In Search of Your Authentic Self - Rev Dr Edwin Wong

𝐈𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭.

If God created us, if Christ redeemed us, if the Holy Spirit dwells in us, why is authenticity still so hard that it needs to be preached again and again?

The church cannot be an authentic community if the people, known as the church, are not living authentically. Authenticity always begins with self-acceptance. God accepts us as we are, but He loves us too much to leave us as we are, and so authenticity is also about transformation.

Biblically, authenticity isn't about staying the same. It's about being realigned with Christ. It's becoming who God is renewing you to be. Put on the new self by starting small. When authenticity moves from the heart into real life, it shows up in how we speak and in how we relate to others. If drifting one degree off course each day can slowly take us off track, then returning even one degree towards the Lord each day will also make a positive difference.

We must be a discerning community, slow to judge, careful with conclusions, and willing to seek the truth with grace. When we live this way, the church becomes a living witness to God's kingdom. How do we start living authentically?

Be doers of the word, invite God's examination, choose obedience over comfort, and practice honesty with God, with yourself, with others. Re-center Christ daily, one degree at a time.