Discover Your True Self - You are Beautiful, Part 2

Do you realize that God has made you like no other person in the entire world that he has gifted you and prepared you to do a good work, the specific purpose that no one can fulfill. Just like today to learn how to discover. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with children Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry between the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram and in this program. Chip continues a series discover your true self with the distinction really a comparison of two words that's going to change everything about how you think about yourself and how you think about God.

Here's the thing. I'm so excited about.

Once you get clear on how they differ free to pursue your life in Christ with the gusto you never imagined. Just before we get started, let me encourage you to try using chips message notes while you listen there full of Scripture references in this detailed outline notes are quick download when you go to LivingontheEdge.org and click listen now for tap, fill in notes on the chips in Ephesians chapter 2.

You have a Bible turn there.

Now let's jump in God has solved your problem and my problem. God has solved the problem. God wants to eradicate and obliterate not just theologically, your guilt, but the experience of guilt and guilty feelings so that you can live a free life. Notice how he did it. This is his provision. This is his solution.

Verse eight for it is by grace that you have been saved. How, through faith and this is not from yourselves. Notice it is a gift from God. It's not of works, no amount of trying hard.

No amount of re-upping no matter what willpower you can't solve this and the reason is so that no one can boast. Grace free, unmerited love of God that put Christ upon the cross after living a perfect life to be your substitute to pay for your sin to tone. That's what the word means. He covered it all that you deserved and I deserved was placed upon Christ and that's why he said my God, my God, why have you forsaken me because the father turned away from the sun.

In that millisecond because the just condemnation and anger of God was placed on Christ, so it shouldn't be on me and just as I was imputed or given hereditarily the sin of Adam. Now I get the imputed righteousness of Christ. That's who you really are true, our restoration can only begin. However, when we recognize the full extent of our need to I think so. So many Christians this people. I think. Our church I think it's a lot of hey I want to be a better person want my kids to not ride on a good life and you know the music's good, and you take good care of our kids and and and and the messages are cut helpful for me to adjust around life and some of them are even inspirational and motivational and but you never cross the line you still in control.

This is like. Jesus help me so I can have my life the way I wanted to figure out what I want to do because I know what's best about being happy you haven't received the gift you don't believe God is who he really is. You still suddenly believe down deep in your heart but if you surrender all of you Sam to follow him and to go public on to live out this life that my lands. Your income will probably go down to probably ask you to do some hard and difficult thing is that what you would do with your kids. His plans are best for you, but you have to reach the sense of your need to gift some of you would just come outside of Christ, and this is all kinda new and it sounds too good to be true member are series on generosity. I wrote something down and I'm trying to live it out. Making progress, inch by inch, and in that I told you that I long to become known in heaven and on earth and extraordinarily generous person.

Not that anyone would see it that that was that was my prayer before God and saw this was. I don't know several weeks ago, Cosco, and I was checking out I was by myself picking up some stuff. It was very obvious that the couple and an small kid behind me were were struggling financially, and they were trying to figure out can we put this in her that in and they had a number of things is a pretty good little sigh I like you do. I get my thing, a payment think I saw a minute I whispered.

I said but there's only okay just let me limit to care that the guy we heard me what what is a no no no no, man. I've just been really really blessed. I would be so honored. You would let me pay for for years. Just, I mean just just just, you know what just would love to bless you today.

No, no, no man, no, no, no, no, not just would you would let me when. Let me why would anyone turn down you know hundred and 25, $250 worth of groceries he needed it. I knew he needed. I heard them talk with his wife.

Why I can do this myself. I don't need your help. I don't need charity.

IIII. Pride. Pride. Pride.

How in the world could people turn down the gift of salvation, what I want the benefits I want a little help, but I'm going to be in control. Guess what that guy got to stay in control. Bless you buddy and not only that he hurt my feelings. He did listen to your laughter as you hurt God's feelings.

