Why You Matterনমুনা

When we have peeled back all the layers of confusion and sin that surround our sense of self, we can finally see the heart of the rebellion that we are in. We have to look at the things we have gathered around us for protection and see them as they are. If we love God, we need to turn away from these things and turn to Him. We have to see us being seen by Him. There it is—our pitiful self, quivering like the ugly, little mass of worthlessness that it is—and we have to acknowledge what all of our lies and confusion were defending. What we are so afraid to see.

Here it is, me. Here is the thing that I wanted to defend no matter the cost. Here is the little piece of filth that I have loved with an unrighteous love.

We want to be able to love us, as is. We want to be enough, but we are profoundly unworthy. We want to go to Heaven, but we deserve hell. But God did not save us because we were so valuable. We have value because He saved us.

There is a world of difference in that, and it’s the difference between Heaven and Hell. We want to be able to build ourselves up without Christ, but at the end we are only smaller and more wretched. Our miserable little bodies, twisted in confusion, covered in open wounds of pride, blotched with scabs of selfishness and self-importance.

We are surrounded by our own filth—our lusts and hatred, our envy of neighbors, our loathing of others. Murder in our hearts, and wantonness in our eyes. Here it is, at last, me. Worth nothing. Capable of nothing but more filth. Earning nothing but death.

And then, in the glorious words of Ephesians 2:4, “But God.”

All of this foolishness we indulge in only to spare ourselves from seeing how merciful our God is. All of this to try to avoid the insult of seeing the exceeding riches of our God. His kindness, His mercy. His great love with which He loved us.

When you are in Christ, you can see your self (in all of its worthlessness) and still laugh with joy. You know the story. This miserable horrible little self has been shown the exceeding riches of grace and kindness. This little mass of death and horror in Christ has died, and in Christ is being raised. All of the joy, all of the beauty, and all the soul-crushing glory in the story of this world begins with the ugly worthlessness of us and hinges on the turning point of all of history, “But God.”

But God did not accept death for us. But God would not leave us dead in our sins. But God, because of His great love. But God, who is rich in mercy. But God, who alone is worthy. But God, who is in heaven. But God, who is perfect, and holy, and wise. But God looked on you in your horrifying filth—and He gave your filth to Christ and He gave Christ to you. You, in Christ Jesus, can yet live. But God intervened with the blood and body of His Son given for you. But God who pulled you away from the devil and his lies will give you truth.

Why would God do this? Why would He who is so rich be troubled with us? Why would He care? His creation, lost in sin, is being recreated in His Son. You—His workmanship. You have been created in Christ Jesus for something.

That something is the good works which He has prepared beforehand for us to walk in. We are not just being recreated, but we are part of the new creation. We are called to walk in the good works that God has prepared for us so that we might be part of bringing about the new creation.

We are needed for His purpose. We are part of the plan. We are part of the resolution of this trouble. We are part of the rest of His glorious story, and we have roles in it! We are needed! We were dead in our trespasses, but God had a plan for us to not only have life but to be part of bringing about life.

In the flesh we want to protect our death from life. We want to be left alone. But God, our Maker, will be our Remaker. He will not let us keep our death but instead breaks open our hands and our hearts and fills them with life everlasting. Glorious, free, clean, holy life. His life. The life of His son. This is His body, broken for you. This is His life, given for you. This is His mercy, poured out on you. This is His love, too big to resist. This is your God.