What are you worth? It's better than you could imagine!

So what are you worth and upon what do you base that worth?

These are important questions because so much of what goes on inside of our minds and hearts is touched by our answers.

• A desire to feel valuable is why it stings so badly when others ignore or mistreat us.
• A desire to feel valuable is why we feel ecstatic when others applaud us.
• A desire to feel valuable is often why we strive to excel in at least one area of life and celebrate our own personal achievements.

(By the way, isn't it comical that a society filled with people who want to feel valuable is insistent on teaching a theory of science that says we evolved from monkeys, are here by accident, and that nothing we do is of any lasting / eternal worth?)

So, as Christians, what is the basis for our worth?

• Is it who our parents are?
• Is it how much money we have?
• Is it our previous accomplishments?
• Is it how attractive we may be?
• Is it the size of our house or the location of our neighborhood?
• Is it the color of our skin?
• Is it how valuable others perceive us to be?

All of these and more are often used as the basis for our worth. But, they are superficial. 

Further, they can be outdone by others. (Have you ever heard a conversation between two individuals who were trying to impress each other with their personal achievements or where they vacationed or ... whatever? They were both talking and neither one was listening. They both craved to be impress and be affirmed by each other but were too busy focusing on themselves.)

So, what is your value based upon? Simply read the following text:

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Simply put, this is what your value is based upon. You, my friend, are God's masterpiece. Further, you don't bear the image of monkeys - you bear the image of the God who created the universe! Go outside tonight and look up at the massive night's sky and meditate on the fact that the God who spoke those stars into existence also made you, my friend!

Now some folks deny that we are still created in the image of God. With their fingers pointed on Genesis 5:3, they say that we are now created in Adam's sinful, fallen image - not God's.

Genesis 5:3 "When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth."

Yet, when we read a few more chapters and arrive at Genesis 9, we get to listen in on a conversation that God had with Noah. Listen to the basis upon which God required that a murderer receive the death penalty...

Genesis 9:6 "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image."

So, we are still created in the image of God. Every single person has value. 

• Those who are Jesus-followers and those who are not have value. 
• Those who are "red, yellow, black, and white are all precious in His sight." 
• Those who are intellectual giants and those who are mentally challenged have value. 
• Those who are elderly and those who are moments after conception have value.
• Those who live on both sides of the tracks have value.
• Etc., etc., etc.

Every single human being has value! And this means you, friend!

And if you are a Jesus-follower, then you aren't simply generally valuable - you are specifically valuable. You are a child of God and Jesus is your elder brother. You have royal blood flowing through your veins and you will one day walk streets of gold!

So, don't hang your head today. You are filled with unimaginable intrinsic worth that cannot be taken from you. Your value is not found in yourself but in the God who created you. What He says is all that matters and He is telling you that you are His masterpiece made in His likeness.

... and by the way, when we find out value in ourselves, it not only is based upon something fleeting - it also makes us arrogant. But, when we find our value in the God who made us, then that is something that can never be taken away and it gives us a very healthy, humble attitude.

So, live the moments of this day reflecting on the fact that the God of all creation has declared you valuable and realize that God has declared the same thing of every person you bump into.

A Christian's basis for value

Many folks go through times when they struggle with their value. They feel unimportant to others and to God.

Well, there are MANY verses and principles in the Bible that state that every single person (those who follow Jesus and those who don't) have incredible value (Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that every human being [flawed as we are] bear the image of God).

But, for the follower of Christ, there is even more value piled on top! In this morning's Bible reading, I came across Colossians 2:9-10 where it tells us that every bit of God the Father was in Jesus ... and that those who are saved have every bit of Jesus inside of them.

Colossians 2:9-10 (ESV)

"For in him (Jesus) the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority." 

Christian, we can draw at least two helpful principles from these verses:

1) God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit fully abide in you. So, you are never, ever alone.

2) God fully abides in you because you are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; 2 Corinthians 4:7). In your body, you carry around the God of all Creation. Because of who resides inside of you, you are of infinite worth my friend. Realize that your incredible worth comes from your intimate relationship with God, thank Him, and don't ever forget it.

