Who Told You That // Verified: Unfollow The False You // Pastor Elijah Eldredge // Alive Church

Devotional

Day 1: When God Asks, “Who Told You That?”

The first lie about human identity began with a serpent’s whisper. Just as Adam and Eve hid in shame after believing deception, we often let failure or cultural labels define us. God’s question cuts through every false narrative: “Who told you that?” He refuses to let shame, trauma, or others’ opinions name His children. Identity theft thrives when we listen to voices other than the One who formed us. Freedom begins when we trace every lie back to its source. [12:16]

The Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” And he said, “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:9-11, NIV)

Reflection: What false narrative about yourself have you accepted without questioning its source? How might God’s question, “Who told you that?” reframe your self-perception today?

Day 2: An Entirely New Species in Christ

Jesus doesn’t remodel old versions of us—He creates something unprecedented. The Greek word “kainos” means a new species, not a refurbished model. Like swapping a broken-down car for a flawless vehicle, Christ replaces our fractured identities with His resurrection life. This isn’t self-improvement but a divine exchange: the old self dies, and a Jesus-shaped humanity rises. [02:38]

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV)

Reflection: Where have you settled for minor “repairs” in your life when Jesus wants to give you an entirely new way of existing? What does being a “new species” mean for your daily choices?

Day 3: The Mirror That Shows Jesus, Not Scars

The enemy wants mirrors to reflect our wounds, diagnoses, or cultural labels. But God designed mirrors to reveal Christ in us. Every lie (“You’ll always be broken,” “You’re defined by your past”) distorts this reflection. When we fix our gaze on Scripture—the ultimate mirror—we see who we truly are: image-bearers being transformed into Jesus’ likeness. [33:11]

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18, NIV)

Reflection: Which distorted reflection (shame, failure, worldly labels) most often hijacks your self-view? How would staring at Christ’s image in Scripture recalibrate your identity today?

Day 4: The Enemy’s Playbook: “Did God Really Say…?”

Satan’s strategy hasn’t changed since Eden. He twists God’s words into questions, making us doubt our design. Eve already bore God’s image, yet the serpent tempted her to grasp for a counterfeit identity. Today, the same whispers come: “Did God really say you’re forgiven? Called? Enough?” Victory begins when we recognize the enemy’s recycled script. [15:20]

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Genesis 3:6, NIV)

Reflection: What divine truth about your identity have you started questioning lately? How can you replace “Did God really say…?” with “God has said…” in this area?

Day 5: Pre-Approved for Christlikeness

Before creation, God destined you to mirror Jesus. Romans 8:29 isn’t about generic “goodness”—it’s a cosmic blueprint. Your quirks, gifts, and struggles are raw materials God uses to sculpt Christ’s image in you. The goal isn’t a polished version of you, but a living portrait of the Son. Every circumstance is an invitation to reveal more of Him. [25:44]

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. (Romans 8:29, NIV)

Reflection: What specific trait of Jesus (compassion, courage, holiness) is God highlighting for you to embody this week? How does knowing this was His plan “from the beginning” change your perspective?

Sermon Summary

Second Corinthians 5:17 announces a reality, not a suggestion. In Christ, the new creation has come, the old is gone, the new is here. The text names this kainē ktisis, an entirely new species, a completely new order of existence. God does not patch a soul or remodel a life. God remakes from scratch. Out of that, the call to identity takes shape with two aims. Identity must be found in Christ, and the self must be seen the way God sees it.

Romans 8:29 sets the target. God knew his people in advance and chose them to become like his Son. The identity question gets framed by a sharper question from God in Eden. Who told you that? Genesis 3 shows the first temptation as an identity scam. The serpent plants a voice that questions God and offers what Adam and Eve already have. Did God really say? Eat and you will be like God. But Genesis 1 already stamped humanity in God’s image and likeness. The deceiver cannot change design, so he counterfeits identity. If the enemy can distort identity, he can influence activity.

Colossians 1:15 names the image. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. Everything was created through Jesus and for Jesus, and in him all things hold together. If humanity was created in God’s image, then humanity was created in the image of Jesus. The image has a name. The target is a person. It has always been Jesus.

John 1 answers how that image becomes visible for disciples now. The Word was with God and was God. The Word became flesh. Therefore the Word is the mirror. Culture says find yourself, look within, be true to yourself. Jesus says follow me, look at me, be transformed into the image of my Son. Identity in Christ is not a nicer version of the old self. It is a new creation reality that re-names and re-narrates a life.

When mirrors shout labels born from wounds, desires, politics, or diagnoses, God’s question still breaks in. Who told you that? The voice that assigns shame is not his. Second Corinthians 5:17 speaks a better word. In Christ the mirror fills with Jesus, and Jesus speaks identity. Chosen. Free. Overcomer. Righteous. Adopted. Loved. Romans 8:29 returns to anchor hope. God chose in advance that sons and daughters would look like Jesus. This promise is true in Christ, and only in Christ. The call is simple and costly. Receive Jesus, unfollow the false self, and step into the life where the old is gone and the new is here.

