Key:
Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” – John 8:3-5 NKJV
Introduction
Worth: the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated. I can recall when I was in elementary school, the boys and girls would rate each other based on looks. It’s amazing how early in our lives we learned how to value something’s worth. We can place a value on any and everything – whether it is silver, gold, or old antiques. Some things we value greatly, to a point that we say those things are priceless – they’re worth more than money! Some things we decide are not worth anything, and so we decide that those things are worth a garbage can – they’re trash – these can be things or can even be people.
We try to equate the way we place a value on things with how God may value us as individuals. For whatever reason, we think that God thinks just like we do; yet, we know that God’s thoughts are not like that of our own (Isaiah 55:8). Let’s take a look today at how God values us. Does the Lord value us the way that we choose to value others? How do you think or feel God values you?
Learning your worth
Let’s evaluate: do you know your worth, your value with God? We must remember that God created man in His image – I always point this out about the Lord’s creation. Why? Mankind was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). To me, that already establishes our worth in God’s eyes. When we reproduce, there is nothing worth more than our own children. We want to be valued highly, of that kind of significance, and worth something to others. I would think that most of us should want to be valued highly, and worth something to the Lord.
We have a nasty habit of allowing what others think about us to influence our own thoughts, and possible think that’s what God must also think of us – if man can see it, surely God can see it also. Again, we try to equate our thoughts with that of the Lord. If people think we’re a good person, we feel that we must therefore be a good person, and so we must then also be good in God’s eyes. If people think we’re a bad person, we feel that we must be terrible, and therefore this must be how God see us as well.
I have come across so many people in my generation that feel they’re the worst of the worse. Why? Because that’s what they have been told and so they begin to believe this. You see, what you believe you are is what you eventually become – that’s what eventually comes out of you, good or bad. People say they don’t care what others think about them, but that is a lie because people do eventually care what others think – maybe not as much as some.
Man has always sought forgiveness from something, be it God or an idol (false) god. Man has always felt that he wasn’t worth anything because he felt that he had done some wrong. Even the most innocent person you can find doesn’t think he or she is all that innocent. Why? Because maybe they swear, a lot; Because maybe they drink, a lot; Because maybe lust runs rapid in their hearts, a lot. Everybody has something hidden away in their closet that makes them feel guilty, dirty.
Then, here we are, as Christians, we have gained salvation and righteousness and we like to hold that feeling over their heads. For years we have preached hellfire and brimstone to those of “immoral ways”, but we are not the ones to decide their final judgment. Our job, as Christians, is to show them how they can also earn forgiveness and gain salvation. Christians have pushed so many people that are seeking righteousness and salvation away from Christ when that is exactly who Christ wants to establish a relationship with!
My message to those seeking salvation: don’t let nobody tell you that you’re not worthy of God’s forgiveness, mercy, or His love!
The example of the adulterer
My thought today comes from a story that most people have heard of and are familiar with. I want to take a look at this adulterer and use her for an example today. Let’s go back to the second verse of this chapter (John 8:2), and you will notice that Jesus went to the temple early that morning. I point this out because we are told that, as Jesus taught, the scribes and the Pharisees came to Jesus with an adulterer caught in the very act. These were supposed to be holy men who chose to come to the holy temple with some mess, testing Jesus!
I always look at this story and shake my head at the fact that these holy men dragged a woman, to the temple, to test Jesus like this. Why the woman? Is what I always end up asking myself. The man, who was also committing adultery, is nowhere to be seen, but they figured they would use the woman. Why? Women have a history of not being valued as equals to men. Women, truly unique creatures, should certainly be valued as equals, if not the better of the human sexes. I don’t say this thing just to win points but the truth is the truth (I feel that my opinion is the truth in this case).
Here’s the test that these men had for Jesus: is Jesus going to stone this woman, the adulterer, because of her “sin”? They didn’t think this woman was worth a burnt offering, for forgiveness, they felt she was worthy of stoning – death. Not saying we think others should die because of their sins, but we certainly do feel that there are sins not worthy of forgiveness. We believe there is a hierarchy of sins – some lesser or more than others. We have become programmed to think nothing of the sinner – they’re garbage/trash in our eyes. We think that the sinner’s sin is greater than our sin, and that there is absolutely nothing wrong with ours because we have salvation.
So, what would Jesus think? What would Jesus do to the adulterer? Jesus’ response is one that all people are familiar with:
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” – John 8:7 NKJV
Jesus, God in the flesh, thought the opposite of what these men thought. Where these holy men thought she wasn’t worth forgiving, Jesus found her to be more than worthy of His forgiveness. Jesus found the adulterer worthy of forgiveness! You see, her sin was thought to be one of the worst sins one could commit, to these men. They thought this woman to be a heathen, worthy of stoning, but they didn’t realize that Jesus came to this world to wash away sin!
We are worthy
Do you think yourself not worth of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and love? We feel dirty, yes we do. We feel like there is something wrong with us. People may not forgive us. Family may not forgive us of our wrong. Friends may not forgive us of our wrong. I tell you today that you are worthy in God’s eyes, regardless of what anybody around you thinks. We think that we’re not worthy of having good things in our lives, but you are more than worthy of having good things in your lives, according to the Lord. People don’t think that they’re worthy of entering into the Lord’s house, but God knows you are more than worthy of entering into His heavenly kingdom.
Do not let anybody tell you that you are not worthy of the Lord’s forgiveness, mercy, and love. God knew you was worthy from the very beginning, when He made His covenant with Abraham – the Lord promised Abraham that all nations would be blessed through His seed. Last week was Resurrection Sunday, and we all celebrated the rising of our Savior. God found you worthy to send His only begotten Son to become the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2).
John 3:16 tells us that we are worthy of God’s love, His mercy, and most importantly His forgiveness. Man can have you feeling down on yourself. Man can have you thinking the worst of yourself, but God will lift you up and give you hope, righteousness, and salvation over your sins! My post Resurrection Sunday message to you is that you are worthy of Lord’s forgiveness!
When you genuinely accept and believe in Christ – you will have earned the Lord’s forgiveness. God finds you worthy when nobody else will. We are worthy of entering to come into an intimate relationship with God. I am thankful for my intimate relationship with the Lord, and I pray today that you come into your relationship with God. Nobody can judge, nor can they snatch you out of God’s hands (John 10:29-30). Only God is your judge; only He knows your soul. It is now up to us to understand our worth in the Lord’s eyes.
Bible Cross References:
Isaiah 55:8 – God thoughts are not like ours
John 3:16 – God loved the world