The work of physicists and astrophysicists can be fascinating. While I’ve been intrigued, my impression changed when I became aware that some have questioned the existence of God.

 They are entitled to their beliefs, but it is difficult to reconcile that one, with a deep understanding of the majesty of the cosmos, does not believe an all-powerful Creator God is at the heart of all. Still, most physicists and scientists admit that humans know only a fraction of what lies beyond what we see with the strongest instruments.

Some prominent physicists have recognized the existence of God as the Creator of all things—from Johannes Kepler who recognized that God created the cosmos in an orderly fashion, to Isaac Newton whose belief in the Truth of God cost him his position at Cambridge.

Others such as Stephen Hawking and Marie Curie did not believe in God’s existence. Albert Einstein saw the logic of a grand Creator, but he believed in the pantheistic god of Baruch Spinoza. He did not believe in a personal God who concerns Himself with fates and actions of human beings.

One theoretical physicist of note in the mid-20^th century was Richard Feynman. Born in Queens, New York, in 1918, he attended a public high school in his neighborhood. This high school produced 3 Nobel Prize winners, including Feynman. During his time at Cal Tech and MIT, Feynman had a profound impact on the science of theoretical and particle physics.

Feynman was down-to-earth with a child-like curiosity about the world, and a knack for explaining complex theories. Feynman considered himself agnostic, though he stated that it was impossible for science to disprove the existence of God, and therefore science and God could co-exist.

He made an interesting point concerning unseen waves of all kinds. He imagined two people having a conversation, and at that moment there are chaotic waves bouncing around between the two. Energy waves, radiation, light, heat, and radio waves—they are all present around each of us. We know that oxygen exists though we cannot see it.  Similarly, Feynman suggested placing a radio between the two people to illustrate the existence of radio waves by tuning in to a broadcast from a nearby station, or perhaps in his day, Radio Free Europe.

As believers, we know that God exists, just as those waves, and can be present with His people even though He is not seen.  In 1 Corinthians 3:16, we read: ^“Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?”

For those whom God calls, this is fundamental. As believers, we know that God is with us, and that sin drives Him away. As children, we most often misbehaved when we thought our parents were not watching. One day, when I was eight or so, I was sitting on the curb up the street from my home. I had taken matches from the house and thought it would be a good idea to start a little campfire in the gutter. When I got home, my mom was angry. A neighbor had phoned her after watching my antics. I had gotten into trouble thinking I was out of Mom’s gaze.

Why then do we sin? God knows our hearts and intentions, and it would be better to remember this and honor Him! Consider, Psalm 139:7-10, a psalm we often sing as a hymn to honor Him:

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.  If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”

We understand that God is always aware of our actions, wherever we are, much like Mom and Dad when we are young. We are human and God offers repentance, but think of God as standing next to you as you contemplate your next move—sin, or obedience? Choosing sin should leave believers remorseful. There is a remedy: repent, obey, and pray—as a first waking thought, and the last one before sleep. Proverbs 15:3 offers an image for us to take to heart: “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.”

We cannot hide our actions or our intentions from God, so let’s not waste time justifying sinful behavior. It is better that we live each day with the understanding that God is there. We may not see Him, but we know He is there for us to turn to.

Jeremiah made the point that God is not as a limited pagan idol, but is both present and transcendent. He is everywhere through the power of His Holy Spirit emanating from Him. Let’s consider Chapter 23 of Jeremiah, and verses 23 and 24: “^‘Am I a God near at hand,’ says the Lord, ‘And not a God afar off?  Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?’ says the Lord; ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ says the Lord.”

God has never tried to deceive us to catch us sinning. He has been forthright as our Creator in using Scripture to illustrate that He is present with each of us. Perhaps we think that He is so busy and cannot be concerned about each person. Isaiah captured what God wants for us. In Chapter 57, and in verse 15, we read: “For thus says the High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.’”

God is a mystery to be revealed as we seek perfection for His Kingdom. However, God is with us now and we want Him close. Sin can be as subtle as an unkind thought; others require forethought. Choosing sin is counter to being a Christian. It is also foolish and willful. Let’s choose to honor our Father with respect and the obedience that He commands. Consider how Isaiah quotes God’s words in Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

In this era of fake and filtered news, little that we hear is genuine. Previously established facts such as the existence of only two genders now seem to be challenged. Evil is considered an attribute in the twisted manner of thinking, common with many political and business leaders. Few things we’ve known to be true or authentic are considered as such by this world–sincerity is in short supply.

Most of us have written the word “sincerely” at the end of a letter. Yet we may not have a good understanding of the meaning of the word and the sentiment that should underlie it. The dictionary states: “From the bottom of one’s heart, truthfully, genuinely.” This is straightforward, but like many things in our human existence, what we say may not always match our actions. I write about such matters not from a position of superiority, but of regret. I know, I have not always lived up to this word and God’s requirements for me. Fortunately, God has provided a way to correct and improve.

The word “sincerely” has an interesting foundation. The Latin root is “sine,” which means, “without,” and “cera,” which means, “wax”— so sincerely means, “without wax.”

Disreputable sculptors in the ancient world would cover flaws in their work by using wax. If the sculpture was chipped, cracked or damaged, these sculptors would melt wax into marble dust, using it to conceal the flaw or imperfection.

Conversely, when an honest sculptor presented their work to the patron, they would make the statement that their sculpture was “sine cera,” or “without wax.” Imagine how a collector would feel on that first hot day as the sculpture in their garden began to lose sections as they melted away.

When we sin, we should be disappointed in ourselves.  A bit of wax covering our flaws has exposed something ugly—our sinful nature. In 1 John 3:8, we read: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

We know that self-righteousness and legalism will not cover our sin and it is not what God asks of us. Only Jesus Christ was able to cover our sins through His Sacrifice. Paul instructs the church at Rome in this regard, and it applies to all of us.

