Matthew 10: 27 - 31 NKJV
One thing that I have definately seen enough of are self help books, seminars and the like. Now, I have written many a post on the condition of the modern institutional church and those requirements which are placed upon us by it. However, we know that it is Jesus Himself who has put to death those requirements which were against us {Colossions 2:14}. So it is that instead of yet another peice of the practices of the modern church, I've decided to do a 180 and illustrate something far more important. That is, just how important we are to our heavenly Father. Now, we can definately say that we know how valuable we are to God, but do we really know this in our own hearts? Do we truly believe it? For is this were true, then certainly many a self help speaker would be out of business TODAY! We've all seen them haven't we? Those people on late night television who encourage us to be the best that we can be. Who promise us wealth if we will simply follow whatever dog and pony show program they are pitching. Now, I will ask everyone who is reading this to take a moment and stop to consider one question. Ready? How is it that we, as Gods children, can improve on something which He Himself has called good? How is it that we ourselves can improve on something which was created in the very image of our heavenly Father? I'll give you a hint...WE CAN'T! For if we are indeed created in Gods very own image, and scripture assures us that we are, what is it that we need to improve on? In Matthew 10, Jesus gives us good example of just how important we are to our heavenly Father. He has numbered the very hairs on our heads. Jesus points out the fact that even if two sparrows are sold for a coin of copper, not one sparrow will fall to the ground apart from our Fathers will. Knowing this, how much more valuable are we than the birds of the air?
19Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6: 19 - 20 NKJV
One passage of scripture which I hold close to me is found in 1 Corinthians 6. It is here that the apostle Paul reminds us once again of our value to our heavenly Father. For we indeed were purchased with the price of the blood and life of Christ Jesus, that He might dwell in His "temple" within us. I was reminded of this truth by my friend Kevin and have carried it with me. We are also reminded of this truth in Pauls letter to the churches in Galatia in which he tells of how we have been crucified with Jesus {Galations 2:20}. Yes, Paul begins this truth of Jesus in us by claiming "I" have been crucified with Christ, but Pauls experience is not unique just to him. On the contrary, when Jesus took our sins upon Himself {2 Corinthians 5:21}, he put to death that sin nature which we were born with. So, have you ever based your self worth on the very fact that you are a sinner {Romans 3:23}? Well, the good news is that God loved us enough to send His Son to perish in our place {1 John 4:19}. We love Him because He first loved us. Standing in front of a mirror and seeing the man which the rest of the world sees has NEVER done me a bit of good as far as my self worth goes. However, loking into that very same mirror to see the man that my heavenly Father sees has helped me to see just how valuable I truly am. I am Scott, created in my heavenly Fathers image as a child of God and, upon my creation, I have been proclaimed worthy and good by He whose image that I share.
~Scott~
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