James MacDonald - Authentic: Developing the Disciplines of a Sincere Faith

DEVELOPING THE DISCIPLINES OF A SINCERE FAITH

JAMES MACDONALD

MOODY PUBLISHERS
CHICAGO

2013 by
JAMES MACDONALD

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth and Associates, Inc.

Edited by Neil Wilson
Cover Design: Michael Ranville/Walk In the Word
Cover Illustration: Nolan Abbey and Nate Baron
Interior Design: Smartt Guys design

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

MacDonald, James, 1960
Authentic : developing the disciplines of a sincere faith / James MacDonald.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
ISBN 978-0-8024-5717-2
1. Spiritual lifeChristianity. 2. Christian life. I. Title.
BV4501.3.M2325 2013
248.4dc23

2012035680

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To XLT, some of the most authentic Christians I know:
Fred Adams
Rick Donald
Janine Nelson
Trei Tatum

I got a tattoo. I did it at age 51 and if you dont know me, the decision might surprise you. I got the logo from my recent book Vertical Church, inked on my right forearm and I did it on the day I finished the manuscript. Not because I think its cool or I like the reinforcement of my most important life message, so readily visible. Not because Im having a midlife crisis or even because I like tattoos. The decision is actually rooted in something deepersort of a push back, really. The biggest obstacle I faced thirty years ago in becoming a pastor and have battled every step of the way since is how the expectations of congregants near and far pressure you into a mold I never wanted, havent worn well, and actually repudiate. All of us should conform to the biblical mandate for holiness, but none of us should be forced to fit cultural sensitivities or historic expectations not found in Gods Word.

My one determination when I surrendered to Gods call upon my life was that I would be true to the way God made me and not lose my off-beat sense of humor or my sometimes zany and unpredictable pursuit of fun. Incredibly, my highest goal at age twenty-two, fresh out of Bible college, was not to be a man of faith or a pastor of great influence. My deepest determination was to be absolutely and always authentic. Yes, godly and biblical, of course; holy and humble by Gods gracebut in it all I deeply desired to be authentic. Not fake or phonynot a guy who publicly phones it in, while in private his heart is far from God. And hopefully never a person who conforms to the pressures others collectively put on us. So my tattoo points to the only reliable place of external pressure to conformto the Lord above. Its a reminder to me that I live for an audience of One, and in the end, only His view of our authenticity matters. If you long to be authentic, I think youll love this book.

Authentic is one of those words we use to describe a life worth living. Its a person being themselves (or who they are meant to be) in the best sense of the idea. Genuine human beings are people we almost instinctively want to emulate. But authentic people are often hard to find.

So before we go any further, lets define authentic so we will have an agreed picture in mind as we explore the spiritual disciplines that can help us live a genuine, sincere faith. Authentic: the original article, the real thing, not a phony, knockoff, or cheap imitation. Authentic doesnt necessarily mean unique. A craftsman may produce many authentic pieces. In usage, we often mean by authentic that the object conforms to an original ideal or pattern so as to faithfully reproduce the essential features. The denim jeans featured on the cover of this book are known for their style, weight, and durability. Were not looking for an inferior imitationwere looking for the real thing in a size that fits us. When something is authentic, we expect it to be actually and exactly what it is claimed to be. So an authentic piece of Early American furniture cannot have been built last week, but an authentic reproduction based on accurate measurements of a classic original may well have been assembled recently. A faithful copy can be called authentic as long as its not called original. Were accustomed to having the word authentic used in describing products or even experiences; but when it comes to people, not so much.

Becoming an authentic person is an easy goal to claim; its harder to live out under scrutiny. This book is about developing and doing the spiritual disciplines of a sincere faith. Committed Christians across the centuries have demonstrated that there are certain practices that can lead to a deepening and sharpening of our likeness to Christ. This book is not about frantic performance to prove a point. Authenticity isnt forced. As we will see, human authenticity includes room for failure. Admission of error and genuine repentance are definitely marks of authenticity.

Our standard for authenticity is Jesus Christ. Hes the real original. This is true because He is not only our Maker and therefore qualified to tell us how to live authentically, He is also our ultimate model. We cant duplicate what Jesus did, but we can imitate Him. The more we can be like Jesus, the more we will be living an authentic life.

The disciplines of a sincere faith featured in this book are practical ways to follow in his steps. Authentic Christians dont drift in His steps, or wander in roughly the same direction as His stepswe follow in His steps. Each of these disciplines was taught and exemplified by Jesus. Thats how we know they are worth pursuing. When we are practicing them rightly, we are setting our feet in His footprints. This is why a book on developing the disciplines of a sincere faith begins with a chapter on identifying the habits of hypocritical people. Theres some stuff were going to have to leave behind if we are really going to follow in his steps.

When the apostle Paul was training up his protg Timothy in the disciplines of faith, he didnt end until he established a healthy standard for the young disciple. That standard wasnt perfection; it was persistence: