SELF-WORTH
Men and
women are the jewel in the crown of God’s creation – that of all the beings in
the universe only men and women are God-like, bearing His image (Genesis
1:26-27).
Melvin Tinker
Wisdom to Live By, Christian Focus
Publications, 1998, p. 112. Used by Permission.
Whether
they were rich or poor, religious or pagan, sick or healthy, it didn’t matter;
every single person was valued and loved by (Jesus), and by loving them He
actually increased their value.
Melvin Tinker
Wisdom to Live By, Christian Focus
Publications, 1998, p. 114. Used by Permission.
My worth
is what I am worth to God; and that is a marvelous great deal, for Christ died
for me. Thus, incidentally, what gives
to each of us His highest worth gives the same worth to everyone; in all that
matters most are we equal.
William Temple
The
Citizen and Churchman, Eyre and Spottiswood, 1951, p.
74.
God
doesn’t love us because of our worth, we are of worth
because God loves us.
Martin Luther
Quoted
by Melvin Tinker, Wisdom to Live By, Christian Focus Publications, 1998, p.
115. Used by Permission.
There is a
sense in which the human soul has caved in on itself and is now held captive by
a fixation with its own states and conditions and concerns. The soul has become
parasitic on itself, feeding on its needs and cravings
by excessive introspection and elaborate attempts to elevate its sense of
self-worth. Your soul was never meant for this. You were designed for something
better. You were built for the contemplation of something infinitely more complex,
something incomparably more fascinating than your own “self.” You were created
for the joyful contemplation of God.
Sam Storms
One Thing, Christian Focus, © Enjoying God Ministries, 2004, p.85-86. www.enjoyinggodministries.com.
Used by Permission.
I heard R. C.
Sproul explain it this way: He said that apart from God there is no reason for
human significance and no grounds for self-worth. Consider the alternative. If
you don't believe in God, then you don’t have any reason for being here. You
must believe that you are simply the product of impersonal time plus chance.
And when you die, you must believe that you simply cease to exist and vanish
into eternal nothingness. In short, if you leave God out, what you are left
with is this: You didn't come from anywhere and you aren’t going anywhere after
you die. This is the humanist dilemma. They say, “You come from nothing and
you're going to nothing, but in between you have great significance.” It
doesn't make sense at all.
Ray Pritchard
The Christian’s Supreme Boast, Jer. 9:23-24, 1997. Pastor, Author, President, Keep Believing Ministries.