Romans 3:4 says, “let God be true, but every man a liar.” Perhaps this truth serves as the foundational reason why God warned believers not to place their trust in man. Though the primary reason, it is not the only reason. In Psalm 146:3 the Lord warns, “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” The real needs of mankind cannot be satisfied by man, even the best of men. Those who put their trust in man do so in disobedience to the Lord which results in their own personal harm. Psalm 118:8-9 twice stresses that “It is better to trust in the LORD.” An improper trust in man is, in many ways, a departure from the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5).
God is as equally concerned with what we do as to how we do it. It is not only important that we have the right kind of conversation, but that our conversation be based on “simplicity and godly sincerity.” In other words, our conversation should be genuine and never extravagant. People behave for different reasons. Sometimes those reasons are godly, yet at other times they reflect ungodliness. Anyone can feign a good conversation for a short period; however, only with the Lord's help can one's motives consistently match his actions. Paul not only sought to have his conversation right before the Lord, but also desired a genuine change of heart to bring forth the proper conversation.
