Imitation or the Real Thing

Taste testing real and fake pops

Coke vs Sams

Sprite vs Twist Up

Dr Pepper vs Dr Thunder

Mt Dew vs Mt Lightning

It might look like the real thing, but it doesn’t taste like the real thing.

In Romans 2:1-11 we are going to examine 2 ways we attempt to live out our faith—Imitation or the Real Thing.

Romans 2:1–5 (CSB)

1 Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 Now we know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment? 4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5 Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.

Imitation Christians

Paul is confronting Jewish people who became Christians and are in the church, but who are judging others based on how well they are performing.

These people were trying to do all the “right” things, saying all the “right” things, and performing in all the “right” ways.

From the outside, they were good, religious, even righteous people.

And they were letting other people know that through the way they were judging others around them.

Their faith and their walk with Christ was based on how well they were performing, and Paul here is calling them out.

Here’s the thing, they were Imitation Christians not because they hadn’t made professions of faith.

They likely all had prayed a prayer, walked an isle, and been baptized, but something about them hadn’t changed.

Before coming to Jesus they were probably pretty decent Jews, whose relationship with God was dependent upon doing the right things to have a relationship with Him.

Following the law was a big deal.

Though they had possibly become Christians, their relationship with God basically stayed the same.

They still pointed to their good works as their ticket into favor with God.

Their judgmentalism was a gauge for them to measure how faithful they were compared to those who were less righteous.

But Paul makes an important and really jarring accusation toward this group:

Romans 2:1 NLT

1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.

“Such people” here is referring back to chapter 1.

Paul is saying that these super religious people are “just as bad” as the ones who were doing all kinds of unGodly acts. (sexual stuff, haters of God, inventors of evil, foolish, ruthless…)

In one sense he is likely saying that we are condemning those outside the church for the very things some of us are doing as professing Christians.

Sexual sins, lying, cheating, stealing, gossiping, slandering, boasting, and being selfish.

In another sense his is likely pointing to the deeper issue.

Maybe you aren’t doing any of the real “bad sins” that we condemn the world for, but sin is much deeper than the outwork expressions of them.

Remember Jesus in Matthew 5 when he talks about he law...

He says when we harbor anger and bitterness toward someone it is the same as murder.

When we look at someone with lustful intent we are committing adultery

When we don’t keep a promise we are lying.

What Jesus was teaching and Paul is pointing out here is that sin is much deeper than just doing bad things.

The solution to our sin is much deeper than just not doing bad things and to start doing good things.

We need Jesus.

Authentic Christians

Romans 2:3–4 NLT

3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Hear what Paul says here.

No amount of good deeds will save us from the wrath of God.

And pointing to our good deeds, judging others in order to make ourselves look better, or justifying our sin apart from Christ will not save us from God’s wrath.

Rather, in Jesus, His life, death, and resurrection, we see the kindness, tolerance, and patience of God toward us in that He doesn’t punish us for our sin, but sends Jesus in our place.

True, authentic faith in Jesus not only saves us from our sin, it also sets us free to no longer continue to sin.

Paul is saying that the grace and kindness of God is the motivation for us to live out our faith in Jesus.

As John says in 1 John 1, we will never live it perfect on this side of eternity, but true, authentic faith in Jesus will lead to obedience and goodness growing in our lives.

The difference between imitation faith and real/authentic faith is the living a good life, choosing to follow the way of Jesus is not an obligation (something you do because you feel like you have to), it is a response to His grace and goodness.

But it is so important to understand that there is a change that happens to those who are authentic follower of Jesus.

Salvation is freedom FROM sin, not freedom TO sin.

We can treat the grace of God like an unlimited gift card that just keeps paying off our sin debt.

The kindness and patience and grace of God leads us to repentance (to a change of direction).

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Pastor and theology professor in Germany during WW2.

He was against the Nazi party and Hitler, and because of that he experienced a lot of persecution from them.

He was quite outspoken and wrote a lot that would ultimately get him in more and more trouble.

In 1938, he moved to the US, to get away from some of the pressure he was under, but after only 2 weeks he decided the move was a mistake

He moved back to Germany in order to be with his people and help rebuild the church once Hitler fell.

A few years later, in 1944, he was a part of a secret operation to assassinate Hitler in order to bring an end to Nazism.

He was caught, imprisoned, and, in 1945, executed.

In 1938, Bonhoeffer had an opportunity to save his life, to live free from difficulties he faced in Germany, and to live comfortably in America.

But he saw life differently than most of us see it.

Bonhoeffer considered his life owed to living for Jesus, not living for his own comfort and safety.

His most famous quote is from his book “The Cost of Discipleship”

When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Maybe that sounds harsh and not very inviting, but it is very much true.

What Bonhoeffer understood was that because of who Jesus was, what He said, and what He did, his life was no longer about being comfortable, pursuing his own happiness in the world, and living for the moment.

His life was God’s and his joy, fulfillment, purpose, and satisfaction was only going to be found in following Jesus, even if it meant he would die in the process.

Invitation

Don’t be a fake, be the real thing.

Don’t judge your goodness and faithfulness to God next to others.

Think about and dwell on how amazing God’s grace is that even though we are all undeserving, He showers us with His kindness and grace.

Don’t let sin dominate your life.