Are you willing to receive God's best. Or are you so smart and so wise in yourself that you get to stay in control. It is by grace that you're saved yes but notice through faith. The source is 100% grace write that down but the reception is through faith. This is all of your salvation is a gift and it is apprehended or received by your action of faith you trust. You believe you transfer God, I need your help. I'm desperate. My dad came to faith and overcame his guilt when he said I can't do this and my insides and my anxiety and I can only choose so much gum. I bet he went through team hundred packs of gum. The first year mean one smoking when drinking into something yeah yeah yeah I shared the gospel. He started reading the Bible and I still remember he said in his Marine love rings is a typical Howdy, how you get this Jesus, I said I didn't know at the time wasn't of the Christian, but I was uninformed and as I just to read the Bible that he gets up 5 AM read the Bible for an hour every morning, more than most Christians kept reading to the Gospels, he goes I'm not sure it has something to do with faith. I said that it has everything to do with faith, and my father big Marine advanced degrees. This family event on the outside look good educated polite all the kids do well in school. All the kids do well in athletics. Externally, like a lot of you all.

We look squeaky clean and behind it and alcoholic father and enabler. A rebellious child. A compliant child and eating disorder and a rescuer. My dad got on his knees at the end of his bed with the four laws and God has a wonderful plan for my life is the Lord Jesus, I have sinned against you have done many things wrong. I've killed thousands of people.

I can't imagine how you could forgive me. Your word says that you died in my place and so I'm asking you right now, will you forgive me and come into my life right now and my dad could whip not taking drinks but he could never get rid of his guilt toy trusted Christ and then a journey started an amazing journey with a lot of ups and a lot of downs can I ask you have you ever trusted Christ, not just believe that's true. But have you received Jesus as your Savior and if you haven't, today's the day. Don't don't walk out of this room or don't turn off your video until you just bow your head and say am I going to be like the guy Cosco or my going to receive this free gift. The result, no condemnation, no condemnation.

Therefore there is no condemnation what for those who are underlined little two things in Christ Jesus is no condemnation there's no guilt all your guilt has been paid for. But here's the key here is what you ask right if there's no condemnation, and I don't have any theological guilt while I still have guilt feelings right to words under in your in your notes, write the word condemnation and write the word conviction. What we we could call it. Instead, calm condemnation, you could actually collect guilt if were thinking theologically. Let's just go with condemnation. The goal of condemnation you do something wrong condemnation says I am a bad person. The author of condemnation is the enemy he's the accuser of the brother in Revelation 1210. The goal of condemnation is to make you feel unworthy a terrible person that makes you not want to get around God not want to pray and not make things right. That's condemnation, that's not from God. This is usually broad and generic your terrible father your terrible pastor, your allows. That's use what I conviction the author is the Holy Spirit conviction is not I'm a bad person because your son or your daughter, the King of Kings and Lord of lords. Conviction is I had a bad behavior or a bad thought I'd send against God or someone in the Holy Spirit is porting this very specifically out over here, God is your attitude toward one of your kids of unforgiveness is wrong and that will produce poisoning you and destruction in your relationship, confess it to me. Make it right with him that television show that's like that you log on that third glass of wine that eating that you have.

I've already spoke to you about your attitude toward it will be very specific.

The authors, the Holy Spirit, the goal is that you specifically know what happens in the response. If you confess your sins, it just means agree with God you don't hide your excuse. You don't complain.

You don't blame is not my fault you're right. I'm a terrible attitude toward my son, you are right. I was harsh with my husband or my wife. You're right. Actually, I would call it a white lie but it's a lie you're right.

I didn't do this at work when I said I did. I live in the meeting, will you forgive me and the Holy Spirit will draw you close to the father because the goal is to reconnect your fellowship with God.

When we mess up in God's family. He doesn't kick us out of the family he brings it to our attention so he can draw us back close to him so that we can get the very best and become the most Christlike son or daughter to make sense condemnation conviction know what many of us do.

He shows us something we bury. We just bury it. We feel guilty and are warped view of God.

You think God's down on you, so you don't pray, and you don't apologize to your wife or your son and you don't deal with the issue and you push it down and you push it down and then and then because when you have guilt real guilt.

