The Two Identities:
ISOLATED or ATTACHED

THE LIE

Long ago, before our time or even that of our ancestors, humanity was infected with a lie—the lie of separation. The conflict between truth and lie goes back to the beginning of time and rages on to this day. Just about every major ancient tradition revolves around this idea of the two dueling systems. We can see the lie personified in the Serpent of Judeo, Christian, and Islamic traditions, Mara in the Buddhist tradition, Maya in the Hindu tradition, or the illusion of duality in the Taoist tradition. In the Bible, we read that "God created man in His own image... male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:26-27) This passage tells us that we were made in God’s image and likeness. That means we both look like God and we are like God. In other words, we are the DNA of God. It might be hard for some to believe that we are the literal children of God. Yet the scriptures suggest that the failure to believe in our own divine identity and connection to God is the fundamental source of all the emotional pain, conflict and dysfunction we have ever experienced. 

Genesis 3:1-5 shows us how the lie of separation was first introduced to us by the serpent, in the Garden of Eden when he said, “You certainly will not die! For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God...” (Genesis 3:4-5 NASB) —Did you catch it? Even though they were already made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27), the serpent suggests they could only be “like God” if they ate of the tree. At first glance, it may not seem like such a big deal to doubt our likeness with God, but when we do so, God becomes “other” or “alien.” In other words He becomes a threat, and so does everyone else born of His image, and this is what sets the stage for all fear, insecurity and disharmony between us. This belief drives us to invent our own divided identities—and with them, perpetual war. This war continues to rage on to this day, playing out in nations, neighborhoods, and families. The Bible says all of us are born “into Adam”, in other words, we all enter this world pre-conditioned with the insecure and detached Adamic identity. The Bible also goes on to describe God’s plan to rescue us and return us to a secure attachment within God. This is called being “in Christ.”

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 speaks of these two opposing systems when it says, “For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” In this passage, we see the two operating systems identified. “Adam” represents the lower fear-based operating system of our “sin nature” and Christ represents the higher love-based operating system of our “divine nature.” The sin nature operates from the belief that we enter life unattached, insecure and alone in a fight for survival against all “others” and in fear of all “others”, while the divine nature operates from the belief that we are all expressions of God’s life, intentionally placed in this world as vital members of a larger body. The lower fear-based perspective is the root source of all war, sickness and suffering, and the higher love-based perspective is the root source of all peace, health and prosperity. Every story in the Bible offers examples of the dueling systems and the consequences of each. 

THE SELF-CREATED IDENTITY

Our sin nature, is the identity we each create to deal with the fear and anxiety that result from believing ourselves separate, disconnected and insecure in relationship to those around us. When we believe the lie of separation it drives us to treat everything as a threat, whether subtly or outright, as if we were perpetually in a fight for survival. Yet, this separation is a falsehood—a distortion that obscures the truth of our inherent oneness with God and each other. You might think you do not suffer from Adam’s delusion but you do. You can’t help it. Everyone is born with it. Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” This means everyone operates out of the lower fear-based identity. We can’t help it. This tendency is in our genes. The only escape is to be born again to a new reality—a Christ-conscious one. 

The ancient Greeks were another civilization who taught about the lie of separation. The term “ego” itself comes from the ancient Greek philosophers who defined it as, “the small separated self.” In other words, it is an identity built on the idea that you are a small isolated life form, who exists in autonomy, alone and in contrast to others, by yourself. This is in comparison to a larger sense of identity, which is that although you are completely unique, you are a reflection and manifestation of the Creator, and One in Him, along with the rest of creation, all playing a special role through the connections you have to each other member of His body. It is the belonging you share within His body that defines your highest purpose and where you will find your true identity.   

