Unworthy But Not Worthless
Pigs are, in a lot of ways, very similar to humans. Aside from the fact that they are very genetically similar, both love to gorge and binge eat. We also share a love for rolling around in the mud, sometimes even our very own dirt. We like to look at the world, knowing that nothing good ever comes from it, and say “hey, that looks like fun!” And most of the time, against all logic and reason, actually go for it.
Pigs love mud. Maybe almost as much as we humans love sin. Maybe in your head you’re thinking “psh, nooooo.” But in reality, our nature is to sin
“All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.” Ephesians 2:3 (NLT)
“And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.” Ephesians 4: 17-19 (MSG)
We are attracted to sin as much as moths are attracted to light. Paul even went as far as calling as “children of darkness/wrath/disobedience” in Ephesians 2.
“As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;” Romans 3:10 (NIV)
“And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.” Romans 7:18 (NLT)
There is nothing good in us (Romans 3:10, Romans 7:18) which would lead us to the question “WHY DID GOD SAVE ME?” Surely it wasn’t because you were righteous. It wasn’t because you had anything to offer Him that wasn’t already His. God chose you, specifically, to be part of His people; His special possession amongst all His creation (Psalm 8: 3-5).
Psalm 8:3-5
NLT: 3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers— the moon and the stars you set in place— 4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them? 5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God (angels) and crowned them[c] with glory and honor.
He handpicked you. He has made you part of His family. And you know what? It pleased Him greatly. Even before the creation of the world, you have already been chosen.
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:5 (NLT)
We might never know why exactly God chose us amongst all creation, but there are two things that I would like you to remember/ to remind you:
1. We are UNWORTHY.
Read Romans 3: 9-20
Our design makes us incapable of doing anything good by ourselves. We can never save ourselves. We can never change our hearts through will power alone. Moreover, we are saved only through grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9
NIV: 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Nothing we ever do, no matter how minuscule or monumental it may be, will make us right with God. See Romans 3:20
Have you ever considered how tiny man is compared to all creation?
3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? 5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor. 6 You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet… (Psalm 8 3-6)
God has not only given us grace, but He has lavished it on us (lavish: to bestow something in generous or extravagant quantities; rich; elaborate; luxurious | Concise Oxford Dictionary). What has man done to ever deserve such favor from a great God?
Imagine this: you are at a job interview for a job at a company that is bigger, more successful than FaceBook or Apple. You hand in your resume to the employer, who is also the owner of the business. Your resume is all dirty and crumpled; what’s more is that you have no desirable qualities that would land you the job, no accomplishments under your belt. But this strange employer not only hired you, but made you the CEO of the company.
It sounds crazy, but that is exactly what God did.
2. We are NOT WORTHLESS.
Anyone familiar with the story about the statue of Jesus Christ in Germany? So there is a statue of Jesus Christ in Germany that got damaged during the Second World War. A lot of artists and sculptors came together to restore the said statue. There was one problem though: the hands were too damaged to be restored so the sculptors debated on what to do. In the end, the sculpture remained without hands. Instead, the artists put a sign at the foot of the statue that read “Jesus has no hands but ours.”
You were saved when you got saved for a reason. You were given talents not so that you could simply flaunt them. The salvation that you have received, along with all the gifts and talents entrusted to you, is all for the glory of God.
If you’re not going to preach to your friends and classmates, then who will? If you’re not going to love the unlovable, then who will? If you’re not going to stand for your faith, then who will? The lost will not believe in a God that they cannot see, hear, or feel. It is our sole purpose to show Jesus to the campuses, to our friends, to our families. It is our job to make the seemingly unreachable God available for all! We are all called to honor God and make disciples.
Matthew 28:19-20
NIV: 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
You play a vital role in the advancement of God’s kingdom.
If you are being led to believe that you are a failure, that you will never amount to anything, or that you are worth nothing; that is the enemy deceiving you. If the King who is in heaven, the God who created the heavens and the earth, says that you are worth so much that He even sent His one and only Son to be ridiculed, to be mocked, and to die a humiliating and morbid death at the cavalry for YOU, then how dare you say that you are worth nothing? The cross is more than just a cliché. It holds so much meaning that the finite human mind will never be able to grasp it in its entirety.
YOU MAY BE UNWORTHY, BUT YOU’RE NOT WORTHLESS.