It does something in your soul, but in a three or four beers are a couple shots or joint or some shopping or in my case work sort covers it over for just a little while but you always have to come back and face you, and pretty soon you can live a life or your conscience. That little antenna God is given you to say right or wrong yes or no become seared and bent and that's why many many Christians can literally feel no guilt and yet their finances demonstrate their complete disobedience to God that can feel no guilt and yet be sexually active or logging on to pornography in direct disobedience to God.

Here's here's the problem that will bring about destruction in your life and your relationships, and it will break God's heart and the whole story of the prodigal son was he's just looking for sons and daughters just come back ready for this. It's amazing the weight comes off, I blew it, but it can't be a secret you got confess it to God into someone safe were healing occurs and then the exciting part is embracing the beauty of God's recreation notice there's another reason for we been saved by grace will reason for you are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for you to do circle the word workmanship we get our word poem. It's that it's a picture of a tapestry. It's a picture of an artist or a potter, and he's made something magnificent you now in Christ and not only wanted and secure, and valuable incompetent your beautiful God says from the foundations of the earth. I created you and yes there was disobedience and you were separated for me. Now I am rescued you and so on two counts. One I made you your eye color your height, your personality, all of that actually get it I love it like I'm the author and now your inner qualities I see you through my son Jesus beautiful this this tapestry that's been woven in and the backside has a lot of knots and there's a lot of problems and there's a lot of struggles but I just want the front sides getting more and more and more beautiful. And that's what I see. Jot down if you will.

You are his masterpiece and the notice you are uniquely gifted and beautiful in your inward character in your outward appearance in God's eyes as you go to the back page. There's a very specific way for you and me to see ourselves.

The top two lies that we believe in this area is that I'm a bad person.

My past mistakes and guilty feelings confirm that I'm dirty ugly and unlovable. You would be shocked how many people in this room feel that way.

I'm a bad person, not a good person to God's eyes, who does some occasional bad things I'm a bad person. I feel ugly I feel unlovable. Guess what, when, that's the view of you. You talk about problems in every relationship and people that have been abused emotionally or specially sexually. This is how they see themselves. The lie the second lies. If only I could be as beautiful and talented and morally pure. As you fill in the person that I would be happy. So where we go is we compare ourselves or someone else. I feel ugly I feel dirty I feel unworthy but if I look like her if I could do that I could play the violin like a play the piano.

I was a CEO if I made a lot of money if I if I if I if I and then you go down this path and and the saddest people are the ones who achieve like the interview I heard for the quarterback of the Super Bowl said. Everyone thinks when you win the Super Bowl to this awesome thing. It never delivers what we thought it would. Is it my advantages as a follower of Christ. I knew it wouldn't. But here's the truth you review my soul. The real me.

My physical appearance. My natural talents and my personality in their unchanging aspects. This is something we can improve.

But my soul the real me. My physical appearance unlocking to get over 6 foot. I can't change my color.

I have a personality or strengths to it and weakness to it, but in their unchanging aspects are beautiful in God's sight.

Are you ready he is my designer and maker. Why listen carefully you are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, as we close was trying to figure out how to communicate in process. This, and I jotted something in my journal that at least maybe will give some of you some hope. And here's after this passage and studying it. I wrote I confess Jesus. It's so very often I think any mode and ponder all of this like some theoretical truth or mathematical equation that you died for my sin and in my place. You rose from the grave you conquered death. Sin and Satan now.

What's true of you is true of me and by faith I put my trust in your work on the cross and resurrection, and indeed all that is 100% true. But the reality that correct doctrine doesn't reach into my heart and the depth of my heart in being and emotions until I grasped afresh you the fully human man with human pain and grief and exhaustion and anguish. It's not gone the force, it's got the person you voluntarily suffered this pain, emotional nearly at a break down relational betrayal desertion by your closest friends in the worst of all, the rejection by your father and in that moment you allowed all my sin and the sins of everyone else to be placed on you and the anger of the father was justly toward evil, not just the principal or the philosophy but real evil in each one of us and you did all that to bring Chip Ingram one human being made in your image fallen insecure, fearful, guilty and completely unworthy into a safe, secure, eternal relationship of incomprehensible love and acceptance filled now with purpose and power and gifts and to think that my older brother the Lord Jesus says without any shame. He's my friend. I confess so often I fail to remotely grass this new life in the reality of this process, but even when I faintly begin to even get a glimpse birth some overwhelming gratitude and have this compelling desire to obey you and to honor you because of your love, not because of my guilt and I want to love others more and more, and treat them the way you do regardless of how they look or what they've done or what they believe. Please enlighten me further that the eyes of my heart might know you.

