Blood Bought Beauty

From day one we are taught that our worth as humans is wrapped up in what we do. We say our first words and parents go crazy. We take our first steps and the video camera comes out and phone calls get made. We grow up and start doing chores in order to get rewarded with an allowance. We get good grades to get into a good college and we work to make money, have a family, and live out the America Dream. Our worth is inevitably tied into what we do and its killing us.

  

A New Definition of Worth

This isn't how it works in the consumer world. When we start thinking about the products we buy or what we give value to it works a lot different. Gold has fascinated and has captured humans like no other precious metal in the world. Gold is currently one of the most valuable and rare metals in the world and is priced accordingly at $1,761.10/oz. But, when we start thinking about how much gold is worth it doesn't make sense. Gold can't be used for any real practical uses, besides looking good and making others jealous. Why then all the value, worth, significance attributed to this otherwise worthless metal? Because worth is not determined by what something can do, but rather what someone is willing to pay to possess it. Gold is only valuable because people are willing to pay valuable prices for it.

A New Way of Thinking

So what can we do? We're all sinners (Romans 3:23) whose righteous deeds are infected and impure (Isaiah 64:6). If we're evaluating our worth by what we do, it doesn't take long to figure out we don't measure up. We fail over and over and over again. Day by day, the feeling of self worth decreases and shame continues to grow in us. What hope do we have at value and worth in this world? We have nothing but hope because worth, value, and beauty is not determined by some innate quality in a person, but by the length for which the owner would go to possess them.

"for you were bought with a price" (1 Corinthians 6:19)

"You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men." (1 Corinthians 7:23)

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us" (Ephesians 1:7-8)

"[Jesus Christ] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.(Titus 2:14)

To redeem literally means to buy back or repurchase. We are ugly, worthless sinners who the God of all worth sent his Son to buy back for His glory and our joy. We are most valuable, not on anything we have done, but everything Jesus did. In His life, death, and resurrection He was achieving something that we could never achieve: worth. By his blood, we are made righteous (Romans 5:9). By his blood, God delights in us (Psalm 17:8). By his blood, we are His (Ephesians 1:3-14).

If only our generation knew they were bought with a price much more valuable than gold.