WELL ISN’T THAT SPECIAL

 “All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s own family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead. And God has reserved for his children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will make sure that you get there safely to receive it because you are trusting him. It will be yours in that coming last day for all to see.” – 1 Peter 1:3-5 (TLB).

The Church Lady was a recurring character in a series of sketches on Saturday Night Live, in which she would have a show called Church Chat. She was known for the catchphrase, “Well, isn’t that special?” But the reality is we are special.

Yes, I know it sounds a bit trite to say. And yes it sounds like something you would hear in a kindergarten class or at a positive affirmation workshop but that doesn’t change the statement’s truth. So what makes us special? We are special because we are made in the image of God. He has intentionally, carefully, and intricately formed and made you with an individual personality, physical makeup, preferences and personality traits, and talents.

The Bible tells us so: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it” (Psalm 139:13-14).

When you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior you were reborn as a unique component of the family of God. You might consider yourself small, untalented, or unremarkable, nevertheless, you play an essential role in fulfilling God’s mission. The church cannot be who it is meant to be unless you are willing to be who you were meant to be. That is until you are willing to use the gifts God gave you on behalf of His kingdom.

But on the other hand, we aren’t special. Our sin is not that special. If we think our past or present sins are special in that they are abhorrent or blameworthy, we need to look again to the cross of Jesus. The price for our sins was the cross of Jesus.

Our sin is a big deal, but it’s not that special, although we are tempted to think so. We fret over something we did wondering if we have gone too far this time. How can God love me anymore? How can I get back in His good graces? This is not only completely wrong, it suggests however innocent our intent, that the death and resurrection of Jesus were not sufficient to cover our special brand of sin. It was sufficient centuries ago, it is sufficient today and will be sufficient until the Lord returns.

The bottom line is this: our sin is not special. We might be unique but our sin is not. Our sin is not special enough to be the “exception” in the redemptive work of the cross.    

Discussion Questions:

1. What should we do if we think our sins are special?
2. Few of us find “guilt” or “fear of punishment” to be very good motivators for anything. What could be a different motivator for us to stop making choices that lead to sin?