Sermon (video): "Living a Life that Counts" (Ephesians 5:15-17)

Isn't there more to life than simply being born, going to school, getting a job, getting married, having kids, retiring and dying? The Biblical answer to that is a resounding "Yes!" We can live the moments of each of our days on purpose so that at the end of our life, we hear our Lord say, "Well done!"

Yet, a purposeful life doesn't just happen. It takes intentionality. It takes prioritizing. It takes discovering what matters to Jesus. But, it's possible for those who will dig into God's Word and put it into practice. Listen to this sermon as Pastor Matt unpacks some of the truths in Ephesians 5:15-17.

To view the sermon, click here.

To access the sermon notes, click here.

How to assess the value of a person

We take one look at someone and almost immediately size them up, don't we?

Someone who is tall tends to get more respect.

A male with a deeper voice tends to get more respect.

A female who is attractive tends to get more respect (a.k.a. attention).

On and on we could go. We are such a superficial bunch. We often measure people (even assess their worth) by things that they often have no control over.

When Israel was looking for their first king, they got Saul. Do you remember what initially impressed them so much with him? Quite simply, he was from a wealthy family and he was tall and handsome.

1 Samuel 9:1-2 (New Living Translation)

"There was a wealthy, influential man named Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. He was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, of the tribe of Benjamin. His son Saul was the most handsome man in Israel - head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the land."

Some may retort, "Yes, but God was the One who chose Saul to be the king." To that, I would respond, "Yes, God gave them exactly what they wanted. They were a superficial bunch so they got exactly what they asked for."

What was the result of getting a man based upon his wealth and appearance? Saul was an abysmal failure! Throughout the book of 1 Samuel, we realize that among other things he often failed to fully obey the Lord. He was a weak leader. He was a coward (e.g. he sent a young shepherd boy to fight a giant that he was afraid to face). He tried to kill his own son with a spear). Etc., etc., etc.

So, God's patience finally wore out. God rejected Saul as king. So, He sent Samuel to anoint the next king. The prophet went to the house of a man named Jesse to choose the next ruler of Israel from among his sons.

Unfortunately, Samuel began looking on outward appearances again. (Superficial!) That's when God made it clear where the true value of someone resides. God told Samuel how He assessed the value of individuals.

1 Samuel 16:6-7 (New Living Translation)

"When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, 'Surely this is the Lord’s anointed!' But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'"

So, how do you measure the worth of the people you encounter each day?

Here's another question: "What do YOU rely upon to give YOU a sense of worth?"

Friend, let me tell you that your value in God's eyes has nothing to do with how much or how little you have in the bank. It has nothing to do with whether you are tall or short, handsome or homely, educated or uneducated, gifted or not.

Your true value rests in what's going on in your heart. Have you given it to Him? Have you received the gift of God's forgiveness offered on the cross? And are you showing that you are a follower of Jesus by trusting and obeying Him (or as Jesus put it, "denying yourself, taking up your cross and following Him")?

If so, when God looks at you, He smiles! You are a person of value, indeed. You're a child of the King!

Capital punishment and the value of human life

Why do so many Christians believe in capital punishment? Is it because of a disregard for human life?

Nope. It is quite to the contrary. It is precisely because we value human life that we hold to the death penalty.

When we as Christians view others, we acknowledge that not everyone is a child of God on their way to Heaven. Yet, at the same time, we look at others and see God's fingerprints all... over them. Thus, we should place immense value upon everyone we meet. They are God's handiwork!

Because we believe that each person has unimaginable value (regardless of gender, skin color, nationality, religious or non-religious preference, sinful propensities, or any other way that we could segment people), we believe murder is so serious an offense that in doing so the murderer forfeits their own life. Their life is taken not by an individual but by a society that places a high value upon each human life.

God: “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image." (Genesis 9:5-6)

This is not cruel and unusual punishment. It is an equal punishment for the offense. In so doing, society makes it clear that life is valued and murder will not be tolerated. It will have dire, lasting consequences.

Can it truly be said that a society values life if murderers are given only a few years in jail before they are released often to kill again?

Creation, evolution & human value

From Genesis 1

Isaiah 45:11-12 says: "This is what the LORD says - the Holy One of Israel and your Creator: ... 'I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars are at my command.'"

If we aren't careful, we will read over these verses and not see the incredible truths embedded in them. God calls Himself our Creator. He is the One who mad...e us. We belong to Him.

