Identity2
to make aprons to cover himself. The 21st century fig leaves come in many colors, forms and textures, models, shapes, and sizes. As the forces of darkness continue to blind man about God, that frantic effort to cover escalates. Hiding and isolating is the alternative when there are not enough fig leaves available.
" So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them."
When Satan saw success in destroying the image God bestowed on man, he continued to bring confusion to man's distinct gender. God has designed for humanity to move in perfect harmony with him as distinctly male and distinctly female in a love relationship with him and with one another.
That time of earthly existence was supposed to be a wonderful time of preparation for the grand finale that would be the wedding feast of the Lamb of God and the Church. The marriage of distinctly male Adam and distinctly female Eve in the garden of Eden in Genesis is to culminate in the grand wedding of the Lamb and His Bride in Revelation. The Bride is the Church composed of men and women who have begun to comprehend God's purpose in making man to complement woman and woman to complement man.
Satan brought confusion to our maleness or femaleness thru hurt and bitterness. Confusion brings wrinkles. The Bride is to be blameless, spotless, without wrinkles. Hurt and bitterness distort our feelings in ways that we cannot enjoy being girls when we are girls, and enjoy being boys when we are boys. We are in an identity crisis.
We continually struggle with pains of rejection and the circumstantial evidence of being male or female leads us to judge ourselves not worthy of the love and affection we so desire. And we wish we were something else. This is direct contradiction to the truth that the all-knowing God had made us. He knows best.
There are also struggles with being acceptable, the ugly motivation for noble achievements and good works. From the outside, the work look noble and great. But inside, the need to be accepted is the wrong motivator, an ungodly catalyst.
God looks at the heart. Your work is considered good when it is the work that God prepared for you to do and when you do it with pure
motives and with godly motivation.
The need to be accepted by people is a human need seldom if ever satisfactorily met humanly. A revelation of Jesus Christ in a person elevates it to a level where he feels the need to be satisfied with Christ. A person identified with Christ does not need to solicit acceptance from others because this need is already supplied fully by God. A need should not be the motivation for establishing godly relationship nor for doing good works. Love is. You love God who leads you to love others with the love that he empowers you to love unconditionally.
In warfare where wicked beings ruthlessly attempt to destroy your self-worth and debase your identity, you must have an unshakable identity in Christ. You must not be prone to self pity nor be crushed under the pains of rejection.
The truth is: you are dead to self. 1 Cor.5:14, 15. You died to your name, image, honor, prestige, human identity and lust. Now, Christ lives in you. Now it is his name, image, honor, identity and love that matters. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, made to be identified with Christ whose Father created and accepted you in the beginning even when you were yet a sinner.
TASK
Please complete the TEST on the next page.
