Bible Verses About Authenticity | Being Your True Self
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Freedom, adventure, authenticity and experience form The Rugged Face. We’ve written extensively on freedom and adventure, but not so much on authenticity? Why is that? I think the reason is because allowing people to see who we really are is a really scare thought. It’s terrifying to allow people to see our true self. All of the flaws and imperfections. “Authentic Christians” has also become somewhat of a oxymoron over the past few years. Whether the pictures we post on social media or the answers we give when anyone asks us how we’re doing, our religious mask seems to come out in most situations. The Bible verses about authenticity you will find below tell the story of God’s truth for living in our true calling.
It’s hard for me to say that I’m a “man of God” when I know my own struggles. When our dear friends genuinely want to know how we’re doing, we tell them everything is great when it’s not. We try to hard to have a pure heart in relationships but seldom remember who our true identity lies in.
Taking Our Masks Off
Psalm 139 states that we were “knitted together in our mother’s womb. All of our days were ordained for us before one of them came to be.” God created us with His own hand. That means each of us unique and a new creation with unique gifts to offer the world.
One of our family’s anthems is a song by We The Kingdom called Cages. The words are a beautiful message of authenticity. We were created in “His own image (Gen. 1:27). We weren’t meant to live under a guise of something or someone else. Further, we are called by the word of God to live as He created us – in the image of God. What I love most about this song is that our outward appearance should be one of realness and true authenticity. Living an authentic life is about understanding our true selves.
Cages – Bible Verses About Authenticity
In Cages, we see the questions asked that we should all be asking when dealing with the masks that we continually put on day in and day out.
What if I got real honest?
What if I took a risk?
What if I opened up my heart
And let you see in?
What if I took my mask off?
Trying to fit in
I don’t wanna be a mannequin
What if I let my guard down?
What if I took a breath?
What if I wasn’t perfect?
What if I was just a mess?
What if I bled my soul out
Givin’ all I could give?
I’m so tired of pretending
I’m comin’ out of my cages
I’m steppin’ down from my stages
I’m sick and tired of faking it
What I wouldn’t give to be known
What I wouldn’t give to be known
Shouldn’t this be how we live our lives every day? Bible verses like the ones you’ll see below reveal who we are in the sight of God. Only God can give us true identity. This is how we can show authentic faith when we don’t want to. The good works we do, the evil things we do, and everything in between highlight the need for the grace of God. It is in this grace that the Holy Spirit and God’s word shine the most when it comes to living in our authentic self. The following verses reveal the authentic nature we experience when we allow the spirit of truth to reign over our lives.
5 Bible Verses About Authenticity
1. Proverbs 12:22 (NIV)
“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.”
The new testament also tells us to “let our yes be yes and our no be no”. (Matt. 5:37) Living authentically means that we can give an honest answer in good conscience. It may not be the answer anyone wants to hear, but when it is rooted in truth and genuine faith, this pleases the Lord. Part of living authentically is that we simply honor our word. Authenticity is rooted in truth. The Son of God was called the way, the truth, and the life after all. Christ Jesus modeled this better than anyone ever has and anyone ever will.
The good news of the gospel teaches us that Jesus took our sin on the cross so that we may experience the kingdom of God. While on the cross, Jesus asked his heavenly father, “Why have you forsaken me?”. Despite the pain and suffering he enduring, Jesus authentically revealed his human nature in that moment. This is why we can trust God as our savior. Jesus was trustworthy even when in agony on the cross. Genuine love is trustworthy.
2. Ephesians 4:25 (NIV)
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.”
How often do we simply tell a white lie because we’re afraid of what others are going to think of?
When someone asks how you’re doing you tell them, I’m doing great! In reality, you just lost your job, your marriage is falling apart, and you haven’t seen your 3 little children in 2 weeks because of the late work nights.
What about when someone asks where you’re family is going for spring break? You tell them that you have to work all week because things are “crazy busy” in your business. The truth though is that your family is on a tight budget because you’re trying to pay off all your credit card and car debt you accumulated over the years.
Putting off falsehood in favor of truthfulness builds relationships through sincerity. This is a great step towards authentic living.
3. Colossians 3:9-10 (NIV)
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
The apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians, “So if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” For this reason, the word of truth reigns supreme in our lives. Romans 12:2 states, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
We are constantly being renewed through our faith in Jesus. Lies and deceit in our outward actions are examples of our old selves. However, through Jesus, we no longer have to live as we once did because Christ. For this reason, we can be honest and truthful in all circumstances.
4. Psalm 15:1-2 (NIV)
“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart.”
As David asks the question in Psalm 15, we see him pondering those who will be justified in the faith. His response is that those whose walk is blameless and who speak the truth from the heart will dwell with the Lord. I want to focus on the final phrase.