Among many other things, this gives every human being worth. In fact, look at Genesis 1:26-27 where it says: "Then God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.' So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (New Living Translation)

So, it just gets better! God didn't simply create us. He made us to bear His image. That gives us INCREDIBLE worth! Every human being that breathes, regardless of their age, gender, skin color, nationality, intellect, achievements, etc. is a person of incredible worth because they are made in the image of God!

Yet, our nation is methodically stripping us of this truth ... and they are doing it with our nation's children. Don't believe me? Try to talk about the fact that God created us in His image in your local schools.

And, when we strip our nation's intellect and conscience of this truth, we invite a thousand horrors! Why? Because mankind will lose its sense of individual worth. People will no longer be filled with worth simply because they are alive. They will have to find their worth somewhere else.

Eventually, worth will be directly tied into whether or not an individual can produce, whether or not they are a productive member of society. When folks become a burden to society and are not perceived as a person of worth, murder is not completely out of the question.

Don't believe me? Evolution has been taught and embraced for decades. Children have grown up believing it. They have learned that people are not valuable simply because they are human. Is it any coincidence that killing babies in the womb is no longer a major concern for our nation's conscience? When a politician speaks out against abortion, it draws yawns from many folks and others realize they may have just doomed their political future.

And in this culture of death where no one is a person of value simply because they are alive, we are foolish to think it will stop at killing infants. Eventually, when senior citizens or those with handicaps are perceived to be a burden upon society, they will become the next target. Given enough time, those politicians who speak out against these new atrocities will draw yawns from their audience.

And it all begins when we teach our children that they are not created in the image of God and therefore, have incredible worth!

A ringing phone - to answer or not to answer...

Ok. This will probably turn out to be a post that absolutely no one reads. That's fine. It will allow me a chance to reflect ... and maybe even vent ... without having to worry about how others react to one of my pet peeves.

Let me begin by saying that I LOVE my mobile device. (Very few folks actually have a simple phone anymore.) I track my schedule, my tasks, my workouts, my weight, my calorie intake and so much more on my mobile device.

In fact, I've had a few people in past year point out how much time I spend looking at it and tapping on the screen. Even though my life is essentially managed by my mobile device, I try not to spend too much time on it when I'm in the presence of others. I don't always succeed in this endeavor.

Isn't it ironic that one of my pet peeves is when someone gives priority to their mobile device when surrounded by others? (So, I guess I'm saying that I don't like it when people do the same thing that I'm guilty of. Talk about a speck in someone else's eye and a log in my own!)

This morning, I was in a waiting room and observed a man and woman talking about someone who was undergoing surgery. It seemed as if the conversation was going at full throttle when the gentleman's phone rang. He didn't excuse himself from the conversation. He didn't apologize for the interruption. He simply stopped in mid-sentence, answered his phone and acted like the lady in front of him didn't even exist as she stared in disbelief.

Talk about rude! Very clearly yet without a word, he stated that the woman who he was chatting with was not as important as the person who was calling on his phone.

Rude as it may be, I've understood the power of the phone for quite some time. Many years ago, I worked a job in which I frequently needed to converse with my manager. Unfortunately, there were others that needed to talk with him as well. So, I could either wait in line and talk with him after the others finished ... or I could realize that the phone had power. I chose the latter. I quickly made my way to another phone and called him. He asked the person in front of him to wait a few moments as he answered my call and dealt with my concern. After I essentially cut in line, my manager hung up the phone and got back to the others.

I wouldn't do such a thing now. I'd like to think that it's because I've grown in my walk with the Lord and don't want to play a part in something that would devalue others.

So, even though it's a struggle, I try not to spend too much time on my mobile device when in the presence of others. If my phone rings and I'm talking to someone else, I will usually allow it to continue ringing unless it is my wife or sons. My wife always talks priority. And, if my sons are calling, usually something needs to be addressed quickly (like forgetting to pick up Zach from band practice until 30 minutes after it was over.)

Besides, when I'm talking with someone and refuse to answer my phone so that I can continue chatting with them, I suspect that it gives them a sense of value. That's a good thing, right?

Wait a second... I'll be right back. My phone's ringing...

