Lastly, Heavenly Wisdom is sincere, that is without hypocrisy. This is one of the “firm” aspects of Heavenly Wisdom, a reality check: do I live what I say I believe? Do I live what I say others should do?
The word “sincere” in the Greek means “without wax.” In NT times, if a dishonest potter had a pot crack when it was fired, he would be tempted to fill the crack with wax and cover it with glazing so the customer could not see it. However, when something hot was poured into the pot, the wax would melt and the contents would be spilled.
We are not to fill the cracks in our character with wax (deception of self and others) but we are to be transparent before God in confession. And where necessary be transparent with others about our weaknesses, temptations and sins. Then we are to fill those cracks with Scripture, memorizing and meditating on applicable Truth, so we can obey in the power of the Spirit: be honest when it’s our tendancy to lie; be patient when we want to explode; be kind when we want to strike out.
As a well-known philosopher in the Middle East said, “Either be what you appear to be or look like what you are.” Good advice.
