REAL...

Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?     -- 1 Corinthians 5:6


Authenticity is vital to our life of faith. Deception, and especially self-deception kills life in Christ.

Our church once spent three months working through what would come to be known as The Twelve Words - our core values.

One of my soapbox topics is that of TRUTH. And in a culture that values relativism and seems to fly upside down both morally and logically (in my opinion), truth is often lost. Without doubt truth is an undervalued commodity. That said, when we worked through our Twelve Words, truth was not our first (word).

Jesus said the truth sets us free (John 8:32). However, many that heard him speak on hill sides, beaches and synagogues walked away un-free. They heard the words, saw the miracles, and yet they remained shackled in doubt, regret, sin and hopelessness. Or worse, many walked away with a false sense of justification, thinking they didn't need the forgiving grace this would-be Messiah was peddling. (Enter self-deception.)

The first of our Twelve Words was AUTHENTICITY. When we are authentic, we are both open to truth and opened by truth. (Think about that statement, and yes, there is a bit of chicken and egg...) We must approach truth with a right attitude to allow it to do it's work in us. At the same time, truth exposes our attitudes.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing... 

and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.     -- Hebrews 4:12

The Christian life both requires and produces authenticity. And inherent in authenticity is an attitude of humility. Paul warned the Corinthian believers that a little deception, a little inauthenticity, a little sin left unchecked will spread.

Christ said the kingdom of God belongs to the childlike. And it is with the authenticity - the openness and humility - of children, that we will find our strength in him.

God, create in me an authentic heart...

For now...
D