Last Sunday we began a series of lessons on what’s arguably the most critical teaching in the Christian faith – accepting and living in who we truly are in Christ. We call this our identity in Christ – and as I shared last Sunday – as believers in Christ – our identity is not determined by who we are or what we have done or not done – our identity is based solely on who He is and what He has done.
We’re not defined by our vocation – or our successes, fears, or failures. Who we are is determined by spiritual birth. We’re no longer sinners but saints – set apart from sin to God – established by adoption to be God’s inheritance – rescued from sin into a new creation where the old is gone and all things have been made new. (Lost/Found Chart)
As I shared last week, we’re all in 1 of 2 camps – either we’re lost or found. The lost include any persons who have never experienced the spiritual transaction of salvation where they’ve responded to the wooing/conviction of the HS by acknowledging they’re sinfulness and placing they’re faith in the gracious and merciful atoning sacrifice of Jesus.
Once we’ve received Christ as our Savior/Lord, we receive a new identity. We become the children of God. Saints.
This leads us to our study today – for while we might be children of God (our new identity), all too often, many believers live in the pattern of their old identity. Instead of living the abiding life and under the influence of the HS, far too many believers live unplugged and under the direction of their flesh – attempting to manufacture a life that pleases God – only they can’t b/c the righteous live by faith.
W/out faith it is impossible to please God. Hb. 11:6
This AM we’re going to focus on the subtleties of the false identity or what some might call the inclinations of the flesh – so we might become aware of our patterns and learn the difference b/w walking by faith in the Spirit and walking by sight in the flesh.
What is False Identity and how is it formed?
To grasp the idea of false identity, let’s return to my basket of bulbs. Each of these bulbs has the same identity/purpose designed to contain/channel electricity and then manifest that energy through heat/light which can be perceived w/ a person’s physical senses. Yet all of these bulbs are different. Some are short. Some are tall. Some are different colors. Some have clear glass. Some have frosted glass. Some have cut glass. Yet each “light bulb” has been designed to interact w/ and display the light depending on the circumstances and location w/in which it is to be used.
Human beings are designed by God in a similar way. We’re all designed to be living souls who are animated by God’s life and who manifest His glory into our world. Our physical bodies are different shapes, sizes, and colors. We differ in gender. We speak different languages w/ different sounding voices. We’ve been given different intellects and physical capabilities. We’re born into different families. We have differing dispositions and senses of humor. Some people are extroverts – some are introverts.
Consider that if you break the filament and separate the bulb from the source of electricity, it’ll no longer be a “light” bulb. It takes on a new identity. It can no longer serve the purpose for which it was designed and it therefore loses all sense of worth/value.
Our sense of worth/value flows from our identity. So what do we do w/ a bulb whose filament is broken? We throw it in the trash can. We say it is worth nothing to us and put it in a bag to be taken to a landfill to be crushed and buried. It is the same for humans. When Adam and Eve sinned and assumed a new identity of sinner and child of wrath, their sense of worth/value evaporated. They felt intense shame. I think of Jesus words in the Sermon on the Mount – You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. Mt. 5:13
For an inanimate item like a light bulb to break and become worthless is one thing, but humans can’t thrive w/out feeling loved and having worth. We’re designed to need love/respect and to be valued and accepted. So if in the fall our sense of worth was removed – the question becomes – how can I get those needs met on my own?
Consider that what’s left of this bulb after you disconnect it from electricity and the heat and light are gone? Just glass and metal. So this bulb will have to derive a sense of identity from something related to the materials it was constructed from to meet its own needs for worth/value. How does a bulb go about getting significance/worth from its glass or metal? One way is to develop some sort of cataloging and ranking system to start measuring worth. Then there needs to be an audience or outside voice to validate the attributes. For instance, all of these bulbs might get together and decide that cut glass bulbs are the most beautiful and therefore have more worth/value. Or all the blue glass bulbs might agree that blue bulbs are worth more than pink bulbs. They might assume the identity of “blues” and make fun of and oppress any bulb that doesn’t have blue glass.
Before the fall our identity/worth came from God and what he thought. After the fall, man started getting identity/worth from the resources they possessed and accomplishments they achieved.
In Ephesians 2, Paul said we were all born dead in our sins and are enemies of God. So we are much like a baby that comes into the world craving to be loved/accepted and begins life trying to get our needs met apart from God. As we grow up we discover unique ways to find worth/value based on our name, relationships, appearance, abilities, possessions, profession, etc. So when you ask a person who they are you’ll usually get a response telling their name (family identity), their profession (what they do w/ their time). They may tell you their race or nationality. They may give you a list of their achievements or accomplishments.
People generally identify w/ things that’ll impress others to gain their respect/admiration. At the same time, most will try to disassociate w/ things or failures that may cast themselves in a bad light and result in their rejection and feeling worth-less. The Apostle Paul had quite a long list of identities…
The Example of Paul – Philippians 3:1-14
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the 8th day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss b/c of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Ph. 3:1-14
If anyone had a reason to boast in the human condition – it was Paul. In biblical times, Paul would’ve been considered the Bomb.com. By earthly standards, He was all that and a bag of chips. He had the status, the pedigree, and the resume. He was the man. Yet once he found Christ and discovered what it meant to be in Christ – he was radically transformed.
I want to note (2) things. Once Paul discovered his new identity – he said everything else is meaningless. He realized his worth was only meaningful in Christ.
