Authenticity and 1 John 1: ROOTS IN CHRIST

What can sequoia trees teach us? Reading about them got me excited because the possibilities exist if we would just live true to what we say we believe!

In the book The Love Dare, page 171:

"Mighty sequoia trees tower hundreds of feet in the air and can withstand intense environmental pressures. Lightning can strike them, fierce winds can blow, and forest fires can rage around them. But the sequoia endures, standing firm, only growing stronger through the trials."

One of the secrets to the strength of this giant tree is what goes on below the surface. Unlike many trees, they reach out and interlock their roots with the sequoia around them. Each becomes empowered and reinforced by the strength of the others.

The secret of the sequoia can be our secret of strength if we would but live the Gospel of Grace one with another and stop covering up our imperfections and painting over the flaws of the "Real wood", the real you, me, US!

If we as believers let the Roots of Truth and Love go deep in us and truly connect authentically, BY THE GOSPEL GREATEST CORE ROOTS, we would unite with other believers and would become the force of God's Kingdom on earth that is empowered, unrivaled, reinforced by the strength of Christ in each of us and the world would be ever changed! We would begin living like with the first disciples and CHRIST IN US, we would be world changers!

We must BE REAL! Are we setting our hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ? 1 Peter 1:13-16 partial quote.

Christ died and was buried and He took our sins far away. We can discuss and even exalt IN WHAT CHRIST DID FOR US! If we would let HIS REDEMPTION, (the SINS HE FORGAVE US) BE THE ROOTS OF TRUTH THAT THE GIFT OF GOD PROVED TRUE IN US AND BE REAL IN US, perhaps others would see their need and desire for CHRIST TOO!

We are to be a picture of REDEMPTION! We are to show the vision of how we look, the natural flaws, our sinfulness in ourselves and allow others to see the realness of who we are. Instead we pretend to be perfect. How sad. We are much more beautiful to God when we are REAL and allow God to accept us the way we are and REDEEM US BY WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE! Pretending to be something we are not is fraud, a miserable way to live and does not show The Gospel at all. Being real and authentic is honoring to God and helps us live abundantly and allows God to do His greatest work in us.

If we would live rooted in TRUTH of who we REALLY are and have been and WHO CHRIST IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE FOR US we will show the before and after and give a SHOW AND TELL WORTHY OF CHRIST's GREAT FIRST IMPORTANCE: 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For we pass on to others the first importance we received that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the Scriptures;And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Please get a hold of, truly receive and give out, as Paul did, THIS GREAT LOVE AND CORE ROOT:

The Message Bible puts it this way: The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says;

The KJV of the first 4 verses in entirety: "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;"

If we connected on a DEEP LEVEL THESE ROOTS as Brothers and Sisters IN CHRIST what a great freedom to be ourselves, a great testimony to the transforming, loving Grace and Mercy we have received IN CHRIST we will be to the nations!

In Salvaging My Identity by Rachel Lovingood and Jennifer Mills p 52: "Authenticity is incredibly freeing, but more importantly, it can lead to evangelism-which is what we are called to do anyway! Those things in us that we think of as imperfections, God uses to make us unique. Instead of trying to hide them, let's allow God to refinish us the way He intends and use us for His glory. Come on, let your true self shine-join the sisterhood!"

The roots: the LOVE and TRUTHS of CHRIST and His Redeeming GOOD NEWS are anchors and are to be strengths uniting our sister and brotherhood IN Christ. These roots are the foundation of our faith! HE WAS BURIED TO CARRY OUR SINS FAR AWAY SO THE LIGHT OF CHRIST COULD SHINE IN AND THROUGH US! We are made alive and children of the Day IN CHRIST! Does our life speak these truths? Let us let GOD SHINE IN US! We are the Light of the World! Matthew 5 all because His Light shines in us! Let it shine because it HAS overcome the darkness we used to live in! How Almighty the LORD IS, THE GREAT I AM has come and resides in us, Let HIM SHINE!