Abortion and the value of a human life

A few days ago, a cargo plane in Afghanistan carrying 7 pilots and crewmen accelerated down the runway and took off. However, after reaching an altitude of about 1,200 feet, it stalled. The pilot veered to the right in an apparent attempt to regain speed but it was too late. It crashed into the ground and burst into flames killing everyone on board. A video taken from a vehicle dash cam showed the surreal, horrifying scene.
 
As I watched the clip on the news, I knew ahead of time that the crash was coming. Yet, as I observed the plane take off knowing that they had about 15-20 seconds left to live, I realized that the crewmen inside the plane were clueless as to what was about to happen. They were moments from their own demise and didn't even know it!
 
As I also watch American culture and it's rapid moral decline, I cannot help but realize that unless God's people wake up and push back the darkness through 1) prayer, 2) changing hearts by leading folks to a saving faith in Jesus, and 3) by legislation, we are headed for our own demise ... and probably much sooner than we think.
 
It's seems to me that one of the clearest signs of our coming doom is the issue of abortion. Masked behind the veil of "women's rights," it has become a major catalyst in helping us to become a culture of death.
 

To view a few undercover videos of what abortionists

approve and advise their patients behind the closed

doors of their clinics, simply click on the following links:

 

Undercover in America's Late-Term Abortion Industry - Arizona

Undercover in America's Late-Term Abortion Industry - New York

Undercover in America's Late-Term Abortion Industry - Washington, D.C.

 
 
As abortion becomes more accepted and normalized and as our nation's conscience becomes further desensitized, we should not be surprised if, very soon, other human life is no longer valued (e.g. the elderly, the handicapped, etc.).
 
A Christian worldview is diametrically opposed to our nation's growing acceptance of abortion.
 
Let me ask you some questions: Have you ever thought about what gives people value? Are you worth anything? And if so, why?
 
That answer is clear in the Bible. Your worth is based upon one primary thing: you are made in God's image! God's fingerprints are all over you!
 
Genesis 1:26-27 "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness' ... So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
 
Did you get that? Your worth isn't based upon how much money you have. It's not based upon how successful you are or how much influence you have. Your worth isn't based upon how much you contribute to society. It's not based upon what others say about you. It's not based upon who you know. It's not based upon your age or the fact that you are still growing in your mother's womb.
 
Pure and simple, your worth comes from the fact that you have God's fingerprints all over you! You are His creation! No matter what you do or who you become, you are a person of value.
 
That cannot be taken away from you. You are God's creation made in his image and therefore, you have worth!
 
Without making this post too long, I'd like to take you to one more passage of Scripture - Psalm 139. In this Psalm, King David exalted God for his greatness. Specifically, he elaborated on the three "omni's" of God:
 
- Psalm 139:1-6 - God is omniscient (God knows all things)
- Psalm 139:7-12 - God is omnipresent (God is completely everywhere at all times)
- Psalm 139:13-18 - God is omnipotent (God can do anything God desires to do)
 
In regard to the last attribute (God's omnipotence), how would you have illustrated God's power if you wrote this psalm? If I wrote it, I probably would have described his action in the creation of the world. I would have talked about how He formed the massive galaxies with only a word. Talk about power!!!
 
Yet, that's not what the Psalmist used to illustrate God's omnipotence. Instead, as the Holy Spirit directed him, he illustrated God's infinite power by describing His work in forming a child in the womb. Just think about that!!!
 
Psalm 139:13-18 "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. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you."

In a Christian worldview, every single person is viewed as someone of value because they are created by God in His image (even though we are tarnished by sin). The baby in the womb is to be protected just as should an elderly person who no longer is able to contribute to society. Why? Because they are a human life created in God's image! God's fingerprints are all over them and therefore, they have value!

Unfortunately for all of us, Christianity is losing its influence in American culture. As this continues to happen, we shouldn't be surprised if human value nosedives at some point and death is not simply the plight of the unborn ... but of the elderly who are unproductive, the handicapped or whoever is deemed by society a "burden." (If you scoff at my conclusions, wait for about 10-20 years and then let's see if you're still laughing.)

As Christians stand against abortion, we're not standing against women's rights. We're fighting for the life of the unborn who has value. We're also fighting against a mindset that may soon move to claim other "burdens" on society.