He states in Romans 3:10-18:

“As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one. Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit; The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways;  And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Paul is describing those who live not by following God, but by the ways of this world. We dishonor God with our disobedience; yet, He still loves us without condoning our sins. We just witnessed many around the world celebrating yet another pagan observance. The world waxed over its ongoing sin by closing a few stores and attending services on Sunday. This is not a sincere expression of obedience to God’s Law. It is about deceiving people to believe that they are drawing close to God through man’s rituals.

What does the Bible teach about sincerity? We read in Paul’s message to Timothy and the church, in 1 Timothy 1:5: “Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith…”

Paul is very clear: God expects a pure heart and a sincerity that is unshakable. Paul was commenting on the problem of false teachers who glorify themselves in their study of the law and belief that they abide in it. Paul reminds us that a life we live to honor and obey God is based on love. We are commanded to love unconditionally as God loves each of us. God forgives us when we sincerely repent, but we must alter our course. Paul adds in his message to Titus in chapter 2:7: “… in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.”

If we conduct our lives in this manner, we are on the path that God requires of us. We are human, and therefore imperfect. We are, however, children of God, created in His image, and capable of good works and good choices. Like children, we can and should learn from our mistakes, and strive to do better each day. We also know that we should never glory in ourselves. Paul offers advice on this through his messages to Timothy at the Church at Ephesus, in 1 Timothy 6:17-19:

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,  storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

We have spoken before of the need to live as servant leaders. That means to lead sincerely by example, as described in the Scriptures.

We must not cover over our faults and weaknesses—and we all have them! We must repair our imperfections with God’s love, mercy, and the help of His Holy Spirit. The opposite to doing this involves embracing sin, this world, and its limitations. This is not for God’s people—it is not for us!

Eric Rank’s Sermonette a few weeks ago on the challenge of a prideful spirit stimulated many thoughts for me. As Mr. Rank shared his impressions, I too have allowed myself to bask in the glow of my own prideful humanity. I’ve learned that the things that I have succeeded at have been the result of God’s hand, and the moments that have not gone well were either lessons or challenges that I must learn or overcome. Still, this world celebrates success, and the pride that can accompany achievement can cause people to believe in the power of their inflated wisdom.

This is not to say that we cannot be pleased when we achieve something we’ve worked hard for. However, when being pleased becomes boastful, even with oneself, then we have indeed crossed the line in God’s eyes. We must acknowledge God’s supremacy in our lives.

I too have spoken about pride and on leadership, and the tendency for people to respond to a diligent and sincere leader, and not as much to a person who is in your face about his or her skills and victories. So, what is this factor that triggers the movement from sincerity to boastfulness? In a word: arrogance!

This editorial is not intended to be a commentary on specific leaders—but on the attitude that is so prevalent in the world, among the world’s leaders, and frankly—so many people. This is not a trait that is limited to one political party or movement. It is also an attitude that we’ve come to expect with popular sports and entertainment stars. But this character trait is not limited to the rich and famous, and to be fair, there may be humble people among them.

However, humility is not a virtue that this world generally appreciates. Society tends to consider humble people to be push-overs or worse. Yet even the Harvard Business School offers a course on the value of quiet power as a leadership skill. Now, a quiet person can still be an arrogant person, but humility and arrogance are typically opposite ends of the spectrum.

In the Book of Micah, we see the two types juxtaposed—on the one hand a boastful person suggesting that sacrifices and riches would impress God, and on the other hand a merciful, kind and just person who humbles himself before God.

We read in Micah 6, 6-8: “With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams Or ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”

Edgar Schein, professor emeritus at MIT Sloan School of Management and an expert on leadership and culture, once asked a group of his students what it meant to be promoted to the rank of manager. They said without hesitation, “It means I can now tell others what to do.” And yet, a management column in the Wall Street Journal offered a different headline: “The Best Bosses Are Humble Bosses.” The article referred to a study at Arizona State University in 2014 that reported that humble leaders “inspire close teamwork, rapid learning and high performance in their teams.” It even reported that one HR consulting firm was planning to introduce an assessment to identify personality traits that include “sincerity, modesty, fairness, truthfulness, and unpretentiousness.”

These are traits that would be unheard of in a political campaign. Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Darth Vader and so many others are not characters that we describe as humble and forthright, but it is easy to build a movie plot around them. For some reason, this personality type is still integral in the eyes of many to the likelihood of success—whether the aim is good or evil.

In 1 Peter 5:5, we are told:”Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’”

It is troubling to witness politicians invoking God at will as a bludgeon against their rivals. Sadly, this is increasingly used as a method to illustrate superiority over the opposition. At the conclusion of the State of the Union address, the President asks that “God bless the United States of America”—but few understand that there is a contract that comes along with following God. Our part of the contract is straightforward: obeying Him and following His commandments. Can we obey God and be an arrogant person, out for him- or herself? We have our guidance in Mark 10:43-45:

“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.  And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

God requires an attitude of service in His people—not arrogance. When we think of other faiths we may think of gold, and the finest fabrics, and some of the most exclusive real estate in the world. Leaders of these organizations live as monarchs and not as humble servants of God. John 13:14 illustrates what is expected of us: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

God sent His Son to save us as the ultimate sign of His love for us. This should humble us and cause us to evaluate our arrogance and self-righteous behavior. We must recognize that we are to be humble and caring towards one another and most certainly in our relationship with God the Father and His Son. We cannot impress God with material success, anything we do to achieve fame and notoriety, or anything we possess. What God demands of us is simple: obey Him and live as He commands.