BY THE GRACE OF GOD I AM WHAT I AM
INTRODUCTION:
A. “Our self-image is very important. It has been said that the teaching regarding
self-image is the most important psychological discovery of this century.”[1]So
writes author Don Matzat quoting Josh McDowell
1. If we do not have
a self-image, we cannot answer the question “Who am I?” We have no way of
making an accurate identification.
2. This idea of self-image coupled with
self-esteem is all the rage these days.
3. People are going to psychologists,
therapists, counselors and even pastors trying to find themselves and learn how
to love themselves.
4. Some try to define themselves by what others
think about them, some do it by being rebellious, others by their dress, hair color,
piercings, tattooing, etc.
5. Still others try to find it in their jobs,
sports, vehicles they drive, homes they live in or organizations they belong
to.
6. But is all this time and money really
necessary?
B. NO! It
is not necessary.
1. We have a God who is very interested in who we
are and how we live
2. He did not create us and set our life into
motion so that we could spend it trying to find ourselves or learn to love ourselves.
3. He created me to glorify Himself
a. 1 Cor. 10:31 states,
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
b. And Paul wrote to the
Philippians, According to my earnest
expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all
boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether
it be by life, or by death. Philip.
1:20
4. God created us to have a relationship with
Him and to glorify Him as the one and only true God!
5.
And this is why The apostle Paul could pen the words found in 1 Cor. 15:10 …by the grace of God I
am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I
laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which
was with me.
6. If we go about trying to find some other
avenue for self-image we will have many problems as C.S. Lewis wrote in the end
of Mere Christianity, “Look for
yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair,
rage, ruin, and decay. But look for
Christ and you will find him, and with him everything else thrown in.”
C. So my goal this morning is to try and help us
to get a good view of what the Bible might call a good self-image.
1. The best way to come to a complete
understanding of our “identity” is to see it from two aspects.
a. First Our Identity Based In Adam
b. Second, Our Identity Based In Christ
2. This morning I pray you will begin to understand why we have this
struggle about identity and how our Great God has given us the remedy for it.
PRAY
Let us begin by looking at
I. OUR
IDENTITY IN ADAM, Romans 5:12, 17-18 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into
the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all
have sinned:…For…by one man's offence death reigned by one;…Therefore as by the
offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation;….
A. Every human
being that has ever been conceived is a sinner!
This is the biblical view of the unredeemed man.
1. David came to a profound conclusion as he
grieved over his sin with Bathsheba; he wrote, Behold,
I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Psalm 51:5
2.
In our natural self, we cannot know the truth about many things because,
as Paul wrote in 1Co 2:14, the
natural, non-spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart
the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are
folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming
better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned
and estimated and appreciated. (Amplified Version)
3.
In our natural state our situation is dire.
a.
Romans 6:23 states in
part, For the wages of sin is death;
b. John
3:18 says we are “condemned”
c.
John 3:36 says we are
under the wrath of God.
4.
This is why Paul could write, O
wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans
7:24
B. In his book
entitled The Normal Christian Life Watchman Nee wrote, “Lord, I see it now, Not only what I have
done is wrong; I am wrong!”
1. Most of us want to define ourselves by what
we do, hence we dress, eat, go places and do certain things that we might “show”
who we are.
2. We also do these things in order to find some
level of self-satisfaction, self-worth, self-esteem.
- If others
are happy and okay with what I do, where I go, what I look like I must be okay.
3. So we set up our own standard of good and
bad, right and wrong, righteousness and unrighteousness.
4. As long as we continue to get the affirmation
we desire we might feel good about ourselves.
5. But it seems like it is never enough, so we
constantly struggle with “Who am I” “How can I love myself?”
6. We never get to the point that it is not what
I do that is wrong, but it is me that is wrong.
C. Some of us here today are struggling with
these issues because we are in Adam
1. We have been born into this world and the
natural man is just doing what comes naturally
2. June Hunt in her Biblical Counseling Keys
– Identity[2] wrote, Every individual is born into the family of
Adam, is identified with Adam and will exhibit the character of Adam. Adam
represents the humanistic view of life.
a. The one
in Adam sees human beings in control of events and circumstances.
b. The one
in Adam believes there is no absolute truth; everything is relative.
c. The one
in Adam believes in choosing one’s own moral restraints.
d. The one
in Adam sees self-fulfillment as life’s highest purpose.
3.
Sin and the ravages of sin is our lot in Adam – no wonder the world is
in the shape that it is.
4. We must come to see who we re in Adam if we
are ever to see our need for something else
And there is something else, there is another way,
II. OUR
IDENTITY IN CHRIST, 1 Joh 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
A. Whereas in Adam we are known as Sinners, in
Christ we are known as Saints – we are the children of God!
