Authenticity – What does the bible say about it?

The world tells us to look within and find our authentic selves. To listen to our hearts and who it says we are, and what we should be doing with our lives. To follow a way of life that gives us the most pleasure and always makes us happy. Even as Christians, it is all too easy to let ourselves get swept up in this way of thinking, but we shouldn’t. The Bible tells us this way of thinking is wrong.

Why is it wrong?

While we may see our hearts as the source of our emotions, God doesn’t.

‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.’
Ezekiel 36:24-26

Ezekiel 36:24-26 tells us that God sees our hearts as made of stone; in the Old Testament, idols would have been made of stone. This comparison is not coincidental, for in Matthew 15:18-20 Jesus says – and I’m just paraphrasing here – the things that we speak come from the heart and from the heart come evil thoughts which are deadly. This is why we are warned in Proverbs 4:23 to guard our hearts because if our hearts don’t belong to God, they are dead.

How can we change our hearts?

We can’t. But God can, as He tells us in Jeremiah 24:7, ‘I will give them a heart to know me’.

‘I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.’
Jeremiah 32:40-41

Jeremiah 32:40-41 explains it a bit more, saying God will create an ever-lasting covenant with us, that He will always do good to us and inspire us to fear Him so we will not stray from Him. This came to be when Jesus died on the cross for us, just as he said it would in Matthew 26:26-28.

‘While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’
Matthew 26:26-28

God gave us His heart because it was the only way to transform our stone, dead hearts into living, Godly ones. So the only way to give our hearts life is to be saved by our belief in Jesus and let God do the work.

How can we change our mindset?

Just because we need God to change our hearts doesn’t mean there is nothing for us to do. We can begin to change beginning with our mindset. Changing the way we think is never going to be easy. So, we’ll take it slow.

The first thing to consider is what authenticity is. We know why the bible says the world’s version of it is wrong, but do we know what it is? We need to know the world’s version of authenticity so we can avoid it.

The world often confuses authenticity with one aesthetic you fit into to follow for the rest of your life or identifying yourself by the things you do. It even mistakes relativism for authenticity, but defining what is true or false in relation to other things is not authenticity.

Ephesians 4:22-24 describes the process of renewal we experience when we place our lives in God’s hands.

‘Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.’
Ezekiel 4:22-24

It is through God’s will and our wholehearted attempts to live for God that our mindset will gradually change.

How to live authentically according to the teachings of the Bible?

To live authentically according to the bible is to renew ourselves daily in our thoughts and actions in public and private.

Everything we do and say has an impact and can affect how others view God and faith. Matthew 5:16 tells us:

‘Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’
Matthew 5:16

This verse shows us that to live authentically is to put our lives on display for others to see how God works in us and through us. Paul confirms this in 2 Corinthians 3:2 by saying that we are a letter to the world, known and read by everyone.

We must spend time with God in private so that we do not struggle sharing God publicly. In Matthew 6:5, we are told not to be like the hypocrites who say all the right things and do all the right things but do not believe it in their hearts so we need to spend time with Him.

To be authentic, we must be honest with God and with others. We don’t have to be happy all the time or be able to name every book of the bible. We are flawed, sinful humans just like everyone else and doesn’t need to pretend to be different. The only difference between Christians and non-Christians is that Christians are saved by the grace of God. Other than that, everyone is the same, and let’s be honest, it’s tiring pretending all the time, so save your energy and be real.

References

McAlpin, S. (2023) Being ‘Authentic’ Is More Than Just Being Honest. Available at: Being ‘Authentic’ is More Than Just Being Honest – RELEVANT (relevantmagazine.com) [Accessed 12 June 2023]

Baker, K. (2022) Why Follow Your Heart Is Really Bad Advice. Available at: Why “Follow Your Heart” Is Really Bad Advice (crosswalk.com) [Accessed 13 June 2023]

Santora, F. (2021) How to Be an Authentic, True Representation of Christ. Available at: How to Be an Authentic, True Representation of Christ – Topical Studies (biblestudytools.com) [Accessed 14 June 2023]