Realizing Your Value In The Eyes of God

It is very difficult to love others if don’t start realizing your value. There’s a divine and precious principle in understanding your intrinsic value as an individual. One major idea behind those who struggle with thoughts of suicide or depression is the despicable notion of self-worthlessness. Nevertheless, read what the Word of God has to say, and observe how much God has valued you.

The Importance of Loving Yourself

The fact of the matter is that not loving yourself can be very harmful. If you can’t love yourself, how could you possibly love others?

1 Corinthians 13:1 World English Bible (WEB)
13 If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.

The Bible makes it very clear as it does in the verse above that love is essential to every individual. The Biblical narrative is about love from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelations. And Jesus reminded us in the New Covenant that realizing your value in God’s eyes is a prerequisite to loving others when he talked about the two most important commandments.

Mark 12:31 World English Bible (WEB)
31 The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’Leviticus 19:18 There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Jesus said to love others as yourself, meaning that this commandment first assumes that you love yourself. Now, God is not a hypocrite. Whatever He tells us to do is always a reflection of what He demonstrates and this case is no exception. Furthermore, If God did not love Himself, how could He love us?

John 3:35 World English Bible (WEB)
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

Verses like the above verse make it clear that Father God loves Himself even as God the Son. Bible verses like John 3:35 should not confuse us about Jesus’ divinity, rather, it should point out the loving nature of God.

Moreover, if God loves Himself, then, we should also love ourselves because we should imitate and obey God.

Ephesians 5:1 World English Bible (WEB)
5 Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children.

Realizing Your Value In Christ Jesus

Moreover, loving yourself is a key to success. When you love yourself, you enable yourself to establish and maintain healthy relationships since you become capable of loving others. Plus, when you love yourself, you establish a healthy quality of confidence within your personality.

But, maybe your past prevents you from loving yourself. Maybe you’re living in guilt and condemnation for past actions which now disgust you. Well, there’s even a solution for that.

2 Corinthians 5:17 King James Version (KJV)
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

The moment you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour where He paid the price for your sins so that you don’t have to, He sees you as a new creation. He values you as His beloved child and you then gain the right to imitate your Heavenly Father.

So, your past self has nothing to do with your current righteousness obtained through Jesus Christ.

Even God calls it wise to love yourself. If you love your soul, that makes it tremendously easier to seek wisdom. So, it’s a wise decision to start realizing your value in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 19:8 World English Bible (WEB)
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul.
    He who keeps understanding shall find good.

A Wise Decision Indeed

It is therefore the best decision to love yourself. When you love yourself, you allow God to work in you. If you understand the value that God assigned you, God can work through you and in you to accomplish amazing things.

Matthew 5:14-16 World English Bible (WEB)
14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Neither do you light a lamp and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house. 16 Even so, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Even Jesus said in the above passage that you are the light of the world if you follow Him. Jesus compares you and me to a lamp and that our purpose is to glorify Him because He has made us for a special reason; you’ve got to understand this! If God says that He made you in His image, then don’t call yourself insignificant, it’s like putting a lamp under a basket instead of placing it on a stand.

Sure, you are imperfect but that’s the way all people are. Only God is perfect, that doesn’t mean you’re insignificant. When you understand how much Jesus loves you, it becomes a no-brainer to love yourself.

Genesis 1:27 World English Bible (WEB)
27 God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them.

Therefore, believe what God says, and love yourself because He loves you. When you realize the extent of God’s undying love for you, it becomes very easy to love yourself. And when you love yourself, it becomes very easy to love others since God loves them.

Let Go of the Past and Always Look Ahead

White as snow

The fibers of human conscience revolve around past experiences and past memories. These things of the past can weigh people down and cause them to feel guilt. And it is this strong sense of the past which people cannot shake off. But, in this post, whether you’ve been heartless, good, or whatever there is in between, I want you to learn how to let go of the past through Jesus’ finished work on the cross.

The Nature of Guilt

Guilt is literally ancient. There’s no doubt about it. People have been feeling guilty for thousands of years. David who lived thousands of years before us can relate to how guilt haunts an individual.

Psalm 51:3 World English Bible (WEB)
For I know my transgressions.
    My sin is constantly before me.

David felt guilty as he says that his sin was constantly before him. This meant that he would constantly remember what he did and this was painful to him. To resolve this, he expressed his guilt to God in the psalm and asked Him for forgiveness.

