Discover Your True Self - You are Beautiful, Part 1

Few things in life will make you feel more dirty ugly anxious and unworthy of love that unresolved guilt. Left unchecked, guilt will literally kill yourself. So what's the answer today. You don't want to miss this welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edge features the Bible to shipping all this international discipleship program. This program should continue this series discover your true self is about a personal journey wife Teresa overcome the lies of doubt, self-worth that we all experience the course of the series chips revealing God wants all of us to enjoy and how to activate those things in your life, starting today. After the teaching trip will be with us here in studio with a specific application you don't want to mess you have to step away. Remember, you can catch up any time.

Chip Ingram will chips in Ephesians chapter 2 of the Bible turn are now going it is hard for us to believe, but I would just remind you if you're a genuine follower of Christ you received him as your Savior. He's your Lord, that when God sees you at this moment you are wanted your chosen your valuable your secure your competent and ended feels a little weird for at least some of us men your beautiful doesn't mean you're pretty guys you're beautiful in God's eyes that there's something attractive when he sees you your inner character, your life, what is transforming in every aspect of you, but if there is one thing that can mar that lens and make us men and women feel dirty and ugly and unworthy and unlovable.

It's guilt to plot your teaching outward and talk about guilt. I have seen guilt torture people's lives. Someone has rightly said guilt is perhaps the most destructive of all emotions. I lived with a dad who had overwhelming guilt. At 17, 18. He was on Iwo Jima and Guam by his recollection, he killed thousands and thousands of people after being wounded. He was pulled out and all of his company died but him. He had the guilt of things he did and he had guilt for surviving alcohol is the least of his problems, outbursts of anger were the least of his problems. Guilt was the core, but he had no idea how to deal with it as we walked through this message together. I would ask you to whisper a prayer and ask God to give you the courage to be honest with yourself and honest with him because he wants to help you. So much of what you deal with and we deal with so many of the relational issues the struggles and the challenges their root cause is guilt but guilt is tricky.

There's true guilt, false guilt, there's guilt feelings.

There's theological guilt what's true of all of us. So in the front of your notes. Let's define guilt before we get to the solution.

The literal meaning is it's a state circle the word state of having committed an offense towards guilt in and of itself is you actually did something wrong. You violated a standard in more common usage today. The psychological definition of guilt is an emotional response to the perception that we broken a prohibition or fallen short of the standard circle the word emotional underline the word perception.

Dr. Becca Johnson writes. Thus, guilt can be both a fact and a feeling, and the two aren't necessarily related.

You can not feel guilty at all and be very guilty sociopaths kill people and feels zero remorse.

Some of us violate the law of the land and the law of Scripture and we internally set feel no remorse because we don't agree with it. By contrast, the opposite is true. Some people have guilty feelings, and they're not really guilty. Those of you in this room or those watching that have been abused feel guilty. It's a bizarre thing but the victims feel guilty you're not guilty, and yet you deal with that guilt, you need to learn to discern between true guilt and false guilt and were going to address that and you learn at the end of this why and how theologically guilt is the moral and legal condition of all people prior to salvation. It's our personal accountability and the just condemnation for sin and transgressions against God's law.

God is holy and perfect and to have relationship with a holy God. You must be holy and perfect and all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are all guilty before God. Prior to receiving Christ and him taking on our sin and us receiving his forgiveness all mankind is guilty after we receive Christ, God took our guilt, placed it on Christ and he obliterated guilt. If you're a genuine follower of Christ. You have no guilt before God. Some of your thinking, then why do I feel so guilty for going to talk about what that is how you deal with it.

So the last question is how do you cope with guilt.

What are the things that make you feel guilty, true or false. Again in this little book. She's a friend. Good guilt that guilt by Dr. Becca Johnson.

If this is an area or an issue.

I encourage you to read the book, she says, should we feel guilty about some things but we feel guilty because of others. Listen and just let me ask you leaned back looking at those notes I can appeal a movement that's good major tracking don't you leaned back for a minute. Which one of these do you identify things that you feel guilty about what you should eat or not eat wasting time not being a good parent being lazy or undisciplined forgetting to call your mom or email your boss or get back with people who have given your message you feel guilty about habits like smoking or biting your nails or not exercising her too much time in front of the TV or the net or maybe you feel guilty about not praying often enough for long enough for Bible study and then she says we now feel guilty about certain things, but we feel guilty because of certain things like not liking one of your children are having an abortion or being an affair or struggling with luster, pornography or masturbation or fantasies were not saying anything. But not feeling or treating your rate because you don't feel any love for them or stealing from work or lying or being a private compulsive gambler. The list could go on right most of us with our guilt and unhealthy ways. We do exactly what our first parents do number one we hide it. Number two, we deny an excuse and then number three. We usually blame other people. I like this because of my parents. While I wouldn't steal, except that they don't pay me a good salary anyway and pretty soon as you know I wouldn't be on the Internet. If my wife was more affectionate.

