Call To Authentic Living

Have you ever seen a child dressed up in a superhero costume? Their confidence is infectious as they believe they can fly. Authentic living is much like this; we don’t need a costume to feel brave. God asks us to show up just as we are, and in that authenticity, we can inspire others to do the same. True strength lies in being real.

Today, there are many people who live unauthentic lives - they try to live above their means, try to fool others into thinking they’re someone they’re not, focus on living the good life instead of living the life God gave them, they are trying to be something they’re not. Problem is, we aren’t in a costume, and many aren’t aware they’re doing it. They just think they are living the “American Dream”, and “Keeping up with the Jones's”.

Now, how many of us come into church with the same attitude of being unauthentic? We come in, with our superhero suit or dress on, we sit in the classroom or in the pew making everyone else think everything is alright? Even worse, we try to act as though everything is okay, but criticize everyone else. Forgetting God needs us to show up just as we are, and humble ourselves (warts and all) so that He can make us just like Him?

One might say, we put on an air of Godliness but have the heart of hypocrisy. Here in Romans 1:20-2:2, Paul addresses the behaviors and attitudes of humanity that lead to judgment, emphasizing the hypocrisy that often lies within those who condemn others while committing similar sins themselves. In a few verses before these, Paul speaks of God’s wrath against hypocrisy - the no one is without excuse because He even reveals His truth in creation. Some will refuse to choose authentic living as God desires.

Hypocrites!

Romans 1:20–26 ESV

20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;

Paul goes on to write that all of God’s attributes will be made known to everyone so that we have no excuse not to believe in Him. God’s revelation is so obvious that He can hold anyone who rejects Him accountable. The New Living Translation gives an unmistakable understanding of this:

Romans 1:20 NLT

20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Seeing the beauty and complexity of creation carries with it the responsibility of acknowledging the Creator both as powerful and as living above the natural order. Disbelief requires an act of rebellion against common sense. The unbeliever has to knowingly, willingly, and rebelliously CHOOSE to disobey God. Furthermore, God will not force us to believe in Him, and it leaves US responsible for not believing.

For those who believe, then, does it not make sense that we would honor Him because we can see Him in everything? So why is it so hard for some to be happy in the Lord? And we know what I’m talking about…the ones who enter into the church with a chip on their shoulder, a scowl on their face, and the attitude of “bless me if you can”. If we think of what God has done in our lives, and what we see in His movements of nature, how can we not smile and come in looking for a blessing! God gives to all the basic requirements for life irrespective of their relationship to him. The proper response should be gratitude. But people choose to ignore God and come up with their own version of reality.

This misconstrued version of reality is where we go wrong. We let our thoughts get in the way of God’s thoughts, our actions before God’s actions, our worship before God’s worship. As we grow “wise”, we try to explain away God in everything we see, we try to rationalize everything through “science” and “nature”. We try to explain the immortal God in mortal ways, and we run the risk of becoming a hypocrite. You know, those who speak one way and act another? We must guard ourselves and not turn our backs on God in an effort to act more “Christian” that everyone else. When we rely on ourselves, God sometimes allows this sin to “run its course as an act of judgment”. The Message translates the first part of vs 24 as: So God said, in effect, “If that’s what you want, that’s what you get.” Moral degradation is a consequence of God’s wrath, not the reason for it. Sin inevitably creates its own penalty. Divine judgment is God permitting people to do their own thing, and go their own way. As a result, we don’t see sin as sin anymore. We even have issues within churches today, where sin is being called “choice”, “tolerance”, and “freedom of worship”. Paul goes on to point out this hypocrisy is very easily summed up with “sin is still sin” as he unmasks this hypocrisy.

Unmasking Hypocrisy

Romans 1:27–32 ESV

27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Now, this is not my words, my thoughts, my opinions, this is God’s Word and I don’t think it is easily understood. This type action is not an “alternative” life-style acceptable to God, but it is a sin that God has allowed to continue as part of divine judgment. For the third time in five verses Paul wrote that when people disregard God’s revelation in nature, he gives them over to the normal consequences that follow. What bothers me is God allows us, not to be convicted of these sins, but instead when we continue sinning God gives us up to our debased mind to do what ought not be done.

I might ask, what is different here than what Paul writes in Romans 7:19-20.

Romans 7:19–20 ESV

19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

I think the answer is continuing in that sin, not acknowledging the conviction for sin. It comes to the point we listen to our own wants and desires and push God’s to the side. Not only do they allow these sinful things to occur, they have allowed their own minds to grow so far away from God that they acknowledge and approve of sin. Since God has shown us His goodness, His ways, His righteousness in everything then we are without excuse.

No Excuse

Romans 2:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things.

Chapter 2 begins with “therefore,” a term that normally introduces the result of that which immediately precedes. Earlier we learned that those who rejected the revelation of God in nature (unbelievers) were without excuse. Likewise, believers who condemn or place judgment on those in sin also have no excuse. How can it be that an unbeliever and a believer can both be without excuse? We are all sinners.

Jesus warned against condemning others. In the Sermon on the Mount he said, “Do not judge or you too will be judged” (Matt 7:1). The kind of judging both Jesus and Paul referred to was not a sane appraisal of character based on conduct but a hypocritical and self-righteous condemnation of the other person. In the same context Jesus told his followers to watch out for false prophets, who are to be recognized by their fruit. That would be difficult, to say the least, apart from determining which actions are moral and which are not. Evaluation of their conduct is not the same as condemnation. It’s condemnation that brings judgment. To pass judgment on the sins of others, while at the same time practicing those very same sins, was to pass judgment on themselves. We have to be very careful to not become “holier than though”, when we are dealing with our own sins. We are called, though, to be authentic in our Christianity, in our lives, and in our faith.

Closing

We are called to be authentic Christians who live authentic lives through authentic faith. To do that requires us to examine our own lives for hypocrisy and seek repentance for our sins. I think when we recognize our need for grace, we become more compassionate and understanding towards others struggling with sin. It moves us from the outward appearance of criticism and condemnation and moves us to accountability to God and love of others.

While God can judge impartially, we cannot without first examining ourselves and seeing our own shortcomings. Authentic faith calls us to live in a way that aligns our beliefs with our actions, and acknowledges our own needs for God’s mercy and grace.

While Paul points out in these verses that Christ is our judge, Christ also offers redemption. You see, that’s something we cannot do. True faith is reflected in our actions; we must confront our hypocrisy and embrace God's grace to live authentically before Him and others.

It can be easy to become “religious” and point fingers at others and their shortcomings, forgetting that we are just sinners who have been forgiven and redeemed by Christ. By being overly critical and judgmental, we become hypocrites, living a sinful life while expecting others to be sinless. We should examine ourselves, and examine our own sins so that we can align more closely with Jesus and be authentic in our own walk with God. When we become authentic, then we can help show others the authentic path in our walk with God. Jesus, in His wisdom, calls us to first remove the plank in our own eye. By acknowledging our own need for grace, we can learn to extend that grace to others, fostering a community of forgiveness and understanding. Living out our faith with integrity reflects the grace that can be found in Jesus, and transforms judgment into a path for genuine growth.