The Illusion of Self Creation

“Our greatest creation is our selves. The way we cultivate our appearance and behavior. And nowhere is our artwork more apparent than in our own minds. The way we each have an idea of self. The one perfect self we’ve chosen by rejecting all other options.”
Chuck Palahniuk

“We are created and moulded by images and impressions. One of the most difficult tasks in life, is to keep a steady impression of something in your sight, and to believe in it until it becomes you. Because there is just so much temptation/opportunity, to become something else.”
C. JoyBell C.

In a previous post, The Shift in Blasphemy: From God to Man, we addressed how recognizing human frailty highlights our need for God, the source of our identity and purpose. A significant modern shift countering this need is the notion of self-creation, with roots in existentialist thought. Thinkers like Jean-Paul Sartre and Friedrich Nietzsche promoted the view that human beings lack any predetermined essence or purpose. Rather, existentialism argues that individuals have total freedom to create and redefine themselves through their choices and actions. This philosophy rejects external sources of identity or morality and places the burden of meaning-making entirely upon the individual.
This individualistic mindset has infiltrated contemporary understandings of personal identity and spirituality. The view that we can craft our own sense of self by our preferences now shapes how many approach issues of gender, sexuality, values, and beliefs. Additionally, existentialism’s emphasis on individual freedom has also seeped into many Christian circles. Some expressions of the modern church elevate personal choice and self-fulfillment over submitting to God’s design or identifying with historical traditions of thought and practice.
While existentialism raises important questions about freedom and responsibility, as Christians we recognize that ultimate truth and meaning are rooted in God’s eternal nature and purposes. Our identity stems from being created in His image, not autonomous self-definition. True freedom, meaning, and identity are found when our lives align with our Creator’s design. In these individualistic expressions, we find that it is less about Biblical truth as much as whether we view the church community as embracing a theology that fits in with our viewpoint. The mantra, to borrow a phrase from another social movement, becomes “My Church, My Choice.”

God Our Sovereign Creator
The idea that humans can create themselves ignores the Biblical view of human nature. The Bible teaches that God deliberately made humans in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). This implies humans have a unique relationship with God that reflects His nature. It also means human identity and purpose come from God, not ourselves. We rely on God not just for our existence, but also for why we exist. For more on how being made in God's image shapes human identity, see our previous blog post Created in the Image of God: Finding Identity in an Ever-Changing World.

Submission to God’s Authority
Central to the biblical understanding of the church is the concept of submission to God’s authority as James 1:22 put it, to “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (ESV). The Bible establishes that all authority is instituted by God (Romans 13:1) and that God requires our obedience (Acts 5:29). Moreover, God reminds Joshua “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.,” (Joshua 1:7-8, ESV). Therefore, self-created churches undermine the principle of submission to God’s authority by placing personal preferences above God’s established order.

The Church as God’s Design
Just ask Google and we discover a diverse religious landscape of choices and options of established congregations centered around personal preferences or ideologies. However, to determine whether church communities are established on God’s design, we must refer back to the sure foundation of God’s Word. 2 Timothy 3:14-17, and echoed in Psalm 119:9-11, confirms that Scripture can make us wise, is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, so that we may be complete and equipped for every good work. Moreover, the word of God also has the power to dispel our self-deception (Hebrews 4:12). The first time the word church is used is in Matthew 16:18 where Jesus responds that He will build His church on the revelation spoken by Peter. The Greek word we translate as ‘church’ is ekklēsia and is a compound word from two Greek words meaning ‘from’ or ‘out’ and ‘to call’ or ‘to invite.’ Thus, directly translated ekklēsia means “a calling out.” Among other Scriptures, the Greek word ekklēsia is also found in Acts 19:38-41, where it is translated as an assembly—a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place. Therefore, it is clear from Scripture that “the church” is neither a building nor is the church a man-made institution. Instead, the church is presented as divinely established and built by God and 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 clarifies that the church is God’s people, God’s field, and God’s building, and we are instructed to take care how we build on the foundation laid in Jesus Christ. Therefore, any church community that proclaims to be followers of Christ should adhere closely to the principles and teachings laid out in the Bible.

