In the Singleness and Sincerity of God

Dear saints, I shared this portion recently with my son. I enjoyed this because this is who I am also. Because he related to me that he enjoyed this portion so much, I send it to you all now because I think that some of you may enjoy it or hear our Lord speak IN it, Amen.

B. Conducting Themselves in the World

1. In the Singleness and Sincerity of God

Why did Paul speak to the Corinthians about singleness? It was because the Corinthians were very complicated. They had many different ways. This was the reason some preferred Apollos, and others preferred Cephas or Paul. Actually, 1 Corinthians is a book which deals with the complications of the believers at Corinth. The source of confusion and division among Christians today is the complications that are within the believers. If all Christians became simple, there would be no problems among them. The problems in a local church always come from complications. If there is a problem in your locality, that problem comes from someone who is not simple, but who is complicated. For this reason, I always try to avoid being involved with a complicated person. Whenever you meet a complicated person, you should not try to argue with him or correct him. Any attempts at argument or correction will cause you to become trapped in complications. In verse 12 Paul speaks of the singleness and sincerity of God. The sincerity of God is a divine virtue, a virtue of what God is. To conduct ourselves in such a virtue means to experience God Himself. Hence, it equals “in the grace of God” also mentioned in this verse. God is wise and almighty. But in a sense He is also single; He is very simple. When the Lord Jesus was on earth, He was wise; yet He was also simple and single. I very much enjoy having contact with the Lord Jesus because of His singleness and simplicity. However, when you talk to certain brothers, you find that they are extremely complicated. But our God is simple. Whenever we talk to Him, we find that He is not full of complications. When He says yes, He means yes, and when He says no, He means no. Likewise, when He says white or black, He means white or black, not gray. No matter how God may feel about us at a particular time, He is always single. He may be unhappy with us or He may be happy, but He Himself is simple. From experience we have learned that a person who is simple and single is also generous and full of liberality. Those who are simple are those who give freely. For example, suppose a brother approaches a person so single and tells him that he is short of money to pay his rent. Immediately the one who is simple will be willing to give that brother whatever he needs. This illustrates the fact that to be simple is to be generous. But those who are complicated are not generous. Instead of being willing to give freely, they may consider the matter in a complicated way and then give an amount that falls short of the need. Paul was single, simple, and generous. Only a person so single is a generous person. If you lack singleness, you will never be generous or bountiful toward others. Our God is bountiful toward us because He is single. Imagine what would happen to us if God were not single and if He thought about us in a complicated way. Probably He would not care for us. Would you like God to consider your situation and examine you in detail? Would you like Him to look at you from head to toe and consider what you are inwardly and outwardly? None of us would be favored by God if He examined us in this way. But because of God’s singleness and generosity, we have received blessing from Him. I would ask you to compare Paul to the Corinthians. Paul was like the simple God, but the Corinthians were extremely complicated. If Paul had not been single and simple, he probably would have forgotten about the Corinthians and would no longer have been willing to minister among them. Paul’s conscience testified that toward the Corinthians he and his co-workers conducted themselves in the singleness of God. Therefore, they could be generous toward the Corinthians and be willing to give them anything. Toward those believers, Paul and his co-workers were generous and full of bounty. The Greek word rendered singleness is rich in meaning. The words singleness or simplicity are not an adequate translation. This word implies generosity, liberality, bounty, and willingness to give. If a married brother is simple, he will be very generous toward his wife, no matter what she does or how she treats him. However, if a brother is complicated, he will deal with his wife in a strict way. Paul was one who conducted himself in the singleness of God. He was a true imitator of God and one who lived God. God is simple, and Paul also was simple. God is generous, and Paul also was generous. He behaved himself in the singleness of God. When we have singleness and generosity, we shall also be sincere. It is a common practice to close a letter with the words “sincerely yours.” Actually, this usually means “politically yours,” or, at best, “politely yours.” A person may write a long letter full of complications, and then at the end say “sincerely yours.” That is not sincerity. Only when you treat others in a single way and with generosity can you truly say “sincerely yours.” Because Paul conducted himself in the singleness of God and because he was generous, he was truly sincere. I certainly would not claim to be an absolute and faithful imitator of Paul. But I can testify that throughout the years, we have been trained, taught, and helped by the Lord’s mercy and grace to behave ourselves in simplicity, singleness, sincerity, and generosity. I can testify to you before the Lord that I do not play politics. Furthermore I can say before Him that I am a simple person. My yes is yes, and my no is no.

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Enjoyment of Christ

Our spirit must be strengthened as we are very strong in the mind and our spirit is very very weak. So, we need to excercise our spirit to pray. We need to repent and confess by turning our mind away from other things to the Lord. When our spirit is strengthened Christ will increasingly make His home in all the parts of our heart.