“Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,”

To be true to the reality of life is a challenge. There are many who are try to Iive the “Christian” life, but are not true. They take to themselves a false veneer of godliness and hide behind a facade of spirituality. There are others who remain silent, hoping no one will notice them or know the truth about their life. To be sincere means we have to be honest with ourselves and face our own sins and weaknesses and deal with them. Few seem able to do so or want to do so.

The person who has become a Christian has faced their sins and confessed them to the Lord. Their life is a constant facing up and confession and change of heart and mind. This is the progress in the Christian life. Honesty in living and sincerity in what we say and do.

We may not actively tell verbal lies, but we can still be untrue, presenting ourselves as someone we are not and hiding behind a series of behaviours that we have cultivated and learned. Striving to live a holy life is the way of Christ, but it must be sincere and not just a playscript of how we have been taught to be. It is better to behave not quite rightly and be true than to play act. Admitting to yourself that you may not be quite up to the standard is a good standard and we can then face ourselves and genuinely put things right. Heartfelt repentance requires honesty with out heart and mind.

The old self of unbelief and running from what resides in our hearts, is the old way and not the Christian way. The problem with every human heart and mind is the inability to face up to our failures and start to put that away from us for real. Change starts with recognition of the need for it, and unless we have the motivation to do so, we cannot really and truly get better.

Facing up is hard to do, but if we don’t we will continue in evil practices and our life will be a living lie. Only in Christ can we be sincere in our desire and purpose to change. Only He can make us real and the genuine article of Christian faith and love. All other striving and seeking leads to death.

Beloved, it is better to be true than a simulation of Christian virtue that is false. It is better to make mistakes than to live the Stoic life and imagine you are doing God’s will. Real wisdom is learned and comes from the tutor of our souls, our Lord and God.