Originally posted 1/24/20
Imagine this scene: A young couple is walking down the beach at sunset. The air is a perfect 75 degrees. The sea breeze is making its way through the young girl’s hair, causing that perfect wind blown look. Right as the sun appears to be sitting on top of the ocean’s horizon, the young man stops walking. He turns to look at his beautiful date in the eye. She looks back up at her handsome date. Anyone could see the love these two have for each other. Love oozes from every aspect of their body, from the way they look into each other’s eyes to the way they stand holding hands. Love is in the air! Suddenly the young man takes something out of his pocket. At first the reflection of the sun makes it impossible to see what he is holding, but then he does something that would make anyone know exactly what is in his hand. He bends down on one knee and says, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. You aren’t just physically beautiful, but you are beautiful from the inside out. I love the way you care about others. You are exactly the woman I have always dreamed about marrying. It would make me the happiest man alive if you would be my wife and grow old with me.” At those words he opens up the box in his hands to reveal the most beautiful engagement ring. As an onlooker, there is no doubt as to what she will say and do next. She will say, “Yes! I’ll marry you!” He will slip the ring on her finger, she will cry and they will both hug and kiss, right? Wrong! She instead says, “Oh, I would love to marry you, but I am just not worthy of wearing that ring. It’s much too expensive for me to accept. I mean, I suppose if you insist I can wear it, but know that I will tell everyone how unworthy I am of wearing such a beautiful ring.” As the onlooker we would want to be crying out, “Dude, run! Run as fast as you can the other way. This girl is so not worthy of your love. She will give you nothing but heartache all the days of your life. Run as fast as you can!”
As shocking as that scene would be in real life, I find all too often that I hear the same sort of statements coming from my brothers and sisters in Christ. How many times have you heard someone say, or perhaps you have said, “Thank you God for your gift of salvation. I am so unworthy of your love and your gift, but you chose to save a sinner like me.” While that may sound like a person being humble, and you likely don’t even realize what you are actually saying in those moments. You are actually behaving exactly like the girl in the above story.
You see when you accept the gift of salvation you become the bride of Christ. He is offering you the most beautiful gift, and you turn around and declare how unworthy you are of such an extravagant gift. Just as the young man bought the ring for his girlfriend and therefore declared she is worthy of such a gift, so it is with Jesus and the gift of salvation. Jesus declares that you are worthy of his gift. Why else would he have gone through the trouble of dying on the cross and rising from the dead to make you sinless? Don’t you think that if Jesus sees you worthy of salvation, you should see yourself as worthy too?
“This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God…” 2 Thessalonians 1:5 (ESV) You see, God’s judgement toward you is that you are worthy of salvation. When God looks at you he sees his beautiful bride, not a dirty rotten sinner. Remember Jesus died so that your sins aren’t just forgiven, but they are completely forgotten. “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalms 103:12 (ESV) It’s as if you’ve never sinned, not even once in your entire life. Not only that, but all your future and present sins don’t exist as far as God is concerned. That my friend is good news!
My challenge to you is simple, yet may take time to fully accept as true. If Jesus sees you as worthy of his precious gift, it is time you see yourself in the same way. Be confident in your identity as the bride of Christ and wear your gift of salvation with joy! Stop declaring the lie of unworthiness over yourself. You are worthy because God says so! The end. No other explanation needed.
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