Sin of Authenticity: Being Real can be a Real Sin

I published this on facebook, but I figured I would post it here as well.

There is a new buzz word in the Church that needs a bit of clarification. That word is authenticity. Encouragement to be real is popular in many growing Churches especially those that call themselves postmodern. Being genuine is believed to be helpful in building true community in the Church. After all, a faith that in superficial is repugnant to everyone, believer and unbeliever alike. However, if authenticity is not properly explained it can be taken as a license to sin.

Romans chapter three makes it very plain that we are sinners who are naturally inclined toward sin. Being real is often seen as an excuse to avoid repentance and confession of sin. The beginning of Romans tells us that the human race persisted in being themselves by succumbing to their sinful desires. As a result, God turned them over to their sinful nature to do exactly as they pleased.

Mark Driscoll in his book "Radical Reformission" writes, "This tragic fact has conveniently been ignored by many emerging church leaders ministering in the postmodern pandemonium. The list of young pastors who have been known to be fired from ministry for fornicating, committing adultery, frequenting strip clubs, and getting drunk is troubling. When confronted one such pastor weakly argued that he was being authentic and muttered some misquote of Scripture about not judging people. As we work among cultures that value realness, we must not forget that the kingdom first values repentance" (p 167).

This explains why Jesus commanded that we are to deny ourselves and to take up the cross. Actually, the truth of the matter is that we are to be as Jesus. We are to forsake everything and follow Him. Crucifying the flesh and its desires should be on our priority list.

When making authenticity a value of high priority, we must clarify exactly what we mean. First, the motivation to be real is often the rejection of the "holier-than-thou" attitude. Everyone is repelled by self-righteousness, and no one wants to be around someone that's judgmental. However, we must understand that being gung-ho about genuineness often leads to self-righteousness because the person becomes proud in her authenticity and believes she is fine the way she is while becoming blind to her need of repentance. Secondly, the value of being real is supposed to keep us honest about our humaness. But once again, being truly honest about our humaness brings us to repentance. We should not be enslaved to habitual sin for the sake of being real, genuine, or authentic. Thirdly, rejecting superficiality is believed to help build community because it encourages us to accept one another as-is. I mean it does seem completely logical that since we are all one big hunk of sinful flesh saved by grace we should be completely acceptable of everyone and their shortcomings. While it is loving to accept someone as-is, it is also equally hateful not to be truthful with them about repentance. Authenticity should not trap us into being blind to sin in our own lives or the lives of those we are in community with.

So, what is a correct understanding of authenticity? When we encourage people to be authentic, we first want them to be as Christ. Next, Christ is truth and is truthful, so someone who is being real is being truthful and living by the truth. They are not deceiving themselves or others. They are completely honest about their sins, but they are also repentant of them and are being transformed into the image of Christ daily. A truly authentic person is not just transparent. They are also progressing in their walk with Christ. A lack of Christlike fruit and the absence of victory over habitual sin is actually a sign of a faith that is superficial and not authentic. Thirdly, a person that is living by Christlike authenticity is discovering their God given gifts and purpose and using them to advance the Kingdom of God. A Christ follower that is progressing in their gifts and ministry is learning to be truly genuine, and they are becoming who God created them to be; a unique individual that is a vital organ of the living organism, the Church of Jesus Christ, by walking as Christ would walk if He were in their shoes. Finally, real authenticity as God intended it to be is a life marked by denying one's self, following Christ and His commands no matter the circumstance, and serving and loving our neighbors.

In conclusion, our main priority is to be transformed into the mage of Christ. Learning to be as our Master is the only real, genuine, and truthful way to be authentic. "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21 NKJV).