The truth is the word of God. The heart is the place within us where God Himself dwells for those who choose to believe. When we fully grasp the nature of the Bible, we are filled with its truth. The Old and New Testaments alike not only provide immense wisdom, but instructions for how we are to “walk blamelessly” as David mentions.
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength.
Love your neighbor as yourself.
Sell everything you own and follow me.
This is authentic living. When we give freely of ourselves and the good gifts that God has given us, it allows us to live “worthy of the calling we have received”. (Eph. 4:1)
5. James 3:17 (NIV)
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
This verse is full of fruit that will be shown when we accept the wisdom the Bible speaks of. While we don’t seek the fruit of the Spirit, we must understand that the fruit of our lives is based upon the Spirit working within us. When we think about the ways in which wisdom changes us, an external showcase of God is displayed with full force.
8 Fruits of Wisdom For Bible Verses About Authenticity
Pure: Pure wisdom is free from contamination or impurity. An example of pure wisdom could be a person who consistently speaks the truth even when it’s difficult, without any deceit or ulterior motives.
Peace–loving: This refers to wisdom that promotes peace and harmony rather than conflict or discord. An example would be someone who seeks reconciliation in a disagreement rather than escalating tensions.
Considerate: Considerate wisdom is mindful of others’ feelings, needs, and perspectives. For instance, a considerate person listens actively and empathetically during conversations, valuing the input and feelings of others.
Submissive: This doesn’t mean being passive, but rather being willing to yield or defer to God in all situations. A good example is when we allow the Lord to correct us in situations we are wrong.
Full of mercy: Merciful wisdom demonstrates compassion, forgiveness, and kindness towards others, even when they don’t deserve it. The best example of this is simply the cross. Jesus died for us so that we may have life and have it abundantly.
Good fruit: This refers to the positive outcomes or actions that result from wisdom. Submitting to true wisdom will forgo the works of the flesh in favor of the mighty works of God.
Impartial: Impartial wisdom treats everyone fairly and without bias or favoritism. Impartiality, in this instance, means that we do not favor specific Christian communities, but we value and trust that Jesus created all humans in His image.
Sincere: Sincere wisdom is genuine, honest, and without deceit. Sincerity is being authentic with others. Authentic living is the basis for sincerity. When we praise, we are honest in it. When we correct, we are honest through wisdom in how and why we choose to correct.
Authenticity In Today’s World
Authenticity is missing in today’s culture. Too often, we seek social status, power, money and so many other things that drive us further from who we are in Christ. The human heart is fragile. Our inner selves tell us that we have to be more, be better, and be ok all the time. We see the lives of others on social media and think they have it all together. Further, the conversations we have with people revolve around sports, business and our latest vacation. While not bad things on the surface, our conversations reveal either what we treasure or the masks that we consistently put on to save face.
The beauty of authenticity is that those masks are useless. We have the ability to show people that we are a work in progress and that God is the one who provides true identity. God’s grace is greater than your suffering, trials and inadequacies. The love of God is better than the love of money, fame and power. The things people value most in life reveal the way in which we view our Father. When we value the the things this world has to offer, we devalue who God says we are. We are His workmanship.
Conclusion
When our family moved away from Texas, I discovered that I was living a very inauthentic life. I was scared to death that people were going to find out who I truly was. All of my vices and sins. All of my negative thoughts about who I was. Even all of my inadequacies as a father and a husband. It wasn’t until I found a community of people that openly addressed all of their inadequacies. I was able to see that I wasn’t alone. Other people, in fact everyone, had their day to day struggles they dealt with. Families were left powerless by their personal financial situations. Fathers were trapped in the mindset that they didn’t have what it took. Business people were saddled with the mentality that they were behind, when in fact, they were right one time.
I discovered authenticity was a source of joy. While it’s not easy nor is it fun to talk to other people about your problems, it’s incredibly life-giving. We see that real men are able to be honest with who they are. Real women are able to understand that all mothers struggle with feeling safe and secure. My charge to you is to explore who God made you to be?
What are the unique gifts that God has given you?
What makes you different from everyone else?
How can you lean into the fact that you were created by the God of the universe to serve a unique a special purpose in this life?
Only you can answer these questions. You’ll find the answers the next time you open up the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to do His thing.
About the Author
John Claborn
Hi! I’m John. Author of the post you just read. I like to write about all things adventure. Mostly things to help people live more adventurous lives and care for their families in a more meaningful way. By day, I’m a COO. By night, I’m a rad dad of 4 kids that I don’t deserve and a husband to a woman I can’t understand how I got. My goal is to show freedom to people through adventure and experiences.