It blows my mind that Christianity is seen as a threat to our society (Christian soldiers may now be court martialed for sharing their faith) when we are virtually alone in standing up for human value!

Abortion, Lies and God’s Blessings

Anyone who denies that there are conundrums in Scripture that cannot be easily explained has never read the Scriptures. But what else would we expect from a Book written by men moved by God? If it was simply the product of men, all of the “problems” would have been resolved. Since it was written by God, we should expect that there will be things that boggle our mind but are perfectly understandable to Him.

If we begin to talk about some of the "ethical dilemmas" in the Scripture, the problem becomes further compounded because we are blessed to live in a country where the laws on the books, by in large, don’t conflict with the laws of God. (One obvious exception is the abortion law. Tomorrow is “Right to Life Sunday.” It is on this day that we are reminded that we live in a country that celebrates death by staunchly defending the rights of the mother and denying the rights of the unborn.) However, since those laws that conflict with God’s laws tend to be performed and celebrated behind closed doors, we cannot conceive why we should disobey the government, much less how disobeying governmental laws and lying about it could bring God’s blessings upon us. 

Exodus 1 is a classic text when talking about ethical dilemmas. And a contemporary, American Christian may be thoroughly uncomfortable with how it works itself out.

The Israelites had prospered and grown into a large people group inside the national boundaries of Egypt. The Pharaoh decided that they had become a threat. Listen to what he said in verse 10: “Let us deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and if war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.” So the Israelites became the slaves of Egypt.

However, the Israelites were prolific and continued to grow into the great nation that God had promised Abraham (Genesis 12:2). So Pharaoh went to “plan B” and demanded that the Israelite boys must be aborted at birth. Two Hebrew midwives were assigned the responsibility of performing this gruesome task. 

Exodus 1:15-16 says: “Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, ‘When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.’”

Very clearly, these two women heard the government, under which they lived and served, give them their orders. However, those orders went against their moral/religious convictions and they disobeyed. Exodus 1:17 says: “The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.” This was a very bold and blatant act that could carry with it dire consequences.

This is nothing new for the believer. The Scripture states that we are called to obey the government under which we live (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). However, when God’s law and governmental law conflict, we must always obey God’s law and disobey the government’s (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29).

But the apparent ethical dilemma is found in verses 19-21. The Hebrew midwives disobeyed the governmental law, lied about it to the authorities and were blessed by God anyway. Exodus 1:19-21 says: “The midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife can get to them.’ So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. Since the midwives feared God, He gave them families.”

Some would explain this away by saying that the midwives were telling the truth. They say that the Israelite women really did give birth before the midwives arrived. However, verse 17 seems to say that the midwives were not passive but played an active role in letting the Hebrew boys live.

Obviously, situational ethics is not advocated in Scripture (doing what is convenient, rewarding or "right" in the moment). The midwives didn't simply disregard the government's laws because they wanted to. The broke the laws because they were obeying a higher standard. But God didn’t just tolerate their lies to an evil government demanding evil behavior. He blessed these women. Reread Exodus 1:19-21. That's what it says. 

I’m going to leave you with a quote from a man who lived during the time of the Third Reich. His name was Deitrich Bonhoeffer and he was a German believer/theologian/pastor. His heart broke over the Jews that were being slaughtered under Hitler's evil regime. He believed that the SS soldiers and the tyrancial government were not worthy of the truth and so he did much that many Christians in “safe” situations would condemn. In leaving you with this quote, I’m not resolving the ethical question I’ve identified in Exodus 1. Instead, I’m leaving you with something to think about. What do you think about how Bonhoeffer resolved "ethical dilemmas?"

“Those who wish even to focus on the problem of a Christian ethic are faced with an outrageous demand – from the outset they must give up, as inappropriate to this topic, the very two questions that led them to deal with the ethic problem: “How can I be good?” and “How can I do something good?” Instead they must ask the wholly other, completely different question: “What is the will of God?”

The Basis for Mankind’s Value

To some, Genesis 9:5-6 seems unduly harsh (and most certainly politically incorrect). Yet, the deeper meaning of this text could warm the coldest heart.

