Without Wax

Just how sincere are you? How honest, how pure, how reliable, how trustworthy are you? Think about those important characteristics and consider the original meaning of the word "sincere."

Sincere is an old Latin word that meant "without wax." It originated when ancient Romans needed a word to verify that a piece of porcelain or pottery was whole, without cracks or flaws which had been covered over with hot wax.   Those wanting "sincere" pieces would hold the objects up to the sun to let the light shine through them to make certain they were not defective.

One suspects that the light of Christ shining through most of us might reveal embarrassing flaws in our character. Yet no doubt we would also discover that there was a lot of soundness as well. The goal is to move away from insincerity and hypocrisy and allow Christ to help us become completely whole and sincere.