Many Christians live life pretending to be someone they're not, in order to attain something they want. That is wrong.

I know that sounds offensive to some, but it has to be said. We've got to live our lives in truth!

Some Christians don't know it, but they live their lives pretending to be someone else. They don't live in the identity that God gave to them because:

• They want to be like that "cool" Christian on the stage on Sundays;
• They want to be somebody that people inside and outside the church will like;
• They want to hide their perceived imperfections and flaws.

These, and many other reasons, push our beloved brethren to pretend they're someone else. Or in other, more understandable words, they put up an act.

• Some Christians try to be more kind because they're "Christian," not necessarily because they're saved.
• Some Christians try to project an image of holiness or religiousness, not because they truly live a holy and righteous life, but because they think that's what the church expects them to be like.
• Some Christians try to sound like they really read their Bibles and pray, so that they can hide the truth that they rarely bother.

Again, those things sound offensive, but they have to be said. Christ Himself didn't hold His lips back from pointing such hypocrisy out. For example, here's one from Matthew 23:27-28.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Now those words might sound offensive, but they're offensive only to those who actually live that way.

Friends, pretending to be someone we're not isn't a good thing. I hope to encourage all of us: here are a few reasons why it's not a good thing at all:

1) It's a sin: lying and deception

First and foremost, friends, living as someone we're not is a blatant lie -- to God and to ourselves. It's a sin.

Pretending to be someone else and living like that is a deception. We fail to show who we truly are. Because of this, we live a deceptive lifestyle, fooling everybody who believes in us.

We can't fool God, however.

2) We won't live according to God's design

The Bible tells us that we are God's workmanship (see Ephesians 2:10). He has personally handcrafted all of us according to His purpose and pleasure (see Psalm 139:13-18). He made us just as He wanted us.

If we live like someone we're not, we don't live according to His design for us.

God wants biological males to be men, and biological females to be women. God wants us to be us, and not like someone else. God wants John to be John in pursuit of Christ, and He wants Peter to be Peter in pursuit of Christ.

God wants us to live according to the design He gave.

3) We are unable to fulfill His will for us

If we live a pretentious life, we won't be able to fulfill God's will for us. Why is that?

It's because we can only fulfill His will for us if we fulfill it as us.

John can't fulfill Peter's role in God's plans, and vice-versa. While God can just call anybody to do anything He wants, the point here is that unless we live according to the design God had for us, we won't be able to follow His plan for us.

And because we can't follow His plans because we don't live according to His design, we are unable to fulfill His plans for us.