Be Authentic
Authenticity is a big buzz-word in our culture today. We want people to be authentic—to be their true selves—and not to string us along with some contrived identity for some less-than-noble purpose. The Bible doesn’t use the word “authentic,” but it does use the word “sincere” and often “authentic” is what the Bible means by the word. Paul prayed that the church at Philippi would grow so that they could be sincere (Philippians 1:9-10). The Greek word for “sincere” means to judge by sunlight, or sift by rolling. The result of the process is purity, and sincerity is purity of person.
An authentic person who is not a Christian maintains some kind of identity. However, one’s identity can and does change during life. One typically becomes what one desires to be. We are not born with a fixed identity. The standard of what is right and wrong is not inside of us (Jeremiah 10:23). Many make the mistake that authenticity is equivalent to goodness; it isn’t. Authenticity is necessary, but not sufficient.
We need Christ in our life because with Christ we can be both authentic and righteous. We accept Christ as our identity by being baptized into His body (Romans 6:1-11). When we do this, not only do we find identity for ourselves, but we are restored to what God intended us to be as authentic humans. Many other identities will compete with our Christian identity and challenge us, but as long as we are faithful, we will return to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls (1 Peter 2:25). Being authentic means that we are true to our identity and we don’t try to be something that we are not. Ultimately, that human identity is found in Christ. God bless you, and I love you.