The 2nd thing I must point out is that Paul understood that in his relationship w/ God (in his identity) he was transformed (perfected), but in his behavior he was still in process. Let me explain it another way. Paul got that at the point in time of his salvation he was secure, rescued, and set apart in Christ; yet at the same time, until the return of Christ – so long as he was in this mortal body – his behavior was still in the process of lining up w/ his righteous identity. This might sound like a contradiction but it’s not. Paul was saying, my eternal condition (my identity) has been transformed by the cross b/c my old nature has been crucified and I am no longer enslaved to sin and its consequences. Yet until Christ returns and the mortal puts on immortality, I’m still subject to the temptations/testing’s of this world. Therefore, I must live each moment resting in my new identity. I do this in faith by following the leading of the HS by choosing to obey God’s Word.
And let’s be honest – it is not always easy. Why? B/c we tend to bank our identity on anything but Christ.
Ben’s Story
I could mention many different identities I tried to assume growing up to get my needs met for worth, but for the sake of time, I’ll just talk about one. Many of you know my father, Greg Brezina, played pro football back in the 60/70’s and he was very successful even making it to the pro-bowl.
If you’re a pro athlete in America you have instant respect from people. They invite you to events – ask you to endorse products – ask you to sign your name on various items they will keep and put on display in their houses. TV shows ask you make appearances. Newspapers want to interview you…
As a young boy growing up w/ a dad who was a pro athlete, I observed this and I wanted to be like him. I wanted to play pro football. The desire got stronger when I got into high school and I grew bigger physically and started having some early success playing the game. People started talking positively about my potential and this encouragement reinforced a drive to become a pro football player.
Joey’s Story
Crazy things happen when we base our identity and value on anything other than Christ. When I was in high school, my identity was wrapped up in being an athlete. I lettered 12 times in high school across (4) sports. I was a jock. Then I went to college. While I wasn’t a bad student in high school, b/c I was no longer an athlete but a TA on an academic scholarship at CN, people no longer valued my athleticism but my scholarship – and my identity changed. I didn’t need sports b/c I was a Brainiac – Who’s Who – Mortar Board – President’s List. And then I graduated and moved to Norway where I followed a genius – literally a rocket scientist.
Suddenly, I was no longer the smart guy, but the athletic guy again – a coach at the local high school – and by now – a little schizophrenic. I didn’t know who I was. But I did learn if you base who you are on what you do and what others think you are or want you to be… you’ll lose your mind.
What is the Problem of False Identity
The 1st problem is that it is unstable b/c not everyone values the same things. You may run into someone who doesn’t value what you’ve based your identity on. You may find someone who hates all people w/ your skin color or demeans your gender or insults your nationality. You might run into a person who says golf is a silly game and you love it.
Instead of finding respect/love, we receive hurt/rejection. This often leads to frustration, anger, and conflict. False identities are unstable b/c they lead to jealousy/selfish ambition. If our identity is based on being a pilot, we can’t be satisfied w/ being a low level pilot. We need to be the best pilot of the best airplane for the most respected airline who makes the top salary – when more success accompanies more worth/value it’ll lead to jealously/selfish ambition.
This wisdom is not that which comes from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there’s disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, w/out hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You’re envious and can’t obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You don’t have b/c you do not ask. You ask and do not receive b/c you ask w/ wrong motives, so you may spend it on your pleasures. Ja 3:15-4:3
(2) A false identity is unsustainable b/c no identity based on the something in the natural world will last. There comes a point when a pro athlete retires. Then they’re no longer a pro athlete, they’re a “former” pro athlete and “former” pro athletes aren’t as respected as the current athletes. Every false identity we assume is unstable and when we base our value on the physical or “fleshly” as Paul says, we’re like a man who builds his house on the sand. When the rains fall and the floods come and the wind blows against our life built on our false identity, great will be its fall.
(3) A false identity is it is unproductive. Who we believe we are drives our behavior. Who we consider ourselves to be will drive what we spend our time doing. If I view myself as a pro football player, then I’ll spend my time running, lifting weights, doing drills, and studying plays w/ the intension that I’ll become a better player who’s more accomplished so I will get more worth/praise. If I look at myself as a model, then I’ll spend my time grooming, eating very little, exercising, and going to castings.
The Concept Muscle Memory
I’m reminded of muscle memory. Muscle memory can best be described as the ability of one’s muscles to repeat a muscle activity over and over w/ exact precision over time. For instance, in golf, golfers create muscle memory by repeatedly swinging a golf club w/ precision. As the player practices, his muscles become accustomed to his mechanics – and over time, the brain remembers the motion.
I saw this idea at work w/ a friend who was a former golfer. He laid down his clubs for 9 yrs. One day I convinced him to play a round and he shot 3 under par. Just sickening.
I think this is the struggle Paul is referring to in Galatians 5 when he writes – the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh.
In salvation – God gives us a new identity (a new nature) and the old nature is crucified. Yet our flesh still has muscle memory to the old patterns. We have a spiritual muscle memory that needs to be overcome by the renewing of our minds. Psalm 1 says this is done by meditating on God’s word. Psalm 119 calls us to hide God’s word in our hearts. Romans 12 invites us to renew our minds so we can prove God’s will. Hebrews 12 says we must fix our eyes on Jesus.
The challenge is we live in a fallen world w/ an adversary who enjoys getting us to live in the memory of our sinful nature. He tempts our flesh to return to the pleasures, pride, and practices of the world to find our value/worth instead of finding our value in the new identity we have in Christ.
The way to retrain our mental/spiritual muscle memory is to line up our beliefs w/ the truth of who God says we are in Christ. When we believe right, our behavior follows.
For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, b/c the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it doesn’t subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, he doesn’t belong to Him. Romans 8:5-9
