So I’m having an ongoing debate with a friend here in the church, and it would seem that this is rather a controversial and divisive question. The question is whether we are valuable to God. Do we hold value in God’s eyes?
A little Q and A. Who thinks we are valuable and hold value in God’s eyes? Who thinks we’re not and don’t? Who needs more than 3 seconds to think about this?
See, I’m not convinced that I know the answer. I’m convinced I know what the answer isn’t, and I confident the answer to these questions isn’t ‘no’. I’m just not convinced that it’s necessarily a profound ‘yes’. Or maybe I’m just not confident proclaiming ‘yes’. Proclaiming with confidence that ‘yes, indeed, we are valuable to God’ tends to be misinterpreted, and I get it. I am not of the prosperity gospel mindset where we will have no suffering and it’s all about me. I also understand that other Christian doctrines – in this case specifically Calvinism – are philosophically opposed to us, humans, playing any role in our own salvation. We are only saved because God enabled us to be saved, and he did so for no purpose other than for his own glory. We are meaningless, He is meaningful, we are not valuable or valued in the least, rather God is so sovereign that He saves us anyway, and any value he attributes to us is due to his sovereignty rather than because of any value that is intrinsically ours.
Are you still with me?
You see, what I believe doesn’t diminish the sovereignty or glory of God. Nor in anyway am I comparing what value we may or may not have to the value of Jesus, or God. Nor am I saying that I deserve to be valued or should be valued. I’m just reading what’s written in scripture and interpreting them as best as I can.
When in Japan, I visited a number of Shinto and Buddhist temples. What was interesting to observe is that when someone goes to make an offering to the gods, they must make noise to attract the attention of the gods to alert them to their presence, in the hope that they’ll listen to you.
First, a few easy verses. Matthew 6:26 –
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
Okay, so I’m of more value than a bird.
Matthew 10:30-31 –
But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Great. I’m worth more than many birds, specifically sparrows.
Still in Matthew, chapter 10:9-12 –
He went on from there and entered their synagogue. And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” – so that they might accuse him. He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
I like where this is going. I’m of more value than birds, sparrows, and sheep.
But I’m not sure this actually get to the crux of the issue. These verses could merely indicate the value that God, in all His glory and sovereignty, ascribes to us. These verses, to me, don’t clearly indicate whether we, people, have intrinsic value and worth in God’s eyes, prior to our salvation.
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”
That’s Paul, in Acts 20. He does not account his life of any value or as precious to himself. That’s an interesting turn of phrase. Let’s contextualise because that always helps:
And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction awaits. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.
If not himself, then who counts Paul’s life as valuable? What Paul didn’t write is that he or his life holds no value or is not valuable. He wrote that he doesn’t count his life as valuable to himself. I would postulate that this means it is not his purpose for his life that matters, but rather it is God’s purpose for his life that matters. Does this indicate that Paul’s life is valuable to God? But I’m still not sure this answers whether we hold intrinsic value. Was Paul valued pre the road to Damascus?
James 2 –
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
We all know this story. God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and stops him at the last minute after Abraham proves himself wholly obedient. God then provides the sacrifice, and Isaac is spared. As I spoke about on Sunday night, what was Abraham to do? What was following God and being obedient to God supposed to cost him? Everything. What happened as a result of Abraham’s obedience? What was his reward? Being called a friend of God. I hold my friends as valuable, and they have value to me. Having Abraham sacrifice Isaac would have shown God’s power and sovereignty overall. To what extent does God hold us as
valuable, and give us and our lives value? Why stop Abraham sacrificing Isaac if neither held intrinsic value to God?
Colossians –
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
We have been filled with Him who holds the most value to God. Once we’re filled with Christ, clearly, we’re valued. But still, to me this doesn’t answer whether we have intrinsic value.
So who, then, does God desire be filled with Christ? Who does God desire repents against their sins and believe?
2 Peter –
The Lord is not slow to fulfil his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
None perish; all reach repentance. Why would God possibly desire that no one perishes? Why would he want all of humanity to reach repentance?
See, I think there is something separating us from the rest of creation. I believe that I can point to a quality about and within us that God does a) want, and b) value. I believe I know why God loves us and demonstrated His love for us through the sacrifice of Jesus’ on the cross. Yes, it is based upon His goodness and His grace and absolutely not based on anything we’ve done, however thanks to God I believe that this value is intrinsically found in us. Genesis 1:6 –
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
If we are made in the image of God, and we’re the image bearers of God, then we must have intrinsic value to God, lest he not value his own image.
John 3:16 states –
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 does not state –
For God so showed His sovereignty, might, power and glory, that he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
That may be self-evident in this specific action of God, but those aren’t the words used by Jesus in John. “So loved the world…” are the words used. Think about it for a moment. If I and my life hold no value, then there is no purpose for me to preach the Gospel.
I’m not, and have not, and never will, measure my value against the value of Jesus. That’s a comparison that I have not and never will make. All I am saying is that according to scripture, I believe God attributes value to you and considers you valuable. Through the unique design of imago dei, the image of God, you are intrinsically valuable to God, and He desires that you not perish but rather reach repentance and share in eternity with Him. Psalm 139 –
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
God’s words, not mine.
