Miranda Karen

Authenticity

“the quality of being authentic; genuineness”.

Authentic means being completely genuine.

Ever since I accepted Jesus, I wanted to be an authentic Christ bearer- be an authentic member of the Christ-like community. Lately, this word has been shaping me like no other. It's becoming a strong tower in my foundation. This word has been essential to me in order to have a relationship with my maker.

//repentance//

There is a story of the bible that made me think of how is to be authentic

“ But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”  And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.  But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.  Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,  who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,  for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.  Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”  And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Acts 8:24

For all these reasons, Phillip regarded Simon as a Christians as a follower of Jesus & baptizing Him.  Like as today, Philip could not actually see into Simon's spiritual heart & know completely certainty that He was sincere in his faith, but he had demonstrated enough to make his proclamation credible.

Test if your heart is or is not right in the sight of God- If your heart is not genuine.

Jesus comes to earth to lay out the instructions not to  “how to get to heaven” but how to live a “kingdom lifestyle” where authenticity of the heart is very much needed to live this kind of lifestyle.

  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.  Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

                                                   (Matthew 5:20 ESV)

These kingdom ethics require a “inward heart  righteousness” based not on written regulations but on the character of God whose presence now dwells in believers through his spirit.

A warning to anybody who thinks that just because he or she has made a profession of faith has gone through certain emotions  expected of christians that he or she is the right  with God for that reason.  

& Simon does not repent:  He prays not for deliverance from “the bond of iniquity,” but only from the vague terror of a future penalty.

According to Ellicott's commentary the story of Simon might have ended this way

“After the episode related in the Acts, he went down to Cæsarea, and Peter was then sent thither by James, the Bishop of Jerusalem, to confront and hold a disputation with him on various points of doctrine. From Cæsarea he made his way to Tyre and Tripolis, and thence to Rome, and was there worshipped by his followers, so that an altar was seen there by Justin with an inscription, “SIMONI DEO SANCTO” (Apol. i. 56). Peter followed him, and in the reign of Claudius the two met, once more face to face, in the imperial city. According to one legend, he offered to prove his divinity by flying in the air. trusting that the demons whom he employed would support him; but, through the power of the prayers of Peter, he fell down, and had his bones broken, and then committed suicide (Constt. Apost. ii. 14; 6:9)”.

Live a life of repentance.

Live a life of heart  inward righteousness

//When I confess my flaws, my guilt & my failures to God, He takes the softest washcloth to my mess & bathes me in beauty. Lean into his warmth breathing in the scent of Him wanting more//

Love,

Karen.