Guileless Life

HARMLESS

akeraios ^185^, lit., "unmixed, with absence of foreign mixture" (from a, negative, and kerannumi, "to mix"), "pure," is used metaphorically in the NT of what is guileless, sincere, <Matt. 10:16>, "harmless" (marg., "simple"), i. e., with the simplicity of a single eye, discerning what is evil, and choosing only what glorifies God; <Rom. 16:19>, "simple (unto that which is evil)," KJV marg., "harmless"; <Phil. 2:15>, "harmless," KJV marg., "sincere." The Greeks used it of wine unmixed with water, of unalloyed metal; in the papyri writings it is used of a loan the interest of which is guaranteed (Moulton and Milligan, Vocab.). Trench compares it and synonymous words as follows: "as the akakos (see No. 2, below) has no harmfulness in him, and the adolos no guile, so the akeraios no foreign mixture, and the haplous no folds" (Syn. Sec. lvi). Haplous is said of the single eye, <Matt. 6:22; Luke 11:34>.#

(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
(Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

What is the foreign mixture not found in a “harmless” person--one who causes no harm to others?

Lying and deceit are not found in a harmless person. What a wonderful concept, to be a person who does not bring harm to others, because one only speaks truth.

How do you become such a person—without guile?

Life is pretty simple when we look toward living and speaking truth. Practice speaking truth!

1 Pet 2:1-5
1          Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
2          like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,
3          if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.
4          And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God,
5          you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
(NAS)

What is this saying?

The Bible is the place where we can discover how to live a life without guile. We have to come to the Bible with a good attitude, a desire to be changed by what we read. Growth takes place over time. We become guileless as we take the time to grow spiritually.

If I know that God is kind it makes a huge difference in my life. If God is kind, I can trust him to do what is right to me and for me. If he will do what is right toward me, I do not have to defend myself by being deceitful. Deceit will not help me related to God, because he knows when I am deceitful, and when I am truthful. He knows me completely.