“For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” – Romans 1:18
In this world of copies and fakes, we often don’t know the truth. The media often publishes fake news. Brand-name products are often fake off-brands with a fake name. Often, the new products you purchase are “refurbished” broken ones. The president of Harvard University plagiarized her dissertation.
Were you trying to figure out what “authentic” even means? Either way, you weren’t alone: it’s Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2023, an annual recognition given to a word that dominates searches and lookup volume on the dictionary’s website.
“Authentic” has a number of meanings, including “not false or imitation,” a synonym of real and actual, and also “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” Although clearly a desirable quality, “authentic” is hard to define and subject to debate—two reasons it sends many people to the dictionary.
And with the rise of artificial intelligence—and its impact on deepfake videos, actors’ contracts, academic honesty, and a vast number of other topics—the line between “real” and “fake” has become increasingly blurred. Even from some liberal pulpits, we see and hear the blurring of the authenticity of Scripture.
The Bible is clear, inerrant, and authentic. It has been a guideline for life through hundreds of years. Without it, there would be no Western civilization.
Man’s greatest problems are not a lack of knowledge but a hardness of heart, and the Bible solves them all. People reject God because they don’t want to be accountable. The unbeliever’s greatest problem is not intellectual, but spiritual.
Creation points to God’s existence, but it is through the Word that God has revealed how to be saved. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” – John 14:6
As we read the morning paper and listen to the evening news, we often have to wonder what is true, what is false, and what is authentic. But we can read and follow the precepts of the Bible and know that every word is authentic and true.
by John Grant
used by permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
FURTHER READING
A Life of Authenticity also by John Grant
