Attempting to find yourself among the lost?
Dr. Phil and Joel Osteen among many other feel good pop psychologist and motivational coaches and speakers believe that man’s guilty problem can be resolved by gratifying his desires. The guilt problem is never acknowledged however it is rather referred to as a self esteem or an identity problem. Man’s guilt problem is often denied in our relativist culture because guilt does not fit into its humanist, pragmatic and often atheist framework. The focus is often taken away from an honest evaluation of self and guilt and moved toward covering, masking or numbing the guilt with satisfying desires (pressure) or by simply pretending and often brainwashing oneself into thinking he is not guilty (positive thinking). This is none sense for if a person is told (diagnosed) he has cancer he cannot simply think positively about. No, he must take the proper treatment to be cured.
Nonetheless the focus is often shifted away from the deep down conviction to a continual superficial covering of the guilt with ever changing desires. In this mindset man and his desires become the highest priority (humanism). One cannot escape the misery, despair and depression of self by getting a higher dose of self (your desires). Some times in life man has to do things that he does not like or feel like doing, nevertheless it is for are own good. God tells us the eyes of man are never satisfied (Proverbs 27:20). God also tells us in the first letter of John, “For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world” (1 John 2:16)(NIV). So worldly wisdom and guidance only leads to misery, despair, depression and ultimately destruction.
In a culture consumed with self, lust and pride; all its needs is more of self? If man believes that he is the primary end, of most importance and the center of the universe he will continue to pursue self, continue to be empty and will always be searching for the new lie that promises satisfaction.
An unrealistic exhorted view of self is the problem. There are some obvious self-esteem issues in our culture and it is because man has continued to try to expel God from His own creation. This expulsion of God is even poplar in so-called Christian realms for man has reasoned himself away from his creator claim to be intelligent forgetting that God said,
“18Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,” 20and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” (1 Corinthians 3:18-20)(ESV)
It is popular in our day to profess to be a Christian and not reverence Christ or His Word yet man forgets that Jesus clearly said, ““If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15)(ESV) and “for the tree is known by its fruit…” (Matthew 12:33)(ESV).
In pursuit of identity well meaning people can be wrong, making negative and destructive choices based solely emotion or self perception, hence not reality. Self cannot be the standard and is not the standard for it is often changing and the Bible says, “9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10“I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)(ESV)
Standards are often not introduced in our culture because the foundation is relative. Standards also bring on ridicule for people naturally don’t like being told what they can and cannot do. Standards are often offensive and people who hold to them are often accused of being closed minded and/or judgmental. However for the Christian the standard that he holds to and proclaims is not his own. In fact his life is not even his own for he is told, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” …(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)(ESV)
So to stay in step with contemporary culture people don’t speak on standards. This is one reason why so-called Christian leaders do not speak on the displeasure of God (sin and judgment). In doing so the blood is on their hands, they will be accountable like God told Ezekiel,
“6But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. 7“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul”. (Ezekiel 33:6-9)(ESV)
Christian is to warned men like Paul wrote in his second letter to Timothy, “12Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it” (2 Timothy 3:12-14)(ESV). Right and wrong are legitimate rational realities that are essential for everyday decision-making. Every time a person makes a decision he decides between a right and wrong to some extent.
What is Authentic Self?
The authentic self is who God, the Creator of all things created an individual to be. Every creator has a particular purpose and a general purpose. In the particular sense each individual will bring glory to God in a unique way through his or her gifts and individuality, while all of creation will bring glory to Him in general. Nothing created is without purpose. For God who is the Ultimate and only all-knowing and all powerful rational Being to make something without purpose would be unthinkable and irrational.
What does the Bible say about man?
In the first chapter of the Bible Genesis 1 the Bible reads, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (1:27)(ESV).”
At one moment man was not and the next man was brought into existence, formed in the image of God. God chose to make man in His image for He had the power, ability and understanding to make man another way if He desired.
God made all things, earth and everything that man would need to accomplish the task given to him. After God created everything that was necessary, He created man, and gave him dominion over theses things, and it was very good (Gen. 1:31). So the Bible reveals the God of all creation, power and dominion giving (communicating) some of His power and dominion without necessity to a being that He created (Adam particularly and mankind in general).
It should be noted that God created everything that man would need first, than He created man in his image with a purpose already known from all eternity, for nothing is new in God. For if something were new to God He would change, He would have new knowledge. Hence making Him ignorant of something at one point and not omniscience. Also man did not have to wait for purpose. Rather purpose was already present before man was created. Therefore God takes out the guesswork, making His purpose clear.
In addition God is seen placing man in his place with parameters,
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Gen. 2:15-17)(ESV).””
These verses not only clearly establish right and wrong and consequences for right and wrong. For they reveal man’s limitations. Man is not totally free to do what he wants, but rather is limited and bond by the rule of God. Therefore man has freedom and ability to preform his God given task within the limitations that God established.
Genesis chapter two (v. 16) and the beginning of chapter three reveals that man was able with the power invested in him for good able to do evil in disobedience. This shows that the good given by God can and often is used for evil. After this incident one can read of our Lord observing the great wickedness of men were He concludes that, “the thoughts of his (man’s) heart was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5)(ESV)…”
Creation even suffered for Adam’s act of disobedience, for the ground was cursed, and thorns and thistles came forth, and the letter to the Roman’s eighth chapter reads, “that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now (v. 21,22)(ESV)”.
It should be observed that man has no power or true identity of his own out side of God and the power that man does possess is within the limitations bestowed by God. Man can however freely and willfully make choses against the will and plan of God and suffer the consequences.