Sermon Tone Analysis

Genesis 3

We’re continuing our series regarding spiritual disciplines.

Remember,

Spiritual disciplines are intentional practices to experience the loving and transforming presence of God more consistently.

If you want to enjoy a relationship with God and if you desire to live a holy life, which is God’s will, spiritual disciplines are essential – I would even say, non-negotiable.

God expects us to participate in our sanctification.

There are many disciplines to choose from (different ways to read, pray …) - many of these have a long history in the Church that are tried and true.

We’re skimming the surface.

We’re using the acronym WORSHIP as our guide.

This week is R, which is Relinquish the False Self.

“Release the Kraken!”

Question- ever covered yourself up with leaves in the Fall?

Most of us have as children.

Covering up – trying to hide.

Fun thing to do in until the big kid jumps on.

Ever covered yourself up with fig leaves?

Of course, you have.

Maybe not literally, but you have metaphorically.

Every person has used “fig leaves” in one way or another to cover up something inside.

Each person is created in God’s image – and that image is what some call the true self.

But the true self has been corrupted through our own sin, so that the person no longer truly resembles what God intended.

Throw in top of that the pain and shame caused by the sins of others.

The true self gets buried, distorted, damaged, lost.

A large part of the Christian journey is the journey of sanctification.

Sanctification is not only about making us holy - it’s also about restoring the Imago Dei, the image of God in us.

– it’s restoring the true self, becoming who we were created to be in Christ.

The Christian journey is about transformation – dealing with the false self that’s dead, disfigured, buried, so the true self in Christ can emerge.

Calhoun says this,

“Each of us has a beautiful true self inside of us.

It is God’s gift to us.

Somewhere life taught us that our true self wasn’t welcome or safe or wanted.

Consequently, we learned to hide our true self.

In its place we constructed a false self.

The false self strives to cobble together an identity from secondary things: reputation, success, status, family, jobs, health.

But an identity based on these things is rooted in idols.

And idols can be lost!”

“Our truest identity can never be something we accomplish, earn or prove on our own.

It is a gift we receive from Jesus.

It is not something we earn through performance; it is what we are given.”

~ Adele Calhoun

Take a moment and process – what does that mean to you?

Look at Genesis 3.

In Genesis 1 and 2, God created humanity in His image.

Very good.

No fear, no embarrassment, nothing to hide emotionally or physically, so there’s no false self, no pretending.

This is the true self in the purist sense.

Hard to imagine.

What’s going on here?

Satan is planting seeds of doubt, confusion, disobedience.

But Satan is also doing to Eve the same thing he attempted to do with Jesus in the desert – he’s causing her to doubt her given identity, hoping that she will construct a new one – which she did, a new identity separated from God.

They became woke!

They knew they were no longer innocent; no longer who they were meant to be.

They were now in an identity crisis – emotional chaos.

Instead of the given true self, a false self emerged.

Genesis 3 is a failed attempt at creating one’s identity apart from God.

And what does a false self always do?

God is not asking about Adam’s location (“I can see your scrawny little behind over there”).

I believe He’s asking about Adam’s identity, which is now corrupt, separated, and hidden – not what it’s supposed to be.

The NCT – The Creator called to the man and said, “Where’s the real Adam I created?

What happened to our relationship?”

Can’t have right relationships with God or others built on a false self.

We’ve been dealing with an identity crisis ever since

We're not going get to the spiritual disciplines today - that’s next week.

Based on Genesis 3, here are

Some truths about the false self

1) The false self hides the truth

– always afraid

2) The false self creates barriers between God, others, and the true self

3) The false self must be manufactured

True self is given; false self is created.

They had an identity in God.

Satan came in, they believed his lie, and they constructed a new identity.

This leads me to believe that

4) The false self is often built on lies

Henri Nouwen says we can group these lies into three primary beliefs that shape our identity.

We can believe the lie that

Lies We believe: I am what I have.

I am what I do.

I am what other people say or think about me.

That’s where Adam and Ever were.

All lies.

Remember, our true identity is not derived from what I have, do or what others say – my identity is a gift given by God.

I'm reluctant to say the false self is always built on lies, because some false identities are built out of a necessity to protect (abuse, trauma).

Still a false self, still needs to be dealt with in Christ, but the foundation is different.

5) The false self must be managed

They had to cover themselves up, they had to run and hide, they had to make excuses, and blame someone.

Man blamed the woman, the woman blamed the snake, the snake said, “I didn’t make you do it!”

Lot of time and energy goes into managing the false self.

Got to look a certain way, act a certain way, have certain things, can’t let your guard down, always on alert for cracks and weaknesses ….

There is a lot of restlessness with the false self.

Pressure.

Anxiety.

Ultimately,

6) The false self is an illusion

Often wants to exist outside of God’s will and love, outside of reality and true life.

Is there any hope?

Yes!

There is good news!

The mission of Christ is the reversal of the false self and the restoration of the true self – the renewed image of God in us.

Not just about sin and heaven – His death is about restoring the true self ….