June 8

The soul-master of sin has so marred man's sweet countenance that it is no more like the comeliness God created than the fiend of hell's similarity to the holy angel which he had been in heaven. But by His grace Christ has undertaken to heal this wound which sin has given to man's nature. His healing power is at work in his elect, but the cure is not yet so complete that no scars remain; this, then, is the uncomeliness which sincerity covers.

Pardoning mercy eagerly embraces sincerity. Christ is the One who covers our failures and sins, but He throws His garment of righteousness only over the sincere soul: "Blessed is he... whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity." Everyone likes to believe this, but notice the requirement of receiving this mercy: "... in whose spirit there is no guile" (Psalm 32:1-2). Thus Christ's righteousness covers the nakedness of our shameful unrighteousness, but faith is the grace which puts this garment on.

God approves of the sincere man as holy and righteous even though he is not totally free of sin. And just as God does not mistake the saint's sin for sincerity, neither does He unsaint him for it. For instance, Scripture recorded that Job fell into the pit of sin, but God saw sincerity mixed with his transgression and judged him perfect.

Sincerity does not blind God so He cannot see the saint's sin, but makes Him consider it with compassion instead of anger. This is like the husband who knows his wife is faithful to him so he pities her weaknesses and cherishes her as a good wife. "In all this," God said, "Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Job 1:22). And at the end of the combat God brought Job through with the favorable testimony that His servant had "spoken of me the thing that is right" (Job 42:7). Job himself saw his own eagerness dashed with failures, and this made him confess his sin rather than presume upon God's mercy. But God saw the sincerity.

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