1. The title “saint” is not a special title
given only to a special few who a church decides is worthy of the name, but a
general title given to all who come into the family of God.!
2. When you get saved you become a saint! – You
are a new creature.
3. 2 Cor. 5:17 states, if any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
4.
You are now alive in Christ for Paul wrote, I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
5. And
you ask “Why is this important to me?”
6. Because your identity is no longer found in
YOU, that is Adam, but in CHRIST!
7. We have become heirs with Christ – we are
royalty! Romans 8:17 And if
children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ;….
B. Whereas in Adam I died, in Christ I live!
1.
Do you remember Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by
one; (listen to the rest of the verse)
much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
2. And Romans
5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; (the rest of the story)
even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life.
3. It is in Christ that we find our true
identity! Stop searching for the world’s
way, your way and come to God’s way.
C. Listen to Ephes. 5:8-17 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye
light in the Lord: walk as children of light: [9] (For the fruit of the Spirit
is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) [10] Proving what is
acceptable unto the Lord. [11] And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works
of darkness, but rather reprove them. [12] For it is a shame even to speak of
those things which are done of them in secret. [13] But all things that are
reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is
light. [14] Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the
dead, and Christ shall give thee light. [15] See then that ye walk circumspectly,
not as fools, but as wise, [16] Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
[17] Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord
is.
1. We have a new family inheritance[3]
a. We have moved from darkness to light.—Eph 5:8
b. We reflect God’s goodness, righteousness and
truth.—Eph 5:9
c. We desire to please God.—Eph 5:10
d. We expose evil and ungodliness.—Eph 5:11
e. We are blessed with wisdom.—Eph 5:15
f. We make the most of opportunities.—Eph 5:16
g. We seek to know God’s will.—Eph 5:17
2.
In Ephes. 1:18-19 Paul
prayed for the saints (us) that The eyes
of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
[19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power,
D. We no longer need to seek our meaning for
life – it is found in Christ
1. We find our peace and joy in living for God
2. We no longer have to base our self-worth or
self-esteem on what we look like, what we do, what we have, where we go, or who
we are with
3. We are unconditionally accepted in Christ,
this is the testimony of Ephes. 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace,
wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
4. Some of you
here today are trying your hardest to be accepted either by your peers or
yourselves based on what you do or look like – it’s a never ending spiral to
death
a. Even if you meet your own expectations or
attain your desired goals, eventually you will not be able to keep them.
b.
They will make themselves wings, so to speak, and fly away, leaving you
behind with a need unmet and a life without meaning.
c.
But those who’s life and esteem are founded in Christ will never come up
short.
E. Our “Being” needs are all met in Christ[4] –
let me give you a short list (you have a long one in you bulletins)
1. The Need for
Acceptance – found in Christ
a.
I am God’s Child - John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
b.
I am Christ’s friend - John
15:15 Henceforth I call you not
servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called
you friends;
2. The Need for
Security – found in Christ
a. I’m assured all things
work for good - Romans 8:28 And
we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to his purpose.
b. I cannot be separated
from the love of God - Romans 8:38-39
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
3. The Need for Significance – found in Christ
a. I am a personal witness
for Christ - Acts 1:8 But ye
shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in
b.
I
am a minister of reconciliation - 2
Cor. 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by
Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
4. Praise God for His amazing grace, His loving
Son, and Ministering Holy Spirit
5. May we live with Christ Esteem
CONCLUSION: In
closing
A. Paul wrote to
the Corinthians But by the grace of God
I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I
laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which
was with me. 1 Cor. 15:10
1. As you sit here this morning you can know
that God has made you and brought you into this world with a purpose.
2. If you know Christ as your Savior – you have
accepted His death on the cross as payment for your sin, believe that He rose
from the dead, and have humbled yourself to ask Him to save you, you have life
– a life worth living with purpose
3. You will find joy and peace as you seek to
live according to His purpose
B. If you are here and have not come to the
place in your life that you have trusted in Christ I am pleading with to do so
now (Give Gospel)
1. You cannot find real purpose in life without
him
2. And if you go to the grave without him you
have nothing but wrath and terror to forward too!
C. We can all look forward to the day in which
we are able to say along with Paul by
the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was
not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the
grace of God which was with me.
[1] Don Matzat, Christ Esteem (Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1990) p. 60
[2] (from Hope For The Heart Biblical Counseling Keys © 2005 by Hope For The Heart.)
[3] (from Hope For The Heart Biblical Counseling Keys © 2005 by Hope For The Heart.)
[4] Neil
Anderson, Discipleship Counseling (Regal Books,