The Identity Driven Life: Session 2 – Understanding the Root of Our Problems

Notes:

 Understanding The Root Of Our Problems

Any attempt to understand the problems of humanity which fails to take into account the origins of human life and of human problems will never address core issues. Without God’s perspective on life’s problems we will deal with the fruit of the problem, but not the root.

  • THE GENERATION OF MAN (Understanding Our Beginnings)

Key verse: (Gen.1:26-27). The human spirit is the unique capacity given to man whereby he can receive and be motivated by the life of God.

Man in creation under the influence of Divine Love

World-conscious                     Self-conscious                           God-conscious

Behaviour                          Mind – Will – Emotions    Union & Communion

Under the influence of divine love man loved God and cared for others.

  • THE DEGENERATION OF MAN (Understanding Our Problems)

Key verse: “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen.2:17). Divine life could only be experienced and maintained in relationship with God. Disobedience would lead to death.

Man in the Fall under the influence of Self Love

A slave to sin                                Flesh                                      Dead

Tiredness             Mind – in darkness              Disconnected from  God

Sickness                 Will – rebellious

Ageing                     Emotions – negative/controlling

Death                      Painful experiences stored in heart

Unrighteous behaviour

The negative emotions and painful experiences we feel today are due to the fall.

1) In relationship to themselves they felt guilt and shame.

  • People often use guilt and shame to manipulate and control others.

2) In relationship to God they experienced fear and wanted to hide.

  • Fear is the emotion of one who expects to be punished or harmed. Hiding is an instinctive reaction to guilt.
  • Love draws us to God, but fear drives us from Him. “The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
  • Fear is the antithesis of love. The two cannot co-exist. “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear; because fear involves torment” (1 John 4:18).
  • Many Christians still relate to God on the basis of fear, rather than love. God’s way of transforming us is to expel our fear and teach us to trust in His love. Responding to His love will take us much fur­ther than fear ever can.
  • There is nothing more critical to spiritual growth than making the transition from a fear-based relationship to a love-based relationship.

3) In relationship to one another they began to hurt each other.

Divine love was replaced with self-love. This is characterised by:

  • Instead of caring for one another, each looked to meet his/her own needs through the other person and was even prepared to hurt the other one in the process.
  • They forgot they were meant to draw their life from God and would attempt to draw it from one another. No one is powerful enough to impart life and value to another. Only Jesus can.
  • They experienced the “desire for”/“rule over” syndrome.
  • A common mistake is that when unrealistic expectations are unmet a person might leave a relationship (e.g. divorce) still believing that another person can meet their needs. They leave one false god who has failed to meet their needs, to another false god who promises to! Idolatry is trying to get your needs met through anyone other than God.
  • THE REGENERATION OF MAN (Understanding Our Hope)

Key verse: Jn.1:12-13. Regeneration, i.e. the new birth, is totally a creative work of God. When we were born again we were joined together with Christ. Our spirit was made alive. We became indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who now manifests Christ’s life in us and through us.

The Spirit of God, in the human spirit, is able to influence every part of the soul of redeemed man – communicating truth to his understanding, leading him to respond with obedience to the truth with his will, and moving his emotions to carry out this obedience with all of his heart. Thus, the Spirit-led soul directs the body to behave in a godly way. Godliness is simply ‘God behaving in man’.

Man in regeneration, being led by the Spirit

Man behaving godly          Spirit-led                                    Alive to God

Serving righteousness  Mind – renewed by truth    Indwelt by Christ

Will – submitted to God      through the Holy

                                                                                                                           Spirit

Emotions – now responders (Rom.6:17)

  • Regeneration is God’s work.
  • Renewing the mind is our work.
  • Renewing the mind is the key to transforming the heart

 “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom.12:2)

# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.