Authentic.  It’s one of my favorite words.  Some synonyms for it include:  Genuine, real, bona fide, true, veritable, and legitimate.  

I am drawn to people who are authentic and things which are authentic.   For instance, I am drawn to real love, not counterfeit.   I warmly relate to the song words by the group Commissioned:  “The ordinary just won’t do.  I need a love that’s pure and true…”

I am authentically very much a work in progress, and am drawn to people who see themselves the same way.   Authentic doesn’t mean perfect.

I am authentically imperfect.

I’m drawn to the truth.  I’m drawn to that which is authentic.   God put a hunger in me for truth, and I was drawn to Jesus.   

Jesus said, “If I be lifted up (on the cross), I will draw all men unto me.”   This “drawing” happens in His timing.  Others may try to force it upon us, but it happens in God’s timing.

Our struggle is not being drawn to the truth.  God handles that.  Our struggle is receiving the truth, and living out the truth.   

Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true.”  BEING is our struggle.   What does it mean to be true?  True to what?  What does my true self look like?  Who defines what my true self is?  Me?  God?

We are who we are and where we are.  I believe to be fully aware of and honest about self is to be empowered to be authentic.  If you want to be real, you must be honest with yourself about who you are.

So, what does it mean to be an authentic Christian?   What does it mean to have authentic faith in Christ?   Let’s park here for a minute…

First, what do you think?   How would you answer this question?   Many of us have different views or beliefs.  

One thing we should agree on is that a Christian is a follower of Christ.  

Many would say a Christian is “one who puts authentic faith in Christ and authentically follows Him.”

I agree.  I also ask…  

Does anyone have perfect faith in Christ?  Perfect assurance and conviction of Him?  Perfect understanding of Him?  Perfect awareness of Him?  Perfect love of Him?  Perfect following of Him?  Perfect obedience to Him?   Did His disciples?   Do I?  No.  We are all a work in progress.   So, where does God draw the line?  We know from His Word (see Matthew 25, for instance) that He does.  Some are sheep (followers of His) and some are goats (non-followers).   The sheep will go to Heaven, and the goats will not.   

So, where does He draw the line?  How does He separate the followers from the non-followers?  How does He separate who is saved versus who is not?

Before I continue, let me say that I have studied this topic.  Why have I done so?  Because I love others and I want us to be saved and not deceived.  In the past, I’ve been judgmental towards others.  I hear people call themselves Christians, and say they’re saved, then I see their very not so-Christlike behavior.  I asked myself, where does God draw the line?  He clearly He draws a line.  Furthermore, How can I love and minister to people well re: this? 

I’m changing though…I’m judging myself instead of others, because ONLY GOD CAN AND WILL JUDGE OUR SOULS.  I point others to Jesus, as God’s word instructs me to, and I encourage people to repent and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but I completely stay away from  judging others’ salvation.  I recognize sin and evil, and know what it looks like from study of God’s word, but I don’t judge whether another person will be saved or not.  I only can engage with people, listen to them, and point to people to Jesus, His character, and His Word.  God is the judge.  He knows the end from the beginning.  He knows whose name will be written in the book of life.  He wants us to judge ourselves, repent, follow Jesus, become like Him, and boldly tell others to do the same.  Let’s keep it that way.

I would define authentic Christianity this way.  To be an authentic Christian is to authentically follow Christ to the best of your God-given ability.   This, I believe, is sound Biblical theology.

Did you catch what I wrote?  I believe our ability to believe in Jesus and follow Him comes from Him.  I’ll spare you the Biblical verses about How God is in control and how He chooses us, but this is what I believe.  

I also believe God is fully holy, merciful, and gracious.  His word clearly says this.

The question we will all face is “Just how merciful and gracious is our God?”  Only He knows.  Therefore, we must do everything in our ability to follow Him.

Let me change that slightly…We must do everything in HIS ability to follow Him.  It’s in Him we live, move, and have our being.

None of us perfectly follows Christ.  We all fall short of His glory.  Therefore, I believe an authentic Christian (an authentic follower of Christ) is not a perfect follower of Christ, but an imperfect one.  

Are you with me?

Therefore, I believe authentic Christianity (authentically following Christ) is not perfect Christianity (perfectly following Christ) , it is imperfect Christianity (imperfectly following Christ).   

Are you still with me?

Therefore, I believe, the moment I am presented as a Christian, I should be keenly aware of my imperfections AND GOD’S MERCY AND HIS GRACE.   I should HUMBLY point others to how deeply, deeply merciful and gracious God is.

Consider 1 Peter 4:15-17:

“But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.  For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

Did you catch that?  As Christians, we should not suffer as evildoers.  I don’t know about you (actually, I think I do on this point), but I’m tempted by evil constantly.  Evil is all around us in this world.  God opens our eyes to this truth through His Word.  He opens our eyes to evil and sin.  We do not walk perfectly in Jesus’ footsteps.  We do not walk perfectly in the Spirit.   We miss the mark sometimes.  Some of us more than others.  We are tempted by Satan and we all fall short of God’s glory.  I’m not afraid or ashamed to say it.

This verse says AS CHRISTIANS, we should not be ashamed if we suffer as evildoers, but rather glorify God, judge ourselves, and repent that we might get right with God.   

If being a follower of Christ means perfectly following Him, then I’m not worthy of being called a Christian.  I don’t deserve the title.  I don’t deserve Him nor do I deserve to be identified with Him.  

YET HE CHOOSES US.  

And, HE empowers us to receive Him.  