We all have a drug of choice to cover our guilt when we don't follow God's way. My drug of choice is work I I was challenge of being a workaholic year after year after year after year, denial, denial, excuse excuse, blame, blame on and on and on until I walked into a bookstore and I just saw title. I didn't read the book, the title said I feel guilty when I relax and I thought, that's me, and I realize that my workaholism and my desperate attempts to cover what I was feeling inside wasn't anything but guilt and I went on a journey and it was painful. It was a journey how I was trying to cover up and appear okay and to please people. All because I had some unresolved guilt some that was true in some was false. So just before we go on what's years. What's your drug of choice shopping for food. Is it addiction to work like me. What's your drug of choice when you have that restlessness over little things or big things we just carry them and if you bury big things, like in your past. The just brew. I've been on the front seat of that watching it brew in a man's life, until it nearly destroyed him and his family and everyone around. Now let's get to the solution side.

God does not want you living with guilt God is taking care of our guilt and he has an antidote to guilt you want you to know that guilt is a formidable and complex.

Follow you want to know the difference between true guilt and false guilt you want you to understand the danger that sometimes you feel guilty when you shouldn't and the even greater danger sometimes you don't feel guilty and you really should. And so here is examining the universal problem.

Ephesians 2 verses one through three. As for you, Paul writes to the Gentiles. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, you were dead in your transgressions and sins in which you used to live when you walked in the ways of the world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now working those who are disobedient.

All of us the reference Jew, Gentile all people all mankind lived among them a long time, gratifying the cravings.

The word is lost. Our passions and our sinful nature, following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest we were by nature, objects of wrath that you'll notice I put some things in bold. I like you to circle the word dad circle the word disobedient and circle the word objects of wrath were dead here literally means separated. Scripture says in that day when you sin you will surely die. Adam died. He was separated from God, but he still was physically alive and had activity sin separates us from God. There's nothing we can do to get reconnected to him and then he says why your transgressions. That means you drift off the path right you come to a crossroads. This is right. This is wrong and you choose wrong and we all do, and we all have sins is a word that means missed the market was used for someone throwing a spear or shooting an arrow and it falls short.

It doesn't hit the target but it hits other thing said because we've all done that you are alienated from God and this is your in this lifestyle. There's a world there's a there's a there's a culture in this culture, there's a ruler of the air Satan and there's a way that people treat one another have been treating people in disobedience to God, and they manipulate in the kill and they destroy and they hurt and they abuse and we seen it. It's easy to see on the macro right but Bosnia's the Sudan's the ISIS with Hitler's, the Mussolini's the Stallings the 60 or 70 million unborn babies that are killed in America through abortion. The murders that happened both with words and with guns and with knives.

The accusations, the racism in other words, he just saying mankind has lived in disobedience to God. And there's fallout and there's consequences.

He says this passion this craving.

This nature that we have inherited from Adam. Makes you the object of God's wrath literally God hates evil and because he's both holy and just he has to punish evil and so the summary is we are guilty and we are members of a condemned dysfunctional family. GK Chesterton was the British writer and journalist actually been a great theologian sort of informally had huge impact on CS Lewis and someone asking what's wrong with the world.

Now he lived through World War I and World War II.

His answer was great.

What's wrong with the world. I am what I am not the government is not this group or that group, it's me, it's inmate there sin in me and every other human being. The theologians call this total depravity. See, there's a fundamental issue in most of us academically. At least if we been in the secular public arena.

We have been told and told and told that man is basically good. Were all basically good and with enough education or the right environment. There's a utopia out there somewhere, somehow, or through technology or through organic get more food. When people come into power, even if they have a just cause you just go through history, what you will find is the same same pattern corruption, greed and morality and the haves and have-nots. We have a a life history of wars over stuff overpower at times over sex. The sources Romans chapter 5 verse 12 therefore, just as through one man, Adam sin entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sin onwards when kids are born there born sinners. David would say from my birth. You have to teach one and two-year-old to be selfish. They just get it down all the way on their own and then we get more sophisticated how to look, not selfish and be selfish. Jeremiah 17 nine says the heart is deceitful above all else, and desperately wicked who can understand it. Here's my question. Do you believe that.

So I think we live in a day where I just need little help I just need little repair. I will tell you my father's guilt eight at his life and that guilt only way he could drown. It was through alcohol.

