Worthless to Worthy

“If Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” – Romans 8:10-11

While many may call themselves “Christians”, often their lives don’t reflect what God had in mind for them. Sin makes all who are in bondage to it, worthless. It may sound harsh but it’s the truth. It’s why we all need a Saviour. Without the reality of what sin is, we’ll never fully understand the need for a Saviour. It’s His love for us, and His gift to us, that gives us our worth.

I believe that one of satan’s greatest tactics in our current culture is to blur the lines of what we believe sin actually is and its effects on our lives… if we believe all of what we do or all of how we live isn’t really sinful, then we’ll also believe that we don’t really need saving.

When we fully recognize our sin – every thought, emotion, desire to do what we want to do and when we want to do it… then we can understand our need to be fully transformed into the likeness of Christ. We can embrace the work of Christ’s Spirit in us, that calls us to lay down our own will and plans, and surrender to His will and purpose for our lives. It’s not a pick-and-choose package that we sign up for, it’s a head-to-toe holy transformation – initiated by Christ’s death in payment for our sin, to fully follow Him.

Should we keep on sinning because we are under God’s grace? Certainly not! Our choice is to either be a slave to sin (which leads to hopelessness, eternal death and separation from God) or be a slave to the obedience of God (leading to hope, purpose, righteousness and eternity with Him). (ref. Romans 6:15-16). Most people don’t like the extremes, and really want to live somewhere in between – because it’s comfortable…and we retain some form of control (or think we do!). Yet, Jesus Himself, preached that people should count the cost of being His disciple, because it will require all of us. (ref. Luke 14:25-35) When we have eyes to see the effects of sin in our own lives, and how we royally mess up when we try and control the outcomes of our life, instead of following Holy Spirit’s leading, we can begin to include more of a focus on the unseen realm rather than just what’s happening in the natural. It’s then where we truly begin to understand our purpose for life and how God’s plan for our individual lives is wrapped up in His Kingdom plans for all creation.

We are Christ’s ambassadors! No longer worthless in our slavery to sin but worthy because of the name that we bear… Jesus!

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21

The righteous of God don’t receive God’s grace in vain, but surrender and assimilate His ways as their own, as ones who live worthy of their calling – worthy of beholding the holy name of Jesus.

Lord, may we be women who live a life of continual surrender to Your ways. Show us how to leave behind all that is worthless, that which keeps us in the prison of sin. Give us eyes to see how You are making us new, and give us a heart’s desire to embrace the full transformation of our lives. To carry Your name with reverence, and to hold the title of ‘worthy’ in submission to our continual need of Jesus. Father, please continue to make us like Your Son. Holy Spirit, may we be awakened to how and when You’re speaking to us, and may we follow and trust You in all Your ways. In Jesus’ name, Amen.