As we transition from a smaller, isolated and disconnected position of insecurity, to a larger, united and connected position of security, we will tend to create peace and prosperity wherever we go. The larger your sense of oneness is, the more connected you will feel, and the less of your existence you will feel you are at war with. The less you feel the threat of war, the less defensive you will have to be and the less you will react to things that your separated identity would otherwise see as a threat. When your identity is attached to the whole, and you see yourself as one with those around you, you cannot be at war with them, it would be like going to war against your own body, like your arm declaring war with your foot. When you have the Christ-conscious identity, even if a dispute comes up among you, you are not threatened, because the big You is outside of the realm of threat. Disputes only threaten detached identities. Nothing is a threat to love, because love sees others as itself. That is why Jesus tells us, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” - Matthew 22:39 (ESV). He is teaching us how love thinks. Love is not insecure, nor is it threatened. You don’t need to defend your small separated self, because there is no small separated self—and by this behavior you disarm the separate identities in those around you and bring peace. 

SEPARATION IS A LIE

Many Christians believe that we enter life as sinners, separated from God, until we find Jesus and get saved, which enables us to go to heaven when we die. But what if I told you there was a little lie thrown into that statement that makes a whole world of difference? What if we actually didn’t enter life separated from God? What if we entered life totally connected and attached to God and to each other, but we grew up believing the lie that we were separated? What if believing that lie was the root sin underneath all other sins? What if that lie was the only thing keeping us from loving each other and accessing heaven right now?

Aloneness is a lie. We are not alone. You are not detached from God, you are within Him, and you always have been, and you always will be. There is no sin so great that could remove you from Him—except in your own mind, and by your own free will. The root of all sin is the idea of separation. When a separated identity thinks of a sinner, it wants to disassociate from them to steer clear of punishment, which is delivered by further separation. When love thinks of sinners, it wants to associate with them to lessen the punishment they will receive from their own separation—Jesus is the friend of sinners (Luke 7:34). Sin is not part of some legal system, it is part of a broken system. Jesus showed the system was a lie. He drew near to sinners, showing God’s real opinion. 

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Hebrews 6:1-2 tells us there are six “elementary teachings about the Christ.” One of these six fundamental teachings is “the laying on of hands.” Why is the laying on of hands one of the six most vital concepts to understand about Christ? Because most ancient cultures believed sickness was punishment for sin and no one wanted to be associated with a sinner, yet Jesus healed the sick through His touch and taught us that if we would do the same, we could heal people too. The only way to heal separation is by reversing the idea of separation and isolation—through nearness, association and touch. The revelation of the gospel is that you are not alone. You are not detached from Him, you are within Him, You always have been, and you always will be. Nothing can separate you from God’s love (Rom. 8:38-39). There is no sin so great that could remove you from Him—except temporarily in your own imagination. The root of all sin is the very idea of separation. Most people don’t realize the Bible teaches us that even hell is within Christ. It says ALL things were made “in Him,” and there is nothing that exists outside of Him—Nothing! The only way we can escape His presence is by dreaming it, but even then it is only an illusion.  

Psalm 137:7-8 says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” 

Colossians 1:16-17 says, “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” 

John 1:3-4 says, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” 

The only separation that exists is within your imagination. We are not even remotely alone. We are not even remotely separate. We are each seated within an all-loving and all-powerful being from which we can never be removed. Realizing this is the foundation for all emotional health, wholeness and relational harmony. In even the closest of relationships, the root of all problems is the thought, “I am alone and must fend for myself.” Regardless of your circumstances, you play a vital role within His being. We need you to be the best version of yourself and you need each one of us to do the same. When we fail to do so we hurt the whole. 

INSECURITY COMES FROM BELIEVING THE LIE

When we see through the Adamic lens of separation, we are automatically utterly insecure, treating others as threats and seeking wholeness outside of Christ. This counterfeit system lures us into codependencies, where we seek security and identity from individuals, institutions, and ideologies instead of Christ. Such codependencies are destined for disappointment as they do not cure the sickness of separation. They only breed group-division, justifying judgments and prejudice against “outsiders.” These ideologies can even overrule love between husbands and wives or parents and children. A crucial shift comes when you choose to stop seeing “others” as part of your problem instead seeing them as part of God’s solution to your real problem—aloneness. Those who surround you are your only opportunity to achieve God’s purpose for your life. Love is the only thing that can rescue you from the dysfunction of a separated identity. Our true identity involves the vital role we play in Christ. By embracing wholeness, we reject the illusion of separation and live by the law of love, even for our enemies (Matt. 5:44). 