First, a little then more and more and more and more and more, but your guilt and sin is never isolated. It always impacts other people. There's no such thing as a private sin in an alcoholic family, there's usually a scapegoat. My older sister, who was not loved and not treated well rebelled. My next sister. There's usually a compliant one I want to keep the peace.

And they feel invisible, so she cooks meals and helps out with everything and has an eating disorder about the time she was a senior just skin and bones in an alcoholic family, there's usually a rescuer. That's where I show up and so is my father would sit and drink all day on Saturday when he got up, I would take port down the drain. Thinking I was helping my mom was the enabler the most amazing person in the world, emotionally intelligent, no boundaries, no convictions until it went from a couple beers after work to missing supper to not getting home till 11 and then my mom did something that every person in that situation needs to do the turned our family around.

Here's what I want you to know the result is death until you face the problems until we see we are separated from God. That's our past in the present. We live disobedient lives apart from Christ and the end is destruction. There's judgment because God is fair in his mercy and his love notice know what he does.

Understanding God solution.

The next word. Look at your text verse 4.and the Greek language you there's not a single word he could use. It's like glaring red flashing lights and yes all that negative is true, but God because of his great love for us in parentheses. He's rich in mercy, intervened.

He made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions, and Paul gets excited. He wants to jump to his neck slotted to its it's called a pair fasting phrase and put in brackets for by grace we are saved. She discussed this is so exciting. But then he goes on with the slot and God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Why, in order that in the coming ages.

This is word for eons and eons and eons that he might show the incomparable riches of his grace that he expressed in his kindness to us how, through Jesus Christ with your pan. Second line would you underlined with Christ. Skip a line go down next underlined with Christ. The underlined in Christ Jesus, last line right in Christ Jesus. Does anyone make an observation.

Is there anything about what you just underlined it tells you the solution. Yes, we were dead apart from Christ. Yes, disobedient, and yes, we deserve the righteous condemnation of God.in Christ in Christ and Christ in Christ. Notice he flipped every one of them instead of dead he made us alive. The word is quickened. The moment that you receive Christ in you were joined with him you were dead spirits and you were made alive and reconnected to God the father. Second he raised you up. You were co-resurrected shutdown. Romans 6:4. Instead of walking disobedience.

He says that we died with him. And since we died with him.

We also were raised with him in order that we might walk in newness of life, new power sin doesn't have power over you anymore. As a follower death no longer stings Satan defeated you walk in newness of life and then finally instead of destruction you were seated with him in the heavenly places literally at a better word, is your enthroned the disobedience of this world there is a ruler and there is a power the enemy and is orchestrating it through people's flashing desires and passions and selfishness and anger and violence and he goes no no no. You're out from under that dominion. And now you've been enthroned with Christ.

You are a brand person.

That's why God sees you differently is wanted and secure, invaluable and competent. And guys, even beautiful Jesus intervention rescued us from condemnation and into his family rescued notice from and into the answers. Christ is the only answer for personal peace. He's the only answer for peace in the world. My mom did something pretty brave when she realized after many many many many many years that she was the enabler when she saw what was happening to her family. She was a counselor and finally she set up a boundary and here's the intervention and some of you have been there and you got some good friends and some good psychological help in some counselors and write you all get together and the key to an intervention is it's a safe environment. We all sit around we tell this person that we love you were for you, but your behavior is is going to destroy you and your string others number for you and you need help. I remember that moment.

I remember my mom holding up a bottle of beer you talk about reality therapy. You can have this bottle in continuing that or me and the kids. You just can't have both. You get 48 hours. My dad was a math teacher.

He did the math and he was a Marine quit is quit. In fact, you thought you know I drink beer all day and I smoke 3/2 packs of cigarettes Michael Quinn about so he quits about about three months later how to say dad please drink a beer. He didn't deal with any issues he didn't understand his guilt, but I mean he just made us nuts. But then when he realized was he when he realized I can't solve this. See, for many of you, the symptom isn't shopping. It's not money it's not pornography is not alcohol, it's not your relationships is not what your kids is not whether they got into a school issue with guilt, some real and some perceived and you finally realize that was the problem back. Look at this text. The motive verse four jot down costs. Love God and rescue you because you're special or wonderful nice. He rescued you because he loves you. God is good to you, not because you're good is because he's good beyond his mode of his action. What instead of death, he made you alive instead of disobedience.

He raised you to walk in newness and power instead of future destruction. The future hope and his purpose is to demonstrate and reveal.

Did you realize this year. This trophy year this fall and hurting person who's done things wrong like I have some have received abuse and difficulty and pain we all have the stuff, but God wants to transform you and it is a journey it's a process and is often painful and that's why ask you to pray that you be honest, could you just quit pushing and pushing and pushing and and and and settling for substitutes and sedating your pain and ask yourself why do I do for years and years I tried hard to change my schedule. I promised Teresa I won't work so many hours. It wasn't until I dealt with the why behind the guilt change occurred.

