Worthiness...of whom?

I once heard a sermon preached describing the Christian life this way: the longer you walk with God, the greater you sin becomes in your sight, and the larger the cross looms in your vision. How true this is…

God has, of late, been giving me a fresh glimpse of the cross – and the worthiness of Christ. I have constantly struggled with feelings of unworthiness, built up from various sins I have wrestled with in the last several years.

The world offers mixed messages as far as dealing with our feelings of unworthiness…creating buzz words like “self-esteem”, and phrases like “think of yourself more highly than you ought” (ok, that’s an exaggeration). We are told that we are worthy of love…despite the deep abiding consciousness that says otherwise.

The Christian message offers an alternative—one that I am increasingly understanding. The Christian message says, “yes, you are unworthy. You are a sinner! You are a child of wrath.” That is, until God stepped in and provided Christ as our substitionary atonement. Big words for an even more magnificent truth.

Christ makes you worthy. What does that mean? I don’t understand it. So often my soul does not agree with that statement.

Today, I have breached an understanding of why that is the case. Because it’s never been about my worthiness! If I was so worthy, then I should get my will, everyone should praise me, life should be all about me – because I deserve it. Because I’m worthy of it.

But the truth is, I, by myself, will never be worthy. Nothing I can do can make me worthy of love. But that doesn’t matter, because Jesus is my good-enough. Yes, He steps in and teaches me righteousness – a righteousness that increases over time. That’s what we call sanctification. But that’s not even the entire point! And we all know, one act of righteousness cannot undo the thousand acts of unrighteousness we commit every day.

So what is the point?

Christ. His exaltation. His glorification. Ephesians 1 tells us that all of history is headed in this direction—to unite all things in heaven and on earth in Christ. It’s about His worthiness!

That’s why doing His will makes sense. That’s why self-esteem is a wicked, deceitful lie from the pit of hell. Because I will never be worthy of love. That’s not the point. The point is that when love is given to me, though I do not deserve it, it makes me realize that Christ is the only one who is worthy. So I praise Him. I exalt Him. I desire to do His will – and desire that others see how worthy He is too.

And when I sin again, my response is not, “Lord, I know I should be worthy, but I feel unworthy.” It is, “Lord, I am unworthy. But thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! Praise Christ because He IS worthy.” When I look to Christ’s worthiness, I lay my own pride, pursuit of self-glory, and desire for a sense of personal worthiness in the dust. And I stand up and sing His praise. For He alone is worthy. That is why the angels in heaven sing, “Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb who was slain.”