“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’” John 8:31-32 NASB

Isn’t image interesting? If we could be free from image, we would be free indeed. But to be free from image, we must see God, not ourselves. In some Third World countries I am given great respect only because of skin color, dress, and money. People give way on the street, and few would argue with me.

However, if I were, say, a “common” tea picker, people would chase me away with a switch if I crossed their path. I would be dressed differently, my skin would be a little darker, and I’d have no money.

Image dictates a lot when we consider that all of us came out of the womb naked, and naked we will leave in the end. There is no difference in men; there are only images. Image makes us treat the poor man with contempt or compassion, and the rich man with respect or hatred mixed with the desire to be like him. The fear of the loss of image can keep us from taking a risk, making a phone call, looking for a new job, going to a restaurant considered out of our league, or disagreeing with the pastor. Some image groups can’t stand it that other image groups consider themselves better, so they use slander or riches to try to bring the others down and build themselves up.

Do you see why Jesus dealt so little with the world’s system? It is a circle; it is the same, and it goes nowhere. “All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been, will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look? This is something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.”

Once we are free from image, we will free everyone else from image. We will neither pander to the rich nor show compassion to the poor. We will minister to the individual! We will see beyond image to the exact need that Jesus saw in man. Our teaching will change; our emphasis will change. How to be free? We must admit where we are, to leave where we are. Admit that you are a slave to image, and ask that He free you. He will do it in a way you had not imagined. Many believe the way to the loss of image is to be humiliated through a sinful defeat. This doesn’t destroy image; it just draws attention to it and gives a person a different image. God’s way is different. You will see. Just ask

“He again fixes a certain day, ‘Today,’ saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, ‘TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS.’” Heb 4:7

Man, for certain, possesses the present and in a measure the future. Man does not possess the past, ever! If we choose to live in the past, we choose darkness, and we exclude God. God will not move to the past with us.

Therefore, every time we venture into the past we venture there alone. In fact God calls us, always, to move from the past. To dwell in the past is to find yourself dwelling in a place where there is no hope. The Jews were in the world without a hope. That is, they were trusting on the things of the past, the law, the security of ritual and formula, neglecting what God was presenting to them in the present–Jesus.

Doesn’t it make sense that God wants to be the God of the NOW? We speak of a personal relationship. How can a relationship be personal if it is not a present relationship. To move into the past is to move away from God, and it is sin. Many today are counseled to relive the past, to mourn over it, work through it, and even warned that if they do not their life will remain in constant turmoil.

Here is my question. If the past created my problems why would I want to go back and live there again? In my office I spend up to one hour looking at the past. The lone reason, being, to understand it so we will never go back to it. Living in the past will always thwart growth. Start acting like a five year old and see how much those around enjoy you.

We are called from the past into the present. In the past you had wonderful successes and terrible failures, times of victory and times of defeat, times of great joy and unbelievable depression. Fine, now what? Today, hear his voice! The issue is today.

God says do something today and don’t live out of the past. “AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME.” Heb 3:15 You provoked Him in the past, true, but I refuse to discuss that. I want to discuss today. Yesterday is no excuse for today! Many use it as such. “I can’t love today because of emotional hurt yesterday,” “I can’t give today because of all my rejection yesterday; I need to take”, and “You wouldn’t expect that from me today if you only knew about yesterday.” As the plumber once said to the distraught lady, “Sorry, that just won’t flush”! It just doesn’t flush that past behavior and experience are keeping you away from a God who lives in the present.

Now when evening came, His (1) disciples went down to the sea, and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea (2) to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened. But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.
John 6: 16-21

Tertullian said that “the soul is naturally Christian”. Was he right? I believe so, for it is only when you see a man accept Christ that his soul is fulfilled and happy. Therefore, to be an unbeliever is to live in a very unnatural state. It is to feel disjointed, empty, lacking something, longing for others to fill the vacuum, lost, and very unhappy. To avoid Christianity is to avoid happiness, it is to set oneself on a course of self
destruct.

To live without Christ, moment by moment, is to toil in the dark. Much of mankind is toiling in the dark, with their eyes on themselves and self-effort. And in this condition they are lost, frantic and within the grasp of death. It is not until our eyes are set on Jesus that we find ourselves immediately filled with all that we desire. We find ourselves there.

Why does man insist on looking away from Jesus? What is our fear? The fear is that He will ask the impossible–to lose ourselves, to lose those things that we have determined will make us happy! And yet we are sad in this state! We fear the loss of our precious little that has not brought happiness.