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“We are unworthy of the cross. Yet, because of the cross, we are worthy.” – John Piper.
Mickey Mantle’s near-mint Topps rookie card sold for 12.6 million. The least expensive Picasso painting sold in November 1999 at Christie’s for 45.1 million dollars. A 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe became the most expensive car ever sold in 2022, having sold at auction for an eye-watering $135 million.
The vast majority of us, even if we have the money wouldn’t spend like that. That’s because we don’t value those items the way those collectors do. If we valued those items the way those collectors did, we’d be willing to pay a great price to gain them.
We all value things differently. What others would pay a great price for, we would pay little to nothing. It’s easy to know how much someone values something – simply look at how much they’re willing to pay to get it or keep it. Each one of us is valuable to Jesus.
We are valuable because of what we cost. As one loved by God, you have also been chosen by God to “adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 1:5). This adoption came at a high price, the death of His Son. “He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Ephesians 1:6, 7).
God values us Because He is love and He loves us more than we can ever fully know. The only reason God can love us even though we were His enemies is that His love is not based on us at all. He does not love us because of what we do. He loves us because of who He is, for “God is love” (1 John 4:8). We are valuable because of what we cost. As one loved by God, you have also been chosen by God to “…adopt us into his own family…” (Ephesians 1:5).
We are valuable because of what we can become. As a person who is loved by God and adopted into His family, you can be sure that God has a plan for your life: “Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.” (Ephesians 1:11-12). In order to value people, we must look at how we value ourselves. The value you put on yourself correlates with the way you value others. The basis of this is understanding our value so that we can give others that same value. How much value do you put on others?
Does our attitude toward others, and how we treat people show that we understand the price that was paid? And does their behavior show that they feel valued? Think about the value you put on people. In general, people respond according to the value you place on them. The gospel is best seen when we make anyone who walks through the doors of this church feel that we value them. Jesus died for sinners. He wants us to value others as He values us.
Discussion Questions:
- Read Ephesians 2:10 and describe how God values each of us.
- Value depends on what someone will pay for it. According to 1 Peter 1:19, what value did God put on mankind? Do we underestimate our own value in the eyes of God?