Ryan continues on the theme of lenses that we wear see through.
We hope this series encourages you to ask God to show you where you might be wearing/carrying a lense and that the Holy Spirit would free you and lead you in to greater truth in how you follow Jesus.
The summary of this message has been drafted automatically from the transcript. Its accuracy may vary.
Smashing the Idol of Opinion: 7 Steps to a Renewed Identity
When we think of idols, we might imagine the scary, grotesque statues found in ancient temples. But the most dangerous and deceptive idol often isn’t made of stone—it is the idol of our own opinion. This internal idol sets itself up against the knowledge of God and wages war on the reality of who He is. However, as our minds are renewed by the truth of God’s mercy and Christ’s finished work, our true identity can break through.
How do we practically reject the false lenses of the world and embrace God’s truth? Here are seven practical steps to transform your mind and step fully into your renewed, new creation identity.
1. Acknowledge
To break free from the world’s lenses, we must first build self-awareness by pausing to ask, “What is happening in me right now?”.
Recognize your triggers:
Triggers are not mere interruptions; they are invitations into transformation.
Expose the lies:
A trigger reveals exactly where our identity is unstable, where a past event has twisted our perspective, and where we are still believing lies.
Embrace self-awareness:
As Romans 12:1-2 suggests, learning to acknowledge these internal reactions helps us discern God’s ways. You simply cannot transform what you refuse to acknowledge.
2. Investigate
Once you’ve acknowledged the reaction, start investigating it.
Dig deeper:
Ask yourself, “What part of my identity feels threatened?” and “What lie might I be agreeing with?”.
Name it:
Do not be afraid to clearly name the emotion or anxiety you are feeling, whether in a journal or out loud.
Find the root:
This intentional investigation helps expose the root cause of your belief systems and the past traumas that are surfacing in the moment.
3. Humble Courage
This is a significant turning point where we actively choose truth and freedom over our own self-protection.
Drop your defenses:
True humility requires the courage to admit, “I might be seeing this incorrectly”.
Invite God’s grace:
James 4:1-10 reminds us that God opposes the proud but gives abundant grace to the humble. The moment you acknowledge you might be wrong and display humble courage, God’s transforming grace breaks in.
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”— James 4:4, NIV
4. Repent
Repentance is not just confession of sin. It’s a realignment of our thoughts with God’s truth.
— Ryan Matthews
Change your mind:
Surrender your false lenses and come into agreement with God.
Submit your narratives:
Place your distorted identity narratives completely beneath the Lordship of Jesus.
Repent of false identities:
We must repent of believing we are someone we are not, allowing the Father’s loving words to determine who we truly are.
5. Replace
It is not enough to just cast out a lie; you must fill that empty space with God’s transforming truth.
The empty house principle:
As Jesus taught in Matthew 12:43-45, cleaning house without filling it will just invite worse things to return. You must replace the works of the enemy with a greater truth.
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
Hold onto the Word:
John 8:31 tells us that
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Avoid deception:
James 1:22 warns us not to merely listen to the Word and deceive ourselves, but to actually do what it says and let it shape us from the inside out. This invites the anointing of the Messiah to give us beauty instead of ashes (Isaiah 61).
6. Disclose
Healing happens when we bring our struggles out into the light.
Confess to others:
James 5 encourages us to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that we may be healed.
Find truth partners:
Bring your struggles to loving prayer and truth partners who will remind you of your glorious identity in Christ. We must avoid surrounding ourselves with worldly voices or friends who simply ratify our mess.
7. Good Confession
Finally, we must reinforce the truth through repeated, daily declarations.
Align your words:
Speak truth consistently, ensuring your words and thoughts align with your new creation identity.
Agree with Jesus:
Good confession is not charismatic hype; it is simply agreeing with the finished work and the specific words of Jesus over your life.
Make the good confession:
Just as Paul instructed Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12-13, holding fast to a good confession is key to living healthy, whole, and free.
12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you.
When we boldly walk through these seven steps within an accountable community, replacing the lies we’ve repented of with God’s undeniable truth, we invoke supernatural power into our lives. The only outcome is that the new creation identity living inside every believer will powerfully break out.
