Bible Verse: As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:14–16
Scripture Reading: John 16:8; Acts 24:16; Romans 8:12-13; Romans 9:1; 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Once you find secure footing in Christ and His redemptive work, you will need to understand what authenticity looks like. If you can identify its characteristics, it will help you develop them in your life. You also need to identify some characteristics of inauthenticity in a Christian so you can avoid them and repent of them when they appear.
Inauthenticity in the Christian looks like this:
- Pride: living only to impress others; hiding the real you.
- Immorality: not living with integrity or moral values consistent with Scripture.
- Dishonesty: lying, not keeping your word, twisting the truth, manipulating others.
- Hypocrisy: behaving in a way that doesn’t match your beliefs or words.
When you are authentic, you can be honest about the struggle with inconsistencies and even with your sin. The Holy Spirit is aware of it already and will talk to you through Scripture and your conscience. Just like we allow an analysis of our cars when something goes awry, we should allow the Spirit to show us what’s wrong with us so we can fix it.
The first car I bought with my own money was a 1979 Subaru GL. Not the muscle car I would have preferred at age 19, but it did its job and got me through college. As the car got older and I got wiser, I noticed something was weird with the electrical system. When I would tap the brake pedal, all the parking lights came on, front and back, not just the brake lights. That was a warning that something was messed up. I ignored the car’s issues for a while but finally attempted a workaround to avoid fixing it correctly. I should have fixed it correctly because the car soon developed worse problems.
We do that sometimes with our Christian character. We see some warning signs that spiritual maintenance is needed, but we avoid it with a quick workaround. That’s not wise, and it’s not authentic living. “Just enough” is not good enough. If you ignore malfunctions long enough, they become permanent dysfunctions – in cars and in life. Don’t get used to your issues; let the Holy Spirit help you fix them.
Prayer: Father, forgive me for the times I have not heeded Your warnings about areas of sin or inconsistency in my walk with You. Teach me to follow Your Spirit’s voice and heed Scripture’s correction when You show me things that need to be corrected. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Reflection: What inconsistencies have you allowed to show up on the dashboard of your life that remain unchecked? If there are issues you have avoided, go to the Lord now and tell Him what needs to be worked on. Invite Him into your problem and become accountable to Him again in that area.
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