But, he went through very severe consequences for his actions as he was in the Old Covenant which I’ll explain later. Nevertheless, David wrote this psalm after he committed adultery with a woman and murdered her husband to cover up his sin.

I’m pointing this out because you need to know that guilt is a very real issue. And guilt even transcends time as many have experienced it in the past.

Allowing Your Conscience to Let Go of Guilt

Whatever you’ve done in the past, whether you’ve lied, cheated, betrayed, murdered, and the list goes on and on, your conscience records it. Guilt is a thing of the conscience. It is your conscience which torments you with haunting reminders of your history.

Romans 2:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them)

The work of the law is apparent and well-displayed in the hearts of people and the conscience is what convicts people of their wrongdoings. That is why you might think that you must suffer for your past sins.

The Old Covenant written on your heart ensured that the soul who sins is the soul that must die. Of course, this way of thinking is logical and makes sense, but, you must remember one thing… love never tries to make sense.

So, God wanted to make the New Covenant where He died in your place so you could attain everlasting life.

The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus

Romans 8:2 World English Bible (WEB)
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

Jesus wants you to give your guilt to Him. Jesus did away with the law of sin and of death by dying of the cross for your sin so that His new law can be administered to your heart. His new law is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus and this law ensures that only the blood of Jesus can cleans your conscience of all guilt.

Exodus 24:8 King James Version (KJV)
And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

Even in the Old Covenant as is shown with Moses in the above scripture, the New Covenant was foreshadowed. But now, because Jesus already died to restore you, and His blood was shed for your sake, we can let Him sprinkle His blood on our guilt-ridden hearts so that we are set free.

Hebrews 10:22 King James Version (KJV)
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

It is only up to you to let go of your guilt because Jesus paid the price for your freedom.

To Let Go and Look Ahead

Hebrews 12:2 King James Version (KJV)
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Once you accept Jesus as the Lord your God, just look unto Him. What I mean by looking ahead is to look unto Jesus. When you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, nothing can stop you.

Listen to the voice of His Spirit and He will guide you in the direction of His will. And we know that His will holds nothing but good for your life.

John 10:10 World English Bible (WEB)
10 The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Forgive others because Jesus forgave you and understand that your new identity is as a new creation. That means you are constantly renewed as a new creation. So, you don’t need to repeatedly do bad things just because God’s taken away your guilt, but instead, you live by the law of Spirit and of life so that Jesus will empower you to do what is right.

2 Corinthians 5:17 World English Bible (WEB)
17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.

When you are in Christ Jesus and you secure your identity in Him, all of your past failures are forgotten by God. He sees you as a constantly new creation. Therefore, keep your eyes on Jesus, remember His love, let go of your guilt, and embrace Him as your Lord and Saviour.

The Messiah Who Crushed the Serpent of Betrayal

God will never abandon you

Betrayal is a very serious thing. And unfortunately, every human being will at some point of time, experience its crippling sting. It manifests itself in marriages, in friendships, and even familial relationships; it hurts the most when the perpetrator of betrayal is someone you trust or love dearly. In this post, I am going to tell you about the Messiah who crushed the spirit of betrayal and what that should mean to you.

Understanding Betrayal

First off, you must realize that betrayal is a very hard thing to experience. Even certain Biblical characters who we would see as tough, experienced betrayal in a very painful sense. King David’s son, Absalom, tried to kill David and become King of Israel by force and this really hurt David, emotionally.

Psalm 55:12-14 World English Bible (WEB)
12 For it was not an enemy who insulted me,
    then I could have endured it.
Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me,
    then I would have hidden myself from him.
13 But it was you, a man like me,
    my companion, and my familiar friend.
14 We took sweet fellowship together.
    We walked in God’s house with company.

The man who took down giants and led a nation acknowledged the bitter sting of what it means to be betrayed. He was betrayed by his own flesh and blood. Later on in his story, we realize that Absalom’s fate is horrid as he is later killed in his quest for power, much to David’s horror.

The point I am establishing is that you could be tough as nails or the sweetest person in the world, betrayal can happen to anyone, in fact, it could even happen to God. It’s just that God handles it in the best way possible.

The One Rule to Follow

I know I mention the story of Adam and Eve in my posts all the time. But, there’s just so many layers to the truth in that divine Biblical narrative that I can’t possibly ignore its lovely wisdom.

Genesis 2:16-17 World English Bible (WEB)
16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but you shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; for in the day that you eat of it, you will surely die.”