The context: Noah and his family had just exited the boat after the world-wide flood. God gave Noah permission to add to his culinary repertoire. Adding to his vegetarian diet, he could now have meat and thus the animals around him would, from that point on, have one eye on what they were doing and one eye on Noah. But, while mankind was allowed to take the life of an animal for food, taking the life of another human was an act of murder that bore a serious consequence.

In Genesis 9:5-6, the New Living Translation quotes God as saying: “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.”

Capital punishment was prescribed if a murder took place. Capital punishment was not perceived as murder since the one demanding the life was God and not another human. But the basis for which God would require such a thing is fascinating – the reason God took murder so seriously was because of the value of each human life. “God made human beings in his own image.”

Did you know that this is true of you? You have infinite worth because God made you in His image. To some extent, limited as it may be, you and I bear the likeness of God and thus have great intrinsic value.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a theme park with my son’s 4^th grade class. We hopped onto a ride that dramatically illustrated how a big explosion was the beginning of all that we now see. As we left, I commented to the adult chaperone I was spending the day with that the clear reference to evolution was troubling. He politely commented that he knew with my background that I would have been offended by its message.

Polite conversation ensued as I talked of the implication of an evolutionistic worldview. I mentioned that mankind has a longing, in fact a desperate need 1) to be valued and 2) to know that each individual life has purpose. These two cravings are the very substance from which “hope” springs. Without hope, mankind easily and quickly spirals into depression and meaninglessness.

Very clearly, evolution is completely silent on anything constructive regarding mankind's value or purpose. Concerning "value," with “survival of the fittest” as its motto, the men and women who have made something of themselves may have a reason for feeling personal value. But their value is solely based upon performance. Those who for one reason or another cannot perform have no basis upon which they are to be valued. In fact, evolution predicts that one way or another, they will cease to exist or be exterminated (remember "survival of the fittest"?). Regarding the second need for “purpose,” evolution leaves people with nothing but emptiness. We’re here by accident. A big bang created all we see and our very existence  is only by happenchance. There’s no rhyme or reason. No destination. We're just here for a little while and then we will cease to exist. How depressing is that?!?

But in Genesis 9:6-7, we see that God places a harsh punishment upon someone who took a human’s life because “God made human beings in his own image.” Does this passage say anything about human value? Of course it does! Just as you could look at one of my boys and see a striking resemblance to Kim or me, so too can we look at each other and see enough of God’s image. That's why God placed such a high value on human life and it's protection in Genesis 9. It's because He places high value upon you and me and He wants us to place the same value upon each other.

Further, because there is a God who has made us in His image, we can read in the Book He has written that we also have a purpose. Ultimately, we are to glorify him and to enjoy Him forever. If we have given our lives to Him, then we become His children with the task of pursuing personal holiness and encouraging others to come into relationship with Him. And all of this will culminate in the time in which we will spend eternity with Him (see Revelation 21-22).

Most certainly, in Genesis 9 alone, we can see that each individual (no matter the color of their skin, the content of their character, the competence of their abilities, etc.) has great worth. However, there's one more thought I'll leave you with concerning your potential worth:

My car is 11 years old and I know that eventually, I'm going to have to replace it. Just suppose that I go into a car dealership and spend some time going back and forth on a price with the saleperson. When we finally settle on the price I am willing to pay, something happens in that moment. At that moment, I have solidified my personal assessment of the car's value. Whatever the amount I settle upon is the value that I place upon that car. I wouldn't pay more than I think it's worth and the saleperson won't let me pay less. What I am willing to pay shows the value I place upon the car. Got it? Follow me on this next thought...

What price did God pay to cover your sin debt and adopt you into His family? He paid the price of Jesus. Listen to what 1 Peter 1:18-19 says: "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God." We've already agreed that something is worth what someone is willing to pay, right? Carrying that same line of logic into this truth in 1 Peter, we realize that you and I weren't worth anything to God until, by His own compassion and grace, He chose to place value upon us and sent His Only Son to pay your sin debt and mine. He was willing to pay "Jesus" for you and me. What does that say about the value of those who have the gift of eternal life?

If you've never received God's amazing gift of eternal life, go to http://www.wayofthemaster.com/about_kirk.shtml and click on "Listen to Kirk's Testimony." (It's only about 5 minutes long.) Feel free to contact me! I'd love to help you along in this decision.