Dobbins: How to Be An Authentic Christian: Part 2

AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANS ARE TRUTHFUL

Being truthful is not always easy. Just look at Peter. Even though he promised the Lord he would go with Him to prison and to death, when Peter was put to the test, he denied ever knowing the Lord (see Matthew 26:35-75CloseMatthew 26:35-75 "No!" Peter insisted. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never deny you!" And all the other disciples vowed the same. Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go over there to pray." He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine." Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, "Couldn't you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!" Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, "My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away* unless I drink it, your will be done." When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn't keep their eyes open. So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Then he came to the disciples and said, "Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. Look, my betrayer is here!" And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: "You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss." So Judas came straight to Jesus. "Greetings, Rabbi!" he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. Jesus said, "My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for."  Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest's slave, slashing off his ear. "Put away your sword," Jesus told him. "Those who use the sword will die by the sword. Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands* of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?" Then Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn't you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures." At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled. Then the people who had arrested Jesus led him to the home of Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of religious law and the elders had gathered. Meanwhile, Peter followed him at a distance and came to the high priest's courtyard. He went in and sat with the guards and waited to see how it would all end. Inside, the leading priests and the entire high council* were trying to find witnesses who would lie about Jesus, so they could put him to death. But even though they found many who agreed to give false witness, they could not use anyone's testimony. Finally, two men came forward who declared, "This man said, `I am able to destroy the Temple of God and rebuild it in three days.'" Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, "Well, aren't you going to answer these charges? What do you have to say for yourself?" But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to him, "I demand in the name of the living God—tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God." Jesus replied, "You have said it. And in the future you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God's right hand* and coming on the clouds of heaven."* Then the high priest tore his clothing to show his horror and said, "Blasphemy! Why do we need other witnesses? You have all heard his blasphemy. What is your verdict?"  "Guilty!" they shouted. "He deserves to die!" Then they began to spit in Jesus' face and beat him with their fists. And some slapped him, jeering, "Prophesy to us, you Messiah! Who hit you that time?" Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, "You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean." But Peter denied it in front of everyone. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, "This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.*" Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. "I don't even know the man," he said. A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, "You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent." Peter swore, "A curse on me if I'm lying—I don't know the man!" And immediately the rooster crowed. Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he went away, weeping bitterly. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

Each of us has to come to terms with our heart's deceitfulness. Jeremiah reminds us that there is nothing as deceitful as the human heart (see Jeremiah 17:9CloseJeremiah 17:9 "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,  and desperately wicked.  Who really knows how bad it is? OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

We cannot know just how deceitful our own hearts are except as God reveals it to us. The contrast between authentic Christians and phony Christians is nowhere seen more clearly than in this area of truthfulness.

Authentic Christians are truthful about who they were and who they are.

If one thing provoked the Lord more than others it was pretense. His most angry remarks were reserved for the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who pretended to be what they were not. They were so busy trying to be perfect that they forgot to be honest.

Paul never forgot who he was. On more than one occasion he referred to himself as the "chiefest of sinners," the greatest of sinners.

I believe one of the greatest benefits of testimonies -- telling others where we were and what we have become through Christ -- is that it keeps Christians honest about who they were and who they are.

By being truthful about who you were before Christ came into your life, you open a window of hope for many of your friends who are still where you were.

By being truthful about where you are now, you encourage others to be honest about themselves.

There is no place for boasting among Christians. We are all sinners saved by grace.

AUTHENTIC CHRISTIANS ARE THANKFUL

All over the world Americans are known as great complainers.

Unfortunately, there is no scarcity of complainers among churchgoers either. But authentic Christians are thankful, and this is the will of God for you if you are a Christian: "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you" (1 Thessalonians 5:18Close1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ,).

There are times when you have to find God's will in complex issues, but there is nothing here you have to discover. Paul makes it very clear that when it comes to thankfulness and gratitude, it is always the will of God for each of us.

But many times we look at what we do not have in life instead of what we do have. And we look at what is wrong instead of what is right.

There is something about giving thanks that brings us into the presence of God, which is why Paul is encouraging us to be thankful people.

Authentic Christians are known for their gratitude and thankfulness. This is one of the characteristics that makes their lives so attractive. Regardless of how circumstances may be going in the thankful Christian's life, he or she can find something for which to be thankful.

Remember Paul and Silas, with their feet in stocks in prison, found something for which to be thankful and sang praises to God at midnight. It was the will of God for them to do that, and in doing it they set a whole prison free (see Acts 16:19-36CloseActs 16:19-36 Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. "The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted to the city officials. "They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice." A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!" The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household." And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!" So the jailer told Paul, "The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace." OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt) ).

The authentic Christian can always find something to be thankful for.