Throughout our lives, there are times where we get fed up and tired of our current situations. The cares of this life seem to weigh us down to a point of despair and discouragement. Often times our view of life seems limited and even hindered by our past, our present, and our pain. We get consumed and even battle weary, which tends to lead us to a place of idleness and isolation. How we see ourselves will always affect what we do and what we say. Our mindset of what we are, and our mentality of what we will be, will form an image that can benefit us or block us from being all that God created us to be. Genesis 1:26-27 says…
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
We are created and patterned after God. We are a direct reflection, a mirrored image of God. God intended for us to walk and talk like Him. Adam was designed to function and flow as God does. His spirit was identical to God’s, and it was full of life and creative power.
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. Genesis 2:21-22
God created the human bodies for Adam and Eve because they were spirits, just like God. God gave them bodies so that they would have legal right to rule and reign as God instructed them to.
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Genesis 1:28
God’s intention for mankind was to be like Him. We were created for His enjoyment and for fellowship. We were given free will over our lives, and God’s desire is that we would will to love Him and long to worship Him. He designed us to succeed in life, and to fulfill the destiny call on our lives. We see this in Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship , created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
All this being said, it’s time we address the effects of sin in our lives. The effects of sin, unchecked and unattended to, leave a residue on our lives that tarnish us from shining the way we were designed to. It would be like owning antique silver and not taking the time to polish it. Eventually it becomes dull and loses it’s brilliance and brightness. Our lives are very much the same. Without the consistent yielding to the Holy Spirit and His work in conviction and correction, we will become spiritually dull and stagnant. The challenge with sin, when not properly dealt with, can often paint a distorted image of who we are. There is a tendency to begin to identify with that sin, and we soon see ourselves in light of that. It is the same with past hurts and failures. When those circumstances are not brought under the blood of Jesus, we will consistently re-live them over and over. In Mark 10:46-52 we read about the story of “Blind Bartimaeus” and his miracle.
Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” 50 And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 51 So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
This story always makes me laugh. It is such a great depiction of modern Christianity today. Here is a story of a man who was blind. Not only the fact that he was blind, but that he is actually identified as “Blind Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus”. Can you imagine being in a condition so long that you are known by that condition. That is how it was in those days. When you had a condition, sickness or disease, you were identified by it. When those who were spotting with leprosy, they were immediately condemned to wearing a garment that identified them as a leper. These “garments” are just as real today as they were back then. The only difference is that today we carry them in our identity or mental picture of ourselves. So through our Christian experience, we come to a place of desperation. We hear that Jesus is coming by. How? It happens all the time when we are attending a service, Bible study, or conference and we begin to see God moving in healing and miracles. It’s in those times that we begin to stretch out are faith amidst the normal doubt we usually live in by having this condition facing us day by day. How often in our stance of faith, as we start to cry out and believe, do we come across those around us who tend to bring us down. Faith-killers, that speak about your condition and circumstance rather than agreeing with you in your faith confession. It was the same for Bartimaeus. Those around him were telling him to shut up and don’t bother. Yet Bartimaeus was not willing to live in that identity any longer. He reached a point in his life where desperation met destiny. In that split moment of time, his faith met His power! Jesus calls him over. This reminds me of those times where people kept their faith stand, persisting through the negativity around them, and God begins to work miracles in their lives. What happens to those around them that were negative? All of a sudden, they want to get around you, they want to join in your encouragement and joy. The same is for Bartimaeus, after being called by Jesus, the people around him start to get excited for him. This is a great lesson in keeping your eyes and faith on Jesus. As mush as God puts people in our lives to stand with us, we must remember that our confidence is in Christ and Christ alone. People will always disappoint us, and we will always disappoint others. We are not perfect, but we’re being perfected! So when Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is calling him, it says that he threw aside his garment. When we come into the presence of God, we must come to the place where we “cast our garments“. We must be persistent and aggressive in rejecting all images of ourselves that keep us broke, busted and disgusted. We have to get into the Word of God, which is the spiritual mirror for our lives. It shows us who we really are in Christ and the beauty and splendor of our true nature. Casting aside all doubt, fear, failures and past sins committed, we are to come before God in confidence!
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace , so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16
Our identity must be on and in Jesus alone. The purpose of this message was to bring to our attention that very point. Our identity is in Jesus! God bless you.