Image

The growing trend in America is to hire a publicist to handle your image. Whether you have been caught doing something unsavory or you are promoting yourself for monetary gain, a publicist is critical for protecting and promoting self-image. Publicity sways opinion and opinions cause trends. What’s hot today can be cold tomorrow because of imaging.

Political strategists use the media for damage control. The very thing that paints your candidate in a bad light is often the very tool used to perform damage control. While we expect the media, both printed and electronic, to advise and protect the public from corruption and deceit, we should be ever mindful that the media is a business run for profit and therefore subject to influence.

Watchdogs exist because mankind has proven over and over again throughout history, at every level of authority, that it lacks character and integrity.

Proverbs 22:1 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Psalm 17:3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

Lacking the resolve to live a righteous life, people have taken to hiding the truth. One of the few times Jesus ever spoke unkindly was over the hypocrisy in the priesthood. The fact that you are a sinner does not bother Jesus. A hypocrite will not acknowledge the truth, they will not confess their sin. Confession is an integral part of repentance and repentance leads to forgiveness.

Isaiah 6

5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.

It’s hypocrisy and pride of life that is unacceptable. The image you put forth should be honest, it should be a true reflection of who you are.

But who are you?

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

What you were has passed away, is no longer and your new identity is in Christ. Our memories may say we are what we were, but our Father sees us as sons and daughters. It is important to remember we are the children of God. Biblically speaking image is about character and integrity, your countenance.

Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

He wants you to be holy because He is holy. Your image is His image. In the same way that Jesus said, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" John 14:9, if they have seen you, they have seen Jesus. You are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, so in a greater sense, it isn’t your image that needs to be projected, it is Jesus Christ’s.

Each of us has a publicist that is responsible for promoting the correct image of Jesus Christ. He is the Holy Spirit.

John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

Unlike publicist of today, the Holy Spirit does not testify of Jesus in the media. He testifies in your heart. Having a proper image of who Jesus is will help you understand who you are in Christ. The reason for that may not be clear to you if you are one who mimics Christ. Those who mimic Christ see Christ through eyes of the flesh and the vale of flesh distorts the true image of Christ because the flesh opposes God. (Gal. 5:17)

Many years ago I took a course in behavior modification. One lesson said, "If your child has a messy room, don’t tell him the room is messy, put a sign on the door that says his room is neat and clean." Given that the human condition will do what it believes, if the child is told the room is messy and he sees the room is messy, he believes the truth, that the room is messy and will never change the image of the truth regardless of how many times he is told to clean the room. On the other hand, if he is told the room is neat and clean, a conflict arises in his belief system that says, no the room is not. Eventually, through no conscious effort, he will find ways to resolve the conflict by cleaning the room. Much in the same way, the Holy Spirit will create conflict within the mind, renewing it by the washing of the word. The Holy Spirit will testify of Jesus Christ in you and because you believe by faith, your character and integrity will change and begin to reflect who you are in Christ.

Worldly systems say you can change by force of will.

The Holy Spirit changes you through obedience of faith.

Romans 8;11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you