In the Garden of Eden, God gave everything He could possibly give to Adam and Eve. He loved them and He made them to reflect His image. And God gave them only one rule. Just one simple rule. He told them not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil as a warning to them. He did not want His children to face death, and so, He gave Adam a very clear warning which even Eve would get to know.

God Betrayed in the Garden of Eden

Genesis 3:4-6 World English Bible (WEB)
The serpent said to the woman, “You won’t really die, for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took some of its fruit, and ate. Then she gave some to her husband with her, and he ate it, too.

The first humans in the world betrayed God’s trust and they wanted to become like God. Of course, this did not end well as God’s warning was true and death did enter the world. So, not only did mankind betray God but mankind was betrayed by the serpent who represents the devil.

Genesis 3:13 World English Bible (WEB)
13 Yahweh God said to the woman, “What have you done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

God Betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane

Fast-forward from Adam and Eve 4000 years down the Biblical timeline and we’re at the night of Jesus’ arrest. At this moment, He’s praying for the cup of suffering to be taken away from Him (He’s praying out of fellowship with Father God) but he ultimately decides that the crucifixion is the only way to save humanity, to save His children.

But earlier, Judas Iscariot already decided to betray Jesus and conspire with the hypocritical religious leaders of that time as to how to reveal Jesus’ location to them.

Luke 22:3-4 World English Bible (WEB)
Satan entered into Judas, who was also called Iscariot, who was counted with the twelve. He went away, and talked with the chief priests and captains about how he might deliver him to them.

Note something imperative to this text. It says that Satan entered Judas, in other words, the spirit of betrayal or the same serpent that inspired the wretched deed of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was now influencing Judas to betray Jesus. If someone is betraying you, keep in mind that there’s a spirit from whence that betrayal originates.

Luke 22:47-48 World English Bible (WEB)
47 While he was still speaking, a crowd appeared. He who was called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He came near to Jesus to kiss him48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?”

And with a kiss of death, Judas betrayed Jesus. God in the flesh had to endure the pangs of betrayal. Moreover, Judas was someone Jesus trusted as Jesus gave Judas the responsibility of keeping His money but Judas was still the one to betray Him. So, remember that God understands the pains of betrayal in a very real way.

The Messiah Who Died for You

To those of you who have been betrayed by people you love, I want you to know about the Messiah who crushed betrayal. Maybe, you feel hurt and sorrowful because they betrayed you and you feel like you can never be made whole again. But, look to Jesus.

After Judas betrayed Jesus and He was handed over to the religious leaders, He was beaten, flogged, and crucified. He became physically unrecognizable and bore your sin, sickness, and curses on the cross.

John 19:16-18 World English Bible (WEB)
16 So then he delivered him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led him away. 17 He went out, bearing his cross, to the place called “The Place of a Skull”, which is called in Hebrew, “Golgotha”, 18 where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the middle.

But, God made an example out of Himself. He did not listen to the spirit of betrayal and resent the people who betrayed Him. Instead, Jesus plead for forgiveness on behalf of their account; He forgave those who were crucifying Him while they were crucifying Him.

Luke 23:34 World English Bible (WEB)
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”
Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.

The Messiah Who Crushed The Serpent of Betrayal

No one thought that He could rise again. The prophet Isaiah described Jesus as physically unrecognizable due to the abuse people inflicted upon Jesus during His crucifixion process. But, three days after His death, Jesus resurrected Himself, never to die again.

1 Peter 1:3 World English Bible (WEB)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Even after betrayal, Jesus rose again from the dead. He rose again so you could rise again through His grace and strength. You do not need to wallow in sorrow because someone betrayed you, Jesus understands your pains; He put His resurrection power in you to overcome the grief of betrayal, the moment you accept Him as Lord and Saviour.

Romans 8:11 World English Bible (WEB)
11 But if the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

No serpent or spirit of betrayal can now destroy you, rather, God’s spirit lives within you. Do not be sad but place your trust in the hands of the Messiah who crushed the serpent of betrayal when He rose again from the dead. Therefore, remember His suffering for you and let Jesus set you free from the betrayal which He understands, too.

Hebrews 4:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 For we don’t have a high priest who can’t be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but one who has been in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin.

A Companion Like No Other

Humans are designed to be social beings. It’s almost as if it is essential or vital that humans interact with one another. But, there are cases where people are alienated or isolated. Sometimes, people are forced into solitude and that can leave them to be lonely. If you want to see a Biblical perspective on loneliness then continue reading to learn about the companion like no other!