You might be questioning the idea of losing yourself to Oneness. We don't blame you. The thought of losing yourself can be scary—but we are not asking you to lose your real identity, only your imaginary one. Much of your real self is likely still locked away in the illusion of separation, but by freeing it, you will finally be able to live without fear and become who you truly are. Ego only exists in perception—it is not reality. Your sin-nature is your own invention, not God’s. It is an invention you created, not from inspiration, but from separation and desperation. For this reason, a detached soul’s entire viewpoint is skewed. It interprets everything through a lens of self survival—even love. Within this broken system, the mind sees resources as scarce and others as competition so it obsesses over strategies of how to survive and win. Everything your sin nature does only serves these made up strategies of survival—your love is conditional, your relationships transactional, and you justify using others if it supports your gain. The only way out is to let the whole system of our separated identity die. 

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it." - Matthew 16:25 (NIV)

DEVIL WORSHIP IS EGO WORSHIP

Many Christians think the devil wants our worship and obedience—not quite. The satanic system teaches you to separate yourself and obey only yourself—“Do what thou wilt is the whole of the law.” This is the singular commandment of Satanism. In Greek, “devil” (diabolos) comes from two root words, dia (through) and bolos (to cast). “Devil” means to cast through or divide. While Christ-consciousness is Oneness, devil-consciousness is division. Believing in a separated self is “sin” at its core—not just bad actions, but living by the satanic identity of disconnection. The Bible teaches us that we inherited the lie of exile and separation from Adam and Eve. That lie is the exile. By believing this lie, we are not only driven to invent our own detached egos, but to project detached egos onto those closest to us, especially God, imagining them as adversarial, judgmental, or competing against us—instead of One with us, in love with us, and on our side. The truth is God has no separate identity—God is love, and love is our link to the truth beyond the illusion. This truth is a source of healing, just as it says in Acts 10:38, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil...” Christ came to awaken humanity out of the deception: He revealed we are not alone, not cast out, and that He has bound our fates eternally together with His. Christ-consciousness restores our awareness of divine unity, dismantling the lies of a detached heart and healing the wounds of separation.

ACCEPTING THE IDENTITY OF CHRIST AND HIS BODY

 “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. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” - 1 Corinthians 12:12-13 (ESV)

The title “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name. The term “Christ” comes from the Greek “Christos”, meaning “Anointed One.” This title is not only used for Jesus of Nazareth, but is used to describe the Holy Spirit that Jesus poured out upon all of creation after His resurrection. The Holy Spirit is Christ-consciousness poured out upon all creation (John 16:8). His presence in our lives is the antidote for the disease of separation. 1 John 2:27 (NASB) says, “And as for you, the anointing [chrism] which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing [chrism] teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in Him.” Christ is an identity and a consciousness that we can “remain in” or depart from. We can choose to identify with Adam, as a separate, fearful being, or we can choose to identify with Christ, as a connected loving being. Just as Christ is “the Anointed One”, we are also “anointed ones”, or more accurately, “One in the Anointing.” That is why the Bible calls us “the Body of Christ.” When Jesus walked the earth in the flesh, filled with the Spirit (Luke 4:14), He was the body of Christ. But when He was about to ascend to heaven, He told His disciples it was better for them if He left, because then He could transfer the Spirit to them (John 16:7) so they could become the body of Christ. We are now the physical manifestation of the “Chrism” just as Jesus Himself is whenever He operates in bodily form. 

TRUE SALVATION IS WHOLENESS

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” - 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (ESV)

In this passage, the word “saved” comes from the Greek sōzō, which can be translated “made whole.” Being “saved” is not as much about what happens in the future when you die, but about the operating system you choose to live by in the present. Connection with God is the primary source to being healthy and whole in relationship with our family, friends and community. Believing we are all a part of each other, and that every action we each take has an effect on the other, is fundamental for healthy relationships. Those who have been made whole can no longer think of themselves from the small separated self because they have been awakened to the truth of their larger identity of wholeness in Christ. This is what Jesus calls being “born again,” (John 3:3-7) and this is why we have named this course “the Wholeness Method.” We start the Wholeness Method here, with the revelation of the two opposing operating systems; One that manifests peace and life, and the other that manifests war and death. 

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