Commending Ourselves to Every Man's Conscience (C. Hodge)

“But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of god deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God”.

But by the manifestation of the truth. This stands opposed to the preceding clauses. Instead of availing ourselves of secret and cunning arts, and corrupting the word of God, we declared it openly and purely. The truth, therefore, here is not moral truth or integrity, nor truth in general, but revealed truth, i. e. the word of God. Commending ourselves to every man’s conscience. Paul’s opponents endeavored to recommend themselves and to secure the confidence of others by cunning, and by corrupting the gospel; but he relied simply on the manifestation of the truth. He knew that the truth had such a self-evidencing power that even where it was rejected and hated it commended itself to the conscience as true. And those ministers who are humble and sincere, who are not wise in their own conceit, but simply declare the truth as God has revealed it, commend themselves to the consciences of men. That is, they secure the testimony of the conscience even of wicked men in their favour.

Not Sincerely (Phil 1:16)

“The one preach Christ of contention, not purely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds”

… That is, those that preached of envy and strife, and not of good will to Christ, to the Gospel, to the souls of men, or to the apostle; and though they preached Christ, yet not sincerely or "purely"; not but that they delivered the sincere milk of the word, and preached the pure Gospel of Christ, without any mixture and adulteration; but then they did not preach it with a sincere heart, and a pure intention; for this respects not the doctrine they preached, but their views in it, which were not honest & upright; they did not preach Christ from a principle of love to his person, and from an inward experience of the power of his Gospel, & a zealous affection for it, & firm attachment to it, & with a view to the glory of God, the honor of Christ, & the good of immortal souls; but were influenced by avarice, ambition, & envy”.

In Truth and In Righteousness (Zech 8:7-8)

“Thus said the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the middle of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.”

First, when God saves someone, it is real. He gives us the fruit of the Spirit and makes us what He commands that we be - (Eph 4:24) “And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness”, so that God makes us righteous and holy as part of salvation.

Salvation isn’t you don’t something for God, you started the process, or you completing what God’s done. Salvation is God’s to give, it grows in us as promised, and it is a complete salvation, so that it lacks nothing.

Secondly, if you believe the gospel, then you have RIGHEOUNSESS and true HOLINESS – “And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness’ of saints” (Rev 19:8) [1]. You are not the slave of sin, but a new creation has been implanted in you. You have the Spirit, the word, the Lamb’s blood, and His intercession is WORKING for you – “Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Rom 8:34).

You and I are saved by God, so we look to God to give us grace to conquer sin – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph 6:10-11). Being holy doesn’t mean that you don’t lust and sin; it means that you have help in God to grow in grace, to love more, and to change your ways. In Haggai 1:5, God says, “Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways”, so that He brings repentance continually.

Thirdly, though we didn’t obey instruction and have been chastened of God, He has RETURNED to give us grace and make us a blessing – “so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing” (Zech 8:3). He is not weak because we are evil, but He makes us see salvation is of the Lord, causes us to RECEIVE the salvation that He gives, and then He prospers salvation, keeping us on Christ continually.

Don’t despair that you can’t live Christ-like, for God assures that the elect can. If you believe, then it will come out of you, though it isn’t to the extent that you’d like.

Lastly, we are God’s people, and any failure in us is God’s failure. He says, “I will save”, and He means it (Zech 8:7). Therefore, we all have righteousness and holiness. Be encouraged and grow in grace, ever learning to be what you’ve been commanded. He will not allow sin to destroy you, though it looks that way. He brings you to Christ by the pain that it causes, so that you can receive the NEW life that He gives.

We think, “Salvation’s of the sinner. I will produce this”. Then, we fall. But, salvation is BECAUSE of God, BY God’s power, and FOR God’s glory – “Thus says the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, you that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built” (Zech 8:9).



[1] This word is plural in the Greek and teaches us the righteousness’ that believer’s have: the righteousness imputed to faith, the righteousness (nature) imparted to the believer as the gift of God, and the RIGHTEOUSNESS of good works, which we do. The believer has all three. We enter heaven perfect and pure because Christ died to give us salvation, which includes NEWNESS here and PERFECTION hereafter. Even our WORKS shall follow, but not lead the way (Rev 14:3).