I love how Scripture describes who you are in Christ: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9). Christian, not only are you chosen, royal, holy, and special, but you are an ambassador of the Creator of the universe, given the awesome task to declare to the world: “the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Wow!
Pastor Rick Warren also gives us another wonderful perspective and understanding of just how precious, special, and enormously valuable we are to God: “Let me tell you how worthwhile you are. You are infinitely valuable to God. First, God created you. Second, Jesus died for you. Third, he puts his Spirit within you. Fourth, he wants you to be with him forever in eternity. That’s how valuable you are to God. You are infinitely valuable to God.”1
Let’s take a more detailed look at each of these amazing four points shared by Rick Warren:
First, God created you
While your mother birthed you she didn’t create you. This honor clearly goes to the Lord of creation – Jesus Christ, who created all of humanity! Just as God created the entire universe, He chose to create you and me, not because He was lonely, but because He wanted to lavish His incredible love on beings, so special that He made us in His own image. God wanted to share His amazing love with you and me in a special relationship that no animal or even angel could ever have. You are a masterpiece of the creative genius of our God unique among all creation and special beyond your wildest dreams.
Second, Jesus died for you
Yet, despite this ultimate privilege of being made in the image of God, we all have forfeited our birthright to experience and enjoy this intimate relationship that God originally designed all humanity to have with Him, because of our rebellious and sinful hearts. But God’s love was so stunning and powerful that He made a way for us to enter back into intimacy with Himself. Enter God Himself in the second person of the Trinity – Jesus Christ. God willingly chose to show us how to live life to perfection by taking on human form and by virtue of Him being fully God and fully man, took the penalty for our sins upon His human form, providing perfect atonement for our sins – thus allowing us a way back into relationship with Himself, through faith in Jesus Christ. In this unique worldview, salvation through Jesus Christ was made available to all of mankind, thus showing us the depth of His love and sacrifice for you and me!
Third, God, the Father, puts his Spirit within you
Imagine, God loves you and considers you so special that He chooses to live inside of you by placing His Spirit inside of your very own body! For Scripture tells us: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). And with the Holy Spirit inside of you, you have the finest guidance system available to help you live right, rejoice always, and walk in perfect peace. Now that’s intimacy!
Fourth, Jesus wants you to be with him forever in eternity
While our present earth will one day be replaced with a new earth, we too, will see our frail bodies become clothed with a glorified body, suitable to spend eternity with Jesus! If I can share your timeline of existence with you, I think you will be able to comprehend just how infinitely valuable you are to God. The Bible tells us that you and I existed in the mind of God before our universe came into existence. Next, the foreknowledge of God became the reality of your life at conception. Nine short months later, your mother brought you into the light by birth. Sadly, we are all born in sin, because of the sin of Adam, living a life separated from God. But praise God for many of us have accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior and became born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Next physical death rears it ugly head, but again praise God, because absent from the body is present with the Lord. And then our final stop is to spend eternity with Jesus in perfect bliss!
And this my friends is the fantastic voyage that God will take you on when you come to Christ! So the next time, my fellow Christian, you begin to feel a little down, I pray you will remember that next to the Trinty, you are the most precious and valuable thing in the universe!