In this message, we begin a new series exploring Identity, Authority, and Mission, starting with the question of who we really are in Christ.
Ryan unpacks how our identity is often shaped by the “lenses” we carry – formed through experiences, wounds, culture, and the stories we believe about ourselves. These lenses can quietly distort how we see God, ourselves, and others, making it difficult to receive the truth of the gospel.
Drawing from Genesis 3, the teachings of Jesus on repentance, and the promise of new creation in 2 Corinthians 5, Ryan shows how kingdom life begins with learning to see clearly again. As we allow Jesus and His finished work to become the lens through which we interpret life, old lies lose their power and we begin to embrace the freedom of our new creation identity!
The summary of this message has been drafted automatically from the transcript. Its accuracy may vary.
Taking Back Our Identity: Smashing the Lenses That Hold Us Back
We live in a crazy, chaotic world, and in the midst of it all, it is incredibly easy to lose sight of who we truly are.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re walking through life with a mental “ball and chain,” despite knowing God’s truth, you are not alone. Taking back our identity requires us to examine the hidden filters in our minds and boldly embrace who God says we are.
The Power of “Lenses”
Often, we hear the truth about God’s love for us, but it goes in one ear and out the other. Why? Because of what Matthews calls “lenses”—internal paradigms and frameworks through which we process reality, assign meaning, and make decisions.
These lenses dictate our actions and responses. No matter how many hours we spend at the gym or how perfectly we curate our diets, we cannot physically exercise away the false beliefs living between our two ears. When we hold on to unhelpful lenses, even Jesus’ own words struggle to transform our lives.
How Our Identity is Formed
Answering the question “Who am I?” involves looking at a complex kaleidoscope of qualities, beliefs, and roles. Psychologists and experts note that our identities are shaped by numerous deep-rooted factors:
- In-Womb Experiences: A mother’s environment and emotions have chemical (epigenetic) impacts on a baby’s forming identity.
- Early Attachments: The way caregivers embrace us in our formative years dictates our core sense of safety, trust, and worthiness.
- Family Systems & Culture: The stories our families tell us about our potential, combined with our socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, heavily influence our confidence.
- Life Experiences: Major life traumas, rejections, or successes become interpretive events that shape how we view ourselves.
Redefining Repentance
Jesus’ first message in the gospels was to “repent” (Matthew 4). Unfortunately, modern religion has often reduced repentance to legalistic penance and beating ourselves up.
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
— Matthew 4:17
Biblically, however, repentance is a gift. It is the process of acknowledging that the way we see things is incorrect and actively changing our perspective to align with God’s truth so we can live the life He created for us.
The Garden and the First Deception
The battle over our lenses goes all the way back to Genesis. Originally, Adam and Eve walked with God in the garden, naked and completely unashamed—a sign of perfect connection and self-worth.
But the deceiver slithered into their sacred space with a single, character-smearing question: “Did God really say?”. By entertaining this question, Adam and Eve developed a distorted lens regarding God’s character. This false belief system birthed rebellion, caused them to hide from God in fear, and shattered their relationships.
Smashing the Old Lenses
We have a choice: we can continue to be held captive by the lenses of our past traumas and false beliefs, or we can take them off and smash them.
As 2 Corinthians 5 reminds us, we must no longer view ourselves or others from a worldly point of view. In Christ, we are a new creation; the old has gone, and the new is here.
“We can see clearly now,
the lenses are gone.”— Ryan Matthews
It is time to go to war against every lie that tries to put us in the basement when God has invited us to the throne of grace. By exchanging our broken lenses for the clear lens of Christ’s finished work, we can step into the holistic, powerful mission God has prepared for us.