The list one objects message, you are beautiful series discover your true self, how to silence the lives of your past actually experience who God says you are triple. Be right back with his application, but before is I hope you'll take a second and go online or capture and encourage others to join us for the series 2 we all struggle with doubts about self worth and value, but the facts about who we are change when we put our faith in Jesus chips teaching from the book of Ephesians to help us understand who we are as believers in Christ, he explains the nature of the new creation. We become and how to leave old thinking and doubts in the past for limited time resources for discover your true self are discounted and the MP3s are always free to order your copy or to send to a friend visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org for additional information. Just give us a call at 8883336003 will check before you get to your application.

I'd like to read an email we got recently. He starts out dear chip and the local team. Thank you so much for the study of Ephesians chapters 1 through three.

Those are the passages in our current series goes on.

I can't express how much of a blessing. It's been in my life.

One of my biggest stumbling blocks is to believe and really accept the God loves me just for who I am. Maybe you biggest take away from the soul time together is that I am now living from God's approval rather than for God's approval is great. If you feel people in on the resources talking about your will day.

That is our daily discipleship video series where I meet one-on-one with people and I walk them through Ephesians, chapters 1, two and three melt their hearing me preach it on the broadcast. But this isn't preaching. This is actually going through the passage systematically learning how to study the Bible. Learning how to not just talk to God, but to hear God's voice and literally going to the Scriptures in a way were over time. You understand what the passage teaches what it really means, and maybe most importantly, what it means to you and we did this in over 10,000 people signed up and did it with us in the fall and we had literally hundreds of thousands of views and emails and letters like this of people who said I'm in a Christian for a long time or I'm a brand-new Christian or even one lady who says I came from China and I prayed to receive Christ and now walking through this with you.

I understand how God sees me is change the course of my life. That's what the daily discipleship is and I would just love to meet with every single person hearing my voice, while powerful, thanks for helping us here out works and what's in store when we give it a try daily discipleship with chip is a course of 10 minute videos were chip walks you through how to study a passage from the Bible and really hear God's voice of the sessions are designed to help you get into the practice of doing that every day. The study trips.

Recommending is based on his current series discover your true self because you see yourself as God sees you, is an essential to overcoming your deepest struggles. Having healthy relationships living in freedom and fulfilling your life's purpose to find the daily discipleship with chip@livingontheedge.org on the homepage Listeners just tap discipleship as we wrap up today's program. We did some have the thinking and lifting you I gave you the literal meaning of the word guilt.

I did the psychological meaning of guilt we talk about false guilt true guilt guilt feelings and I give you the theological meaning out of guilt, real moral guilt. Another words, when were actually guilty. We knew what was right and we didn't do it or we knew what we shouldn't of done, but we did it anyway and were living in a day where even the idea of guilt you are you guilty me man or all you said that you made me feel guilty or don't say that one of our kids might have guilty feelings. The fact of the matter is, is that there are times when you do something wrong when you think something wrong when you say something that you know is wrong that violates God's standard. You should not only feel guilty, you are guilty and syllabi and there is a remedy for that is called forgiveness. It's Christ's work on the cross. However, it gets mixed up because we have family of origin issues.

We have false guilt and we feel guilty for things that God doesn't say is wrong or bad, but we've been conditioned and trained so what I want you to know. It gets very, very confusing and complex and so the first step is to get clear on the true moral guilt, own it, face it and receive God's forgiveness and then in our next program written to begin to talk about how do you sort of splice. The true guilt from the false guilt and how do you live with freedom. The actual title of this message is you are beautiful and I can hear some guys in the back and there, my God. Hey buddy, I don't know what you're talking about but I'm not real comfortable handsome would work but not beautiful. You are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto a good work in that word workmanship is his masterpiece.

His poem's tapestry.

What I want you to know is that God has forgiven you by his grace for a beautiful mind boggling.

Absolutely wonderful purpose and agenda that he's made you especially for but guilt makes you feel and makes you live as though you're not only unworthy, but you bring no value to life in our next program were going to unpack why God sees you as beautiful and the purpose he has for your life. You don't want to miss. Just before we close. I want to thank each of you who's making this program possible through your generous giving 100% of your gifts are going directly to the ministry to help Christians really live like Christians a few friendships teaching helpful, but you're not yet on the team. Would you consider doing that today to donate or become a monthly partner. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org Donate on the app or give us a call at AAA 333-6003, let me thank you in advance for whatever the Lord leads you to do well and selects time for everyone. This is really saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge