“Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed…Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him…when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.”~ Jn. 1:47-48
When Jesus spoke the above four words, I have in bold print, he was saying of Nathanael: here is a genuine man; a sincere one; a true Israelite. Not in name only, but in spirit. Not by birth alone, but in behavior. One who possessed, as all real Israelites should have, piety and integrity.
He was not of the kind who said he was, but wasn’t, “I know…them which say they are Jews, and are not…”~Rev.2:9;3:9. Paul tells us, “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly…But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly…”~Rom. 2:28-29. He goes on to tell us in chapter 9, verse 6 “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel.”
Authentic means to be real, not copied or false, but not necessarily without blemish. On the other hand the word “perfect” carries the ideal without flaw.
Paul is a good example of being authentic, but not perfect. He was the real thing, but not perfect by any means. In Acts when slapped on the cheek he had a problem turning the other. And his dispute with Barnabas was hot and heavy. This showed he was not all he should have or desired to be. Listen to his own testimony, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect…”~ Phil. 3:12.
O, beloved children of God, none of us are without our sins, ups and downs, idiosyncrasies, faults and failures; but I remind you an authentic antique has its scratches, cracks, and breaks, but is still of great value to its owner!
“God can hit an awful hard lick, with a crooked stick, if the stick belongs to Him.~ Dr. Joe Henry Hankins
This article is by an Old Disciple of Jesus Christ
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