So reads the first part of John 3:16, as apparently translated in some Bibles.
But my Bible actually says something like, "For God SO LOVED THE WORLD that He gave His only begotten Son..."
Why did God give? Why was the price paid? He gave and He paid the price because He so loved the world! The gift of eternal life that we've received from God truly did cost Him something, but the price was joyfully paid (see Heb 12:2). And now that the price has been paid, walk in the beauty of it and enjoy it!
Some people walk around as if God's grace, though given freely, is "cheap" unless we grovel before Him, always reminding Him and each other how "unworthy" we are to receive it. Of course, it's not that we should not be thankful for grace! In fact, the best way that we can show that we are truly thankful for the gift is to walk freely in it!
My son is three years away from getting his driving permit. (Lord have mercy!) ;) Let's just say that when he's able to drive, we have the means to buy him a car. He's done nothing to deserve it. We paid the price for it, entirely. He gets in the car, drives five miles and then stops and calls us and says, "Mom and Dad, I'm really not worthy of this gift you've given me. Thank you so much!" Great, he appreciates the gift! But then during the next five miles, he keeps on thinking about how unworthy he is, and he stops again and calls us to tell us again how unworthy he is, and how thankful he is for the car. This then keeps up for the rest of the time that he owns the car!
Am I being a bit over the top with this example? Maybe. :) But it's to point out that that's how some people see the gift of grace. They live day in and day out as if they need to keep reminding themselves of their unworthiness in order to truly appreciate the gift. But just as we wouldn't give our son a car with the hopes that he would keep on understanding and groveling before us about how he didn't deserve it, but rather we would give it to him so that he would simply enjoy it, God hasn't given us the gift of His life so that we would continue to feel unworthy. Even though we truly didn't deserve it, He didn't pay the price so that we would remain stuck in a mentality of unworthiness before Him, but rather so that we'd have a brand new life in which we see how much He truly LOVES us and how He has crowned us with glory and honor, and how He VALUES us!
People don't give gifts hoping that the receivers of the gifts will stay with the mindset that they didn't deserve the gifts. True giving is given joyfully and out of a true willingness to give! God gave the ultimate gift as the ultimate giver! To walk as a unworthy worm before Him is to not appreciate and understand the gift! In fact, it takes away from what the gift has truly provided us with! To appreciate the gift of grace is to walk in its fullness, which means understanding that we are PRECIOUS and VALUABLE to God, not unworthy worms.
Amen Joel. Sometimes we determine the value of something to someone by finding out how much he is willing to pay for it.
ReplyDeletewhat is our value, are we worthy? we are worth the blood and life of His precious Son Jesus. God sacrificed His Son for us. that act shows that we are worthy in God's eyes. we are precious to Him.
Yes indeed, Chinedu! The very price that was paid shows just how valuable and worthy we are to Him. I don't think He ever intended for us to think less of ourselves than He does!
ReplyDeleteI'M NOT WORTHY - I'M NOT WORTHY!!! Imagine me on the floor wailing over and over.............
ReplyDeletePUHLEAZE!! When we are given a gift so great as this, it should never be about how worthy we are, that devalues the givers intent! Sheesh! I am not a worthless worm - I have the worth of a SON of the High King of Heaven!! Hello, now that is worthiness, and He decided it to be so - not me!!!
Loved it!! Even worse, we're taught to PUSH our "new car" not that it will "carry" us.
ReplyDeleteVery true, Lydia! David asked the rhetorical question of God, "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You care for him?" (Psalm 8:4 NIV) And then he answered his own question in the next verse, "You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings (in Hebrew: 'Elohim') and crowned him with glory and honor."
ReplyDeleteWhat does God think of man? He has made him a little lower than Himself, and has crowned him with glory and honor! Perhaps in modern times we'd call it dignity and worth. Either way, God thinks very highly of us! He has never seen us as "worms," but has always had great esteem for us.
Jamie... that's a good one. I've heard that too. It's as if we've got this wonderful gift but it's up to us to provide the batteries, or to "be" the batteries in order to make the thing work. Sad, sad, sad!
hmmmmmmm...Joel.
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