Community over Personal Preference
As we have seen, the concept of self-creation tends to prioritize personal identity and individual autonomy over the unity of Christ’s body. However, as followers of Christ, we are called to embrace a different paradigm—one that values community over personal identity. Many churches, whether denominational or nondenominational, often embody the modern understanding of choice and self- creation by specifically targeting segments of a given population. However, Paul emphasizes the unity of believers in Christ, highlighting the diversity of our functions within the body (Romans 12:4-5), encouraging us to embrace the oneness of our faith, hope, baptism, and God (Ephesians 4:4-6), while urging us to let the peace of Christ govern our hearts as members of one body (Colossians 3:15). The passages together underscore that our identity is intricately connected to the larger body of believers under the lordship of Christ. Moreover, 1 Corinthians 1:10 also specifically notes that we are to live in harmony, without divisions, but rather to be of one mind united in thought and purpose. Therefore, a commitment to follow God’s design for His church requires we set aside our personal preferences within the context of the unified body of believers.

Unity in Diversity
Churches associated with the modern concept of self-creation may inadvertently perpetuate a fragmented understanding of the body of Christ. However, the Bible consistently emphasizes unity amidst diversity and underscores the necessity of diverse gifts, backgrounds, and perspectives within the unified community of believers. In 1 Corinthians 12:12, Paul writes, “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ” (ESV). We will cover more of the concept of Unity in Diversity in the next blog.

The Church as God’s Temple
The Bible often refers to believers as the temple of God in which His Spirit dwells and reminds us of the sanctity of a divinely instituted church, purchased by the sacrifice of Christ. In John 14:23 Jesus said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (ESV). The church of Jesus is a spiritual temple where we “like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5, ESV). 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 emphasizes that believers collectively constitute a spiritual dwelling place for God’s presence through the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated as “you” is plural, thus we can know that Paul was referring to the believers as a group—the church. “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Corinthians 3:16–17, ESV). Not only is the church as a whole or as the local body the dwelling place of God’s presence, but individual believers are also to consider themselves the temple of God’s Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 emphasizes the spiritual significance of the believer’s body as a temple of the Holy Spirit and calls for responsible stewardship to honor and glorify God in all aspects of life. Ephesians 2:19-22 underscores the unity and interconnectedness of believers in Christ, forming a holy structure where God abides. The metaphor of the Church as God’s temple highlights the unity of the body of Christ, emphasizing our collective purpose and mission, and the need to avoid any moral corruption that would defile the sacredness of the temple of God. Therefore, we cannot, indeed we have no right, to build His Church in our own image and it is encumbered on us to follow His pattern and intent for the Church. Moreover, this profound truth of believers being God’s Temple should compel us to reflect the character of our Heavenly Father and honor Him in our actions, words, and attitudes both corporately and individually.

In conclusion, as we cast our gaze over the landscape we have traversed, we find ourselves standing at the crossroads of profound introspection and divine revelation. The prevailing winds of self-creation have beckoned humanity to carve its identity from the quarry of personal preference, yielding a fragmented tapestry of choices. Yet, in this intricate mosaic of perceptions, a counterpoint emerges from the symphony of Scripture—a resounding truth that echoes through the corridors of time. We are reminded that our existence, far from being self-authored, is a masterpiece crafted by the Creator’s hand. In a world enamored by the allure of autonomy, the beacon of submission to God’s divine design illuminates our path, guiding us to embrace the sovereignty of our Maker. The contours of the church, often shaped by the sculptor of individual preference, bear the fingerprints of human artistry. However, let us not forget the foundation upon which the true Church is built—a foundation etched in the living Word, a blueprint penned by the Author of all creation. Within these sacred walls, community triumphs over isolation, unity flourishes amidst diversity, and the echo of God’s presence resonates within the temple of our hearts. As we step forward, may we heed the call to lay aside self- constructed ideals, embracing instead the harmonious cadence of God’s design for His people. In this journey of rediscovery, let us unveil the portrait of the church as God’s masterpiece, a radiant reflection of His glory in a world thirsting for authenticity and truth. May we continually seek to align our principles with God’s design and embrace true Christian fellowship and purpose through the lens of Scripture.