What a deal I got on a masterpiece. I was in Paris, touring what is probably the world's most famous art museum, the Louvre - as they say. All day long I had been seeing these works by great artists like Michelangelo, and Rembrandt, and, you know, all the biggies! And then I rounded this one corner and I saw this room jammed with people. It was lit with special lighting, it was guarded by security guards . . . and when I finally got into that room, there she was, the one painting you've heard of if you've only heard of one painting. That's right, the Mona Lisa! There she was smiling at me in a painting that took up an entire wall. At the bottom was this signature - Leonardo da Vinci, the artist. Now, you can't buy the Mona Lisa, she's literally priceless. But! I bought the Mona Lisa for 25 cents that day! Oh, yes I did. It's in a drawer at home I could show it to you. Well, actually it's a post card of the Mona Lisa. What's the difference? Well, the post card is a copy - it's cheap! The one in the museum is an original, signed by the artist - she's priceless!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A WORD WITH YOU today about UNTOUCHABLE WORTH.
Let's get an estimate of what you're worth . . .
Our word for today from the Word of God, Ephesians 2:10 says this, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Did you hear that? God's workmanship! Now, put your name in there: "____________________ is God's workmanship." You're unique! You're a one-of-a-kind original masterpiece! You may not feel like you're a masterpiece. You may not have been treated like you're a masterpiece, but the One who designed you says that's exactly what you are. From the time that egg and sperm came together to begin you, God was creating an original and building into you the qualities and the experiences and the capabilities to make a unique difference, to "do good works which God prepared in advance for you to do." You're a one of a kind original! You're priceless - unless you become a copy of someone else, in which case you go for cheap.
You've probably had plenty of messages in your life that have made you feel more like the post card than the masterpiece. Maybe you've been rejected, ignored, hurt, or used. Maybe you've been criticized, and put down, all by people who didn't know who you really are but because of all those negative messages you have this lie playing in your brain - "you're not worth much; you can't do much; you're not good enough." Remember it's not your friends who determine what you're worth, or your critics, or your family, or your culture, or your boss. It is your Designer who got your worth the moment your were conceived by God. It is intrinsic value - so your worth is not because of how much you make, or what title you have, or whether anyone asks you out or not - you ARE God's workmanship. No one on earth gave you your worth, and no one on earth can take it away. Your worth from God is untouchable!
There are three words in this verse that point us in the direction of where personal worth can be found, it says, "in Christ Jesus." It's when you're in Christ Jesus that you finally realize how much you're worth. You don't know who you are until you're in the hands of the one who loves you most - who thinks you are so valuable, He paid for your sin with His life. God's Son died for you. That's how much He thinks your worth!
Now, it may be you've never given yourself to Jesus, or put all your trust in Him to be your personal rescuer from the sin that keeps you from knowing who created you. This could be your day to open up to His love and get a personal relationship with your Creator. You see God wants you to live like the masterpiece He created you to be. You've been designed by the Master Artist and paid for with the Master's life. You are priceless!
Copyright 1996 Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. Permission to reproduce this material is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, will not be sold, and will be distributed for the sole purpose of expanding the Gospel.
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