A Companion in the Garden

Before starting the topic, you must first understand that when you read God’s Word, it has a life of its own. And what I mean by this is that there are things which the Bible hints at but never really says directly. That’s because when God says something, there’s so much depth to it which He allows us to discover.

Genesis 3:8 World English Bible (WEB)
They heard Yahweh God’s voice walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Yahweh God among the trees of the garden.

The above scripture describes how God seemed to be searching for Adam and Eve; it says that God was walking in the garden and that they could hear His voice. Can you imagine that?

I mean, just think about it. The picture painted here is that the God who made Earth along with all its splendor was walking as if He was a man. It doesn’t say He was hovering over the Earth or anything else which may sound spiritual. Moreover, it says they could hear His voice. God was talking here!

The Consequence of Disobedience

Genesis 3:9 World English Bible (WEB)
Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?

Furthermore, the next verse says that God specifically called out Adam and asked him, “Where are you?” He was searching for Adam and that must be because God suddenly noticed something strange. He realized something was wrong when he couldn’t sense the spiritual glory upon Adam, it had been cut out as soon as Adam ate the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil.

As the story goes on, we find that Adam and Eve finally answer God’s call but they realize evil has corrupted the world and they must deal with it now. Moreover, it is clear that their relationship with God is different, too.

But, what was the purpose of examining this passage? It was to help you understand that God intended mankind to be in communion with Him before anyone else. Pay close attention to the words which God uses.

Genesis 3:9 World English Bible (WEB)
Yahweh God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?

Did you notice that God did not call the woman? It is not because God favours one gender over the other. He’s not sexist, you must interpret the Bible, spiritually. There’s a reason why He does what He does.

Firstly, think about how the man knew that God was calling him. God was calling out His name which is “Adam.” Now, unlike Eve’s name, Adam’s name means, “Mankind”. So, what this means is that as soon as Adam and Eve fell from their glory, God was calling out for them. He was calling for mankind.

He was calling for you and me.

A Companion Like No Other

Let’s talk about Jesus Christ. Jesus did not feel lonely when His disciples or human companions abandoned Him. He had God the Father by His side.

John 16:32 World English Bible (WEB)
32 Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

However, for our sakes, Jesus was crucified as a lonely person. Since mankind was separated from God the day that Adam ate of that forbidden fruit, Jesus took that penalty of separation from God and He was estranged from the Father for you and for me.

Matthew 27:46 World English Bible (WEB)
46 About the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lima sabachthani?” That is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?“Psalm 22:1

The point of what I’m trying to say is that Adam’s curse of separation from God is no longer in effect. Jesus already took that curse; we can have communion with God, now. And if you put your trust in Jesus, if you answer His voice, God will do a new thing in you.

You don’t need to be lonely, God is with you. It no longer matters if people like you or if you have any friends or family. The only thing that matters is that you answer His call because you were made for a relationship with Him. You were made for Him and He is a companion like no other.

Matthew 22:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

Your Intended Purpose

If you feel lonely, tired of having no one to talk to, and you need a companion, just spend time with Jesus. Spend time in His Word; talk to God about your troubles, He’s listening. You can even tell Him how you feel and if you feel lonely, tell Him that.

John 15:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant doesn’t know what his lord does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.

Remember how I talked about God’s daily walks with Adam before the fall of mankind. Well, God even restored that aspect of the relationship to those who trust Jesus.

The Companion Who Walks With You

Acts 5:15 World English Bible (WEB)
15 They even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mattresses, so that as Peter came by, at the least his shadow might overshadow some of them.

The above scripture talks about how when Peter would take a walk, people would lay sick people near him so that even if his shadow touched them, they’d be healed.

But, get this, the Greek word used for “overshadow” in the scripture is episkiazó. Episkiazó is consistently used throughout the New Testament to describe God’s shadowing presence. An example of this is when Jesus is transfigured and God’s presence overshadows some of Jesus’ disciples who are with Him.

Matthew 17:5 World English Bible (WEB)
While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

So, when Peter was walking, people were getting healed by God’s shadow coming from Peter. This means that Peter had come to the point where he was literally walking with God. Therefore, seek God, believe upon Jesus, and He will truly be to you a companion like no other.

Proverbs 18:24 World English Bible (WEB)
24 A man of many companions may be ruined,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.