Know Your Worth!

Since sin has cosmic implications, it required a cosmic redemption. That’s just a fancy way of saying since sin stains everything, Jesus redeems everything. 

Here is a great blessing Jesus’ death and resurrection means for believers individually. 

Our value is fixed!

One of the biggest questions humans have is “I’m I enough?” It’s a question of worth and value captured in the thoughts of “I’m I doing enough?” “I’m I lovable?” “I’m I worth people’s time?” It’s the center of an internal conflict all of us consistently struggle with while on earth. 

Here is how Jesus established your value and answered with an eternal YES!

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” 1 Peter‬ ‭1:18-19‬ 

Translation: God -who owns ALL the silver and gold on this globe and in the ENTIRE universe- chose not to redeem you with gold, silver, diamonds, bitcoin, etc. No no no. YOU were worth much more to him! He chose to redeem you with something much more valuable. HIS SON. This isn’t Christian feel good fluff! Your value and worth is fixed, established, set in stone . . . NO . . . set in eternal blood! You are a son and daughter of the most high God! In Christ you are enough! In Christ you are loved! You don’t deserve it but there’s a crown on your head! 

“Two wonders here that I confess

My worth and my unworthiness

My value fixed, my ransom paid

At the cross, at the cross”

ALL THINGS ARE YOURS!

I realize that sometimes I want less for my life than what God wants for me. I know I’m not alone. Lately I’ve been captured and overwhelmed by the truth that God wants to do so much more in my life than what I settle for. I see this in the life for so many Christians.

I was reading 1 Corinthians 3 recently with the gift of fresh eyes and saw something I’d never paid attention to before! In the letter, Paul is talking about the foolishness of divisions in the church. Members in the Corinthian church were quarreling over which teacher was the most anointed and wisest. They were divided on what gifts were the most significant in their church. Some of them lauded Paul, some lauded Apollos, and some lauded Peter. Peter and Paul were loved by some because they demonstrated God’s power in their gospel proclamation. The others praised Apollos because he demonstrated the wisdom of God in his gospel proclamation.  A rift occurred between the church as each group sought to elevate signs and wonders OR wisdom and knowledge. The people who followed Paul and Peter said signs and wonders was the right and only way! The people who followed Apollos said wisdom and knowledge was the right and only way! It had Paul scratching his head hard!

It’s been about 2,000 years since Paul wrote this letter to Christians in Corinth, but that reality is still present today! Christians still quarrel over whose way is the right and only way! I spent the first 9 years of my life in Ghana, West Africa. I’m thankful that both of my parents were strong believers and taught me and my siblings from a young age the importance of faith. What was strange in our home on Sundays was that we attended two churches. This is somehow common in this part of the world so let me explain how this looked like. My father came from a Roman Catholic background. I was baptized in the Catholic church as an infant and was even on my way to becoming an altar boy before we moved to the United States. My mother came from an Assemblies of God (AG) background. I usually love telling people this fact and watching the look on their face if they know anything about those two different church traditions. We would go to the AG church on Fridays and Sundays. On Sundays, we often attended both churches waiting till mid-service at the AG church before transitioning to mass at the Catholic church.

There are theological beliefs held by both church traditions that I disagree with, but my goal is not to discuss that here! If you know anything about these two church traditions you know that the RC church is known for emphasizing the sacraments (baptism, confirmation, Lord’s supper, confession, etc.) The AG church is known for emphasizing baptism in the Holy Spirit and divine healing. I learned to appreciate certain tenets of each of these traditions growing up between both. When we moved to the United States, my faith was influenced through several church traditions. I was saved because of a Baptist church’s apartment ministry. I was discipled through a Calvinist Bible church and a Nazarene church while attending a non-denominational church. What was awkward for me as a teenager was hearing preachers say snark comments about other church traditions not knowing I would be in their midst the next day or so. I attended a Baptist University and a non-denominational Seminary. What I have learned is that each group emphasizes an aspect of the gospel and in some cases does it well. Even beyond church denominations, you see division exemplified at the level of local churches. Some Baptist churches in some contexts emphasize serving their community in their gospel proclamation while other Baptist churches choose to focus on the wisdom and knowledge of God in their gospel proclamation.

The issue occurs when one aspect of the gospel is emphasized at the exclusion of others!

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:10, “I appeal to you brothers by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” He tells them to be united in the same mind and the same judgment. As I read this now, I notice it’s easy to get discouraged and think unity will never be realized since the people who were with Paul couldn’t even get this right! But I also realize that’s why we have God’s word and God’s Spirit, to show us how to live righteous and unified lives to him. Wherever there is quarreling, Paul’s answer is, “Is Christ divided?” Meaning if each one of the leaders preached and demonstrated Christ through wisdom or the power of God, is the gospel different? To end the argument Paul said four words at the end of chapter three that rocked me! He wrote to them ALL THINGS ARE YOURS! Within local churches, sometimes there are divisions over hymns or contemporary songs. Or whether a church should emphasize discipleship or fellowship. Personal righteousness or social justice. Jesus answered that 2,000 years ago! Paul’s answer was that Jesus included all of this in the way he preached and demonstrated the good news! Jesus wasn’t an either-or person. He was a both-and person. Believer, ALL THINGS, yes, ALL THINGS ARE YOURS!