Key Takeaways

1. New creation means total remake [03:28] God does not tinker with the old self. Grace does not sand rough edges; it resurrects a person into a different order of existence. The holy interruption of Jesus does not upgrade an engine, it swaps the whole car. That is why lingering shame cannot be the narrator of a life God has remade. [03:28]
2. The enemy targets identity first [10:30] Genesis shows the serpent aiming at who humans are before aiming at what they do. The lie offers what God already gave, and the doubt fractures trust before behavior ever shifts. Discipleship therefore begins by guarding the heart’s naming, because stolen names steer lives into stolen futures. [10:30]
3. Every false identity starts with voices [14:59] Lies have a sound. Did God really say becomes the background track that normalizes half-truths and internal accusations. Wisdom learns to locate that voice, name it counterfeit, and let Scripture retune the soul to the Father’s tone. Freedom grows where the right voice gets the last word. [14:59]
4. Jesus is the visible image of God [20:10] The image is not an idea, it is a person. Creation exists through him, for him, and holds together in him, so identity finds coherence only when aligned to him. To bear God’s image is to be shaped into the Son’s likeness, not into self-projected ideals. [20:10]
5. Scripture is the mirror for identity [23:52] The Word makes the unseen Christ seen, and shows a disciple who that disciple is in him. Culture’s mirrors amplify moods; the Bible reveals the Maker’s intention and the Redeemer’s verdict. Opening Scripture is not information intake, it is stepping before the mirror that tells the truth in love. [23:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:05] - Tagline and new creation
[03:28] - Not renovated, remade new
[03:58] - Two goals for identity
[04:53] - Chosen to be like the Son
[06:01] - Identity theft and verification
[08:39] - Distorted identity directs activity
[10:30] - Genesis 3 and first temptation
[12:16] - God asks, Who told you that
[16:46] - Already made in God’s image
[18:00] - The telemarketer scam unmasked
[20:10] - Jesus, the visible image of God
[22:35] - The Word as the mirror
[24:34] - Culture vs Christ on identity
[36:06] - Gospel invitation and new life

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Observation Questions

What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 say happens to the old self when someone is in Christ?
What question does God ask Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:11 after they eat the forbidden fruit? ([12:16])
According to Colossians 1:15, who is described as “the visible image of the invisible God”? ([20:10])

Interpretation Questions

Why might the enemy target our perception of identity (e.g., “Did God really say?”) before influencing our actions, as seen in Genesis 3?
How does understanding Jesus as the “visible image of God” change the way we view our purpose and identity?
What does it mean that “the Word became flesh” in John 1:14, and how does this relate to finding our identity?

Application Questions

What are some “mirrors” in your life (e.g., labels from past wounds, cultural pressures, or diagnoses) that have falsely defined your identity? How can you intentionally replace these with God’s truth?
When have you experienced a “who told you that?” moment where God challenged a false belief about yourself? How did you respond? ([13:25])
What practical step can you take this week to align your self-perception more closely with how God sees you in Christ (e.g., chosen, free, loved)?
How might regularly reading Scripture help you combat the enemy’s attempts to distort your identity?
In what areas of your life do you still struggle to believe you are a “new creation”? What truth from Scripture could renew your perspective?

Sermon Clips

45s

#NewCreationInChrist

“So that means that if I believe that's true, that in Christ Jesus, I'm a new creation. And now every time I look in the mirror, I don't see all the negative things. I don't see the false identity. I see Jesus. And now every time I look at Jesus, Jesus says, you are chosen. You are free. You are no longer bound. You are a conqueror in Christ. You are an overcomer. You are victorious. You are righteousness. You are an adopted son and daughter of God.”

34s

#DefeatDoubt

“``And the enemy has been running the same play from the very beginning of time. Yes, sir. He's not that clever. Did God really say? And if the enemy can get you to doubt his word, doubt God's word, and if the enemy can get you to distort God's voice in your life, then he can replace your God given identity with a fake one.”

37s

#IdentityTheftScam

“So she was already created like God. She was already created in his image and already created in his likeness. So you're telling me that Satan was just offering something that she already had? Come on. Come on. He was tempting her with something that was already hers and was already in her possession. He was tempting her with a false identity. So you're telling me that the first temptation was an identity theft scam”

40s

#VoicesOfDeception

“And God asks who told you that because he knows that every false identity begins with a voice. Write that down. Every false identity begins with a voice. And where does that voice come from? Where did that voice begin? Well, I think it started in Genesis three where the enemy likes to whisper and say, did God really say?”

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Who Told You That // Verified: Unfollow The False You // Pastor Elijah Eldredge // Alive Church

Devotional

Day 1: When God Asks, “Who Told You That?”

Day 2: An Entirely New Species in Christ

Day 3: The Mirror That Shows Jesus, Not Scars

Day 4: The Enemy’s Playbook: “Did God Really Say…?”

Day 5: Pre-Approved for Christlikeness

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Who Told You That // Verified: Unfollow The False You // Pastor Elijah Eldredge // Alive Church

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