Hear God’s Word.  We should not be ashamed.  We should just be honest.  God is good.  We are not. If we find ourselves doing good, we must understand it’s His grace at work in our lives.  Give HIM the glory.

God is TREMENDOUSLY gracious and merciful.  This is why Paul was completely mesmerized by God’s love.  This is why I am completely mesmerized by God’s lvoe.

Authentic doesn’t mean perfect.  It just means that something is real.   So, when I think of authentic faith, I think of faith that is real.  When I think of faith that is real, I think of a real God doing a very real and authentic work behind the scenes in our lives…forming us, molding us, maturing us, and perfecting us in our faith and life.

One day, we will all stand before God, our righteous judge.   He will examine our lives and judge us.

The Bible says that there is no other name under Heaven by which men can be saved (Acts 4:12).   There is only God, and one mediator between God and man, and that man is Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5).   God sent his son, Jesus, to die for us that we might live (John 3:16).

There are infinitely different ways we can respond to Jesus.   There’s only way we can respond that really matters:  Believe Jesus’ testimony, repent, and follow Him.   

How much does it matter?  It’s a matter of eternal life or death (John 3:16, Rom. 6:23).

So, how much does the authenticity of our faith matter?

We can’t afford to be inauthentic.

Please keep reading.

The Apostle Paul wrote TO THE CHURCH, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?” – 2 Corinthians 13:5

We may say we believe in Jesus, but have we carefully thought about it?   Have we considered the full testimony of who Jesus says He is, what He wants us to do, how we are to do it, and why He wants us to do it?   Do we believe the full scope of His Word? 

Many were around Jesus, but didn’t believe.

Authentic faith in Christ begins when we start down the journey of believing Jesus’ testimony.   In God’s eyes, He’s known us from the beginning.  To us, faith in Christ begins like this:  We hear some of His testimony, and we believe it.   We are drawn by God to believe it.   Then, because we believe Jesus and His testimony, we are drawn to His presence and His Word.   When we really believe Jesus is who He says He is, we seek and pursue Him.   We go wherever He is or where His Spirit leads us.  He draws us.   We seek to know Him and understand Him and believe Him.   Then, as we learn more about Him, we are tested by Him to believe His Word.  We are tested again, and again, and again.  We will fail many tests as our faith is being molded.  If we are His, though we fail many tests (see the many tests His disciples failed), we keep coming back to Him, because we hear His voice calling us back to Him to receive Him, believe in Him, and follow Him.   As we believe His Word, our minds are renewed, our behavior changes, and our lives are transformed to the glory of God.   A life transformed to the glory of God is the fruit of a life spent believing in, and abiding in Jesus.

Let me continue…

Recently, I’ve been studying the life of Judas.   He followed Jesus around for nearly 3 years.  He was around Jesus’ teaching and miracles.  He ministered with Jesus and the other disciples.   He served as their treasurer.   The disciples trusted Judas and considered him a fellow follower of Jesus.  There was just one problem.   Judas was “following” Jesus around, but he was being controlled and used by Satan.   

Through the example of Judas, I am well aware that it is possible to be close to Christ, yet not be a true follower of Christ.  We can be around Christ much of the time, outwardly look the part of a follower, and even kiss him, yet betray Him.      

“But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man!  It would be better for him if he had not been born.” – Matthew 26:24

Betraying Jesus is a very serious matter.   One we must all avoid.   

I believe the church today must beware of the same demonic spirit that controlled Judas oppressing us.  It’s a spirit that will kiss Jesus while simultaneously betraying Him.  It’s a spirit that is selfish at its root.  It’s a spirit that loves money, and will lie to us, telling us Jesus is not who He says He is.

We can be close to Christ, yet miss Him completely.   

Satan sought to steal, kill, and destroy Judas and Jesus.

But, there’s good news.   GLORIOUS news, really.

Satan’s plan didn’t quite work out the way he planned!

Jesus defeated Satan and rose up from the grave!  He destroyed the works of the enemy! 

We now have the power of the Holy Spirit living in us!   Satan cannot control us like He did Judas.  The victorious power of Christ lives in us via the Holy Spirit.  Jesus broke the chains!  Greater is He (Jesus) that is in us than he (Satan) that is in the world!

God’s grace is with us.   He can make it abound to us!   When we struggle, we can cry out for God’s abundant grace (power, strength, and anointing)!   

We have the victory against the enemy, but yet must fight.  We must believe God’s Word, put on the full armor of God, pray, fast, etc., resist the enemy, and keep Satan far from us…far from our soul, from our households, from our communities, our churches, and from the body of Christ.

I know this is bold and a lot, but I believe it’s Bible.   

May God give us grace to read and believe His Word!   If you’re struggling with believing God’s word, get yourself in and around God’s Word.  Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by God’s word (Rom. 10:17).  If you’re struggling to seek Him, ask Him for the grace to seek Him!   If you’re struggling with consistently seeking Him, ask Him for the grace to keep asking Him for grace to seek Him, so you can keep seeking Him!   It all comes from Him.   If we ask for anything in His name, He will do it!   He’s faithful!

When you stumble, remember that there is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus.   If we believe His Word, but struggle to live it out, there is abundant mercy.  There is no condemnation or shame.   We are His workmanship.   We are under construction.   Repent thoroughly, and move forward.   God will get the glory!  

By God’s grace, when He tells us someday, “Well done thy good and faithful servant”, we will respond with worship because…

…we know from whom we received the grace…

…to have authentic faith…

…that we might be authentic followers of Christ.  

#GraceToBeAuthentic   

Live the life.