, he took some painful steps to obey.

“He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”" Genesis 22:12

Abraham heard of his sincerity from God’s own mouth. Is God calling you to deny education, ambitions, friends, etc?

This was taken from William Gurnall’s “The Christian in Complete Armour “