Jesus better and better and better as you are and as a result I might see myself more and more as you see me, it's a journey.

Folks, you don't have, to live a guilt ridden life not guilty anymore. You bow your head, let me pray for you, holy, holy father, I'd ask you in this moment. For those who have not received Christ and accepted your gifts, that in their seat or on their screen or as their listening driving somewhere at some time that in this very moment, they would turn to you, with all their heart and in desperation and their need, confess their sin and ask you to come into their life right now and forgive them in purpose by your power and your grace to walk with you, Lord, I pray that you would allow the fact that there is no more guilt for those that are in Christ Jesus to sink in before Jesus name. Those just prayed with all heaven is rejoicing because you have passed from the kingdom of darkness into God's kingdom. Light your eternity with God and everyone in heaven is a done deal. Your eternal life begins right now. Yes, you have a lot to learn. Immaturity is a journey, but I want you to know that right now because of the blood of Jesus Christ and you placing your faith in what he has done that you are now his child is the reason Jesus came is the reason he lived his life before us and showed us what the father was life and died in your place and my place to pay for our sin and rose from the dead to prove that it's true, and for others. This is not the first time the Lord has really spoken to you but you keep resisting you keep getting up to that line and you know deep in your heart. This is what I need to do and then you think of all the implications of what people would think, and what might have change and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah and internally you say something like will maybe I'll do it later.

I'm sure I'll do it later.

And in action is saying to God. No thank you. Let me read a passage from the book of acts says God has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man that he is appointed speaking to Jesus.

So let me encourage you on this day to seriously ponder your life and here's a prayer just say to God. God I want to believe, reveal yourself to me in a way that I can understand and then have your eyes open pursue and be open, God will answer that prayer. He's always looking for people that are honest and sincere. He promises seek me and you'll find me. If you search for me with all your heart, if you prayed with Chip. I hope you'll take a minute and call us at 1-888-333-6003. We'd love to hear your story and get a free resource in your hands that'll help you understand the significance of your decision and then give you a couple of next steps on your journey that same resources available if you tap special offers on the app or go to the new believers tab on our website LivingontheEdge.org. We just want to help you get started and say welcome to the family. We know Chip over the course of the series we've been inviting listeners to join us for the new daily discipleship study will could you tell us a little bit more about what that involves and why you're doing it one day.

It was what we learn from the Cove and 19 crisis and I invited people that if no one had ever personally discipled them that I would meet with them individually. We would open the Bible together. We would learn to study it. Hear God's voice journal process life together and I would meet with them one-on-one and we had thousands and thousands of people do it and they told us no one has ever done this with me and so that's what I'm going to do again this fall but the focus is going to be on Ephesians chapters 1, two and three were God makes it very clear.

This is who you are in Christ. What I've learned over the years is that we struggle with their identity in Christ and yet how are our value, our spiritual gifts are focus for the future.

Our purpose is all rooted in grasping and understanding who we are in Christ and so I'm inviting people to do that with me. We can begin this fall.

I believe it's September 14 and if people will commit to do it. I will give them the book discover your true self, so that after we get done studying.

They can continue to grow and actually grasp this is who God made me to be. It's revolutionary.

I hope you'll join us. What was a lot of information so grab a pet if you can and I'll run over the details of this great offer, beginning September 14. Chips go to sit down with you to do a brand-new daily discipleship study session will only be about 10 minutes long and over the course of the series will walk you through the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians as an added bonus, if you commit to doing the entire study and register by September 7. He'll send you his new book, discover your true self absolutely free to sign up for daily discipleship with Chip. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org for more information give us a call at 188833360030.

I hope you'll join us again next time. And until then, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge