Not worthy?

[characteristics]

Dear reader,

Something popped up in chat, and it's been bothering me. Why do so many Christians not only say, but repeat incessantly, that they aren't worthy of God's love? Is this an actual teaching or just the personal beliefs of some Christians? If it is a teaching, why is it a teaching and how is it a good one?

Best regards,

Alyson

P.S. I'm still new to forums, so I'm not entirely sure if this thread goes in this forum. I apologize if it's in the wrong place.

 

[watchman F]

Dear reader,

Something popped up in chat, and it's been bothering me. Why do so many Christians not only say, but repeat incessantly, that they aren't worthy of God's love? Is this an actual teaching or just the personal beliefs of some Christians? If it is a teaching, why is it a teaching and how is it a good one?

Best regards,

Alyson

P.S. I'm still new to forums, so I'm not entirely sure if this thread goes in this forum. I apologize if it's in the wrong place.

I dont know why they say it, but it is not true. My brother asked a realiter how much a certian peice of property was, and the realiter answered ''what ever someone is willing to pay for it''. Jesus paid for us with His blood, He believed we were worthy. Who am I to say I am not

 

[characteristics]

That makes sense. Thank you.

 

[Whitestone]

Hi Char,

If I may...I've found that there is usually always two sides to every story.

I think most disagreements between people, especially when writing, come from presenting one side, then the other presents the other side. This can be pretty cool unless tempers flare or vision is narrow.
The word "Grace" for instance, means "unmerited favor". That may be the position from which many people speak.
John said he wasn't worthy, the centurian said he wasn't worthy (mt 3:11, 8:8)

But this was before the cross.

After the cross, there is a "worthiness" we have only in crucifixion of self, as in Christ.
Those folk are described as here;

(Mat 10:38) And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Then,

(1Th 2:12) That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
This "walk" would be as here;

(Rom 6:4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Which, as spoken two verses earlier is;

(Rom 6:2) God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

So "sin" is the focal point of what makes us worthy or not!

If we continue to sin after participating in the crucifixion of our self in Christ being in "His Body"... then this makes us "unworthy" as this reference graphically illustrates;

(Heb 10:29) Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

To continue sinning after being delivered from being unworthy, makes us unworthy. A sad state to confess indeed!

So if you wanted to illustrate this point, just let your friends know what being "not worthy" means. Ask them if they continue in sin.

It all boils down to what we allow the Holy Spirit of Christ to accomplish in us as He works in us to overcome sin in our lives.

(Php 1:6) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Peace in Israel
Whitestone

 

[Thiscrosshurts]

Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Is a sheep worthy of retrieving if it wanders away?

Matthew 18:12 How does it seem to you? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them will go astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountain and go on searching for that lost one?

 

[JeremyDCrockett]

I can tell you why... I can tell you exactly why.

If you had asked my in 1997, if I thought deserved to go to hell. I would have laughed; "Of course not". Had I died back then, I would have been utterly flabbergasted to find myself there. If I was nothing else I was a nice guy. I mean classically nice. The guy who always finished last. The guy whom everyone stepped on. I was the guy you never got dates because "Well, you're Jeremy". Whatever that was supposed to mean. I was quiet and shy.
I was also intelligent, sensitive, and so wonderful that I simply couldn't fathom why women were not throwing themselves at my feet. I was humble and accommodating. I was certain that I had lived many lives and that this was my last incarnation. I was morally and spiritually superior to most of the folks I'd met. In fact, I didn't understand Christians at all. What was it with the seemingly impulsive need to self-deprecate? And if you think this is hyperbole, let me assure you this IS what I believed deep in my heart. I believed these things because I was completely self-deluded. I was blind.

Then, in the Spring of 1997 God began to get my attention in an undeniable, un-ignorable way. I was "shown" (for lack of a better term) that I was going to go to hell. And, again, I couldn't figure out WHY... I didn't understand what I'd done that was so horrible.

Time now does not permit my further explanation, but I'm working on putting it together because I have to tell people... because for 15 years I have NOT told a lot of people, people that I NEED to tell... But over these last 15 years God has shown me the manifold things that I've done wrong, the innumerable selfish acts and perversions that were my life.

Now when I sit and reflect upon every self-centered, manipulative, self-aggrandizing, passive-aggressive, things I have done (and continue to do despite my efforts) and the horrific thoughts I've had; I am utterly disgusted with myself. And I can understand why God would wish to save every other living soul on this planet but for the LIFE of me I cannot fathom... not for one second nor can I come up with a SINGLE SOLITARY reason why I should be saved (if I am, indeed saved).

The short answer is that the Band Aid has been ripped off and I can now really see myself for who I am and what my condition actually is. There is NOTHING I can mark in my "plus column" as it were in terms of being worthy. Whereas at one time, I frankly was amazed that God didn't see how excellent I was.

 

[Arabhorselover]

None of us are WORTHY of His love.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

very simply put He loved us when we were unlovable..dead in sin with no redeeming quality.....even when i laughed at Christ as the scoffers do He died for my sins ..My name is whomsoever...........! we have no good thing in us until we accept Christ ,no redeeming feature,..yes we are all undone and unworthy of the price paid for our salvation....But praise the Lord .!God thought so.....Rev

 

[Ophel]

Dear reader,

Something popped up in chat, and it's been bothering me. Why do so many Christians not only say, but repeat incessantly, that they aren't worthy of God's love? Is this an actual teaching or just the personal beliefs of some Christians? If it is a teaching, why is it a teaching and how is it a good one?

Best regards,

Alyson

P.S. I'm still new to forums, so I'm not entirely sure if this thread goes in this forum. I apologize if it's in the wrong place.

To me, when people say that, it is a mark of false humility. God created us and loves us so much that He came as a man to suffer and die to pay our penalty for sin so we could be in intimate fellowship with Him. He certainly considers us worthy of His love---or He would never go to such an extreme.

We need to realize that and be grateful to Him for His love...and love Him back.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

It's not false humility to admit Lordship to God ..humble is the rule ..yes we are created by God but sin from Adam keeps us seperated from Him and yet in that sinful state He still made away for us to return to fellowship with Him .sin can not be in His presence ...the psalms says who am I Lord that you should be mindful of me ? And Paul said I can boast of nothing in me accept that which is Christ ..not false humility but the truth of who we are before God .created in His image .seperated from Him by sin .bought with a price although clothed in sin .we are on a slippery slope when we think we are not only worthy but deserve the mercy of God..I'm humbled by it all......Rev

 

[Ophel]

It's not false humility to admit Lordship to God ..humble is the rule ..yes we are created by God but sin from Adam keeps us seperated from Him and yet in that sinful state He still made away for us to return to fellowship with Him .sin can not be in His presence ...the psalms says who am I Lord that you should be mindful of me ? And Paul said I can boast of nothing in me accept that which is Christ ..not false humility but the truth of who we are before God .created in His image .seperated from Him by sin .bought with a price although clothed in sin .we are on a slippery slope when we think we are not only worthy but deserve the mercy of God..I'm humbled by it all......Rev

True humility recognizes the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the sovereignty of God, but I believe it is a false humility for the believer to continually say he is not worthy, or that he is a sinner. We are made worthy to God by the blood of Jesus, and God doesn't view us as sinners, but righteous and those made worthy of the Kingdom. We who are washed by the blood of the Lamb are not clothed with sin but with righteousness---from God's perspective. We must remind ourselves of that.

 

[Rev T.S.Perkins]

i see youre point and its one taken by many ....if youve ever seen it from the cross instead of at the foot of it it seems a bit differant ..my bible says we all have to work out our own salvation Before God with fear and trembling and so it should be ..as for me i know in my heart after seeing the terrible price paid for me to be redeemed i deserved none of it and any rightiousness i have is from God alone ...for my own worth or rightiouness is as filthy rags.......i assure you .im humbled before God daily and never forget that if not for God the only thing i deserved was the Cross,............now He sees me as a new creation yes ..but even then im humbled at the Thought ....i must always remeber the cost when i step in to the pulpit so as not to think more highly of myself than i ought.......we would be nothing if Christ were not every thing..! i encourage you to read my testimoney in the testimoney section .............Rev

 

[Christ4Ever]

Dear reader,

Something popped up in chat, and it's been bothering me. Why do so many Christians not only say, but repeat incessantly, that they aren't worthy of God's love? Is this an actual teaching or just the personal beliefs of some Christians? If it is a teaching, why is it a teaching and how is it a good one?

Best regards,

Alyson

P.S. I'm still new to forums, so I'm not entirely sure if this thread goes in this forum. I apologize if it's in the wrong place.

Most times the phrase is used, because we feel that we (Christians) are failing to reciprocate God's Saving Grace. Our desire to be approved of God, as anyone who has been given a great gift, wants to give in return. With that realization also comes the understanding that God is Perfect, and in knowing that, we desire that all that we are be worthy and perfect in His sight.

So we kind of beat ourselves up for not being so. That may occur at different times in our lives. It might happen because of some current behavior which we have allowed to take control of our thoughts or actions. We might also, allow reminders of our "old person" that we used to be also, take over our thoughts. The purpose of these reflections of "sin" might just as easily be a method by which we receive the necessary "kick in the pants" to remind us to be humble; thereby also reminding us of the new creation we are in Christ Jesus. Some changes take time to understand, much less to become evident in our everyday walk with Christ Jesus.

The day that you @characteristics come to know that sin in your life. Realizing that there is nothing that you can do to cleanse you of it, and that only God's Saving Grace through the Sacrifice of Christ Jesus, can Save you. That will be the day that you will realize how truly "unworthy" you are, and how loving of a God who is now truly your Father, has been to save such a wretch as you, me, and the rest of us here who believe in Him. Like the song says "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me"!

Praying that one day you might say "I'm not worthy" of His Saving Grace, because then you'll know why its being said and wind up rejoicing!
C4E

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.

Isaiah 55:7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

 

[Giggles4God]

I think it all depends on how you define the word worthy and the place you are coming from that will shine light onto what it means for each person.

For me, when I say I'm not worthy...it doesn't say ANYTHING about what God did...sending Jesus to die...taking my sin away...etc, but it has EVERYTHING to do with my knowing that I can't save myself or anyone. I am NOT worthy to sit in the presence of God. I am NOT worthy to bow my head...to even kiss His feet...to even touch His hem, BUT thanks be to God there IS something or rather SOMEONE! that makes me worthy...HIM WHO HAS SAVED ME!!! HIM WHO DESERVES ALL PRAISE....The ONLY ONE WHO IS WORTHY!

He who is worthy makes US worthy. To be humble in the sight of God is not wrong.

I think of the woman who brought the alabaster box/jar (I love this story!). For she was NOT WORTHY in the eyes of all around her...maybe even herself...most likely...but she KNEW KNEW KNEW without a doubt that this Jesus man who was in this house was. She brought something so precious. She probably didn't speak much if at all...she broke that alabaster jar and poured the oil on Jesus. The oil that would have been a year's wage...see she wasn't worthy, but the WORTHY ONE was there and she said look at HIM! not me...HIM!

I know that's what I want. I want people to see Jesus and not me. It isn't about my worth...but about His! I know I have worth and value in Jesus, but I don't outshine the WORTH GIVER!!

I hope that made sense...lol

 

[characteristics]

Sorry for not responding for so long. I haven't logged in for quite some time. Nonetheless, thanks for the responses.

 

[Aadi]

Because of our sinful living, I must say we're not worthy and fall short of God's glory. It's just that God's love for us is indescribable that He gave His Son just to save us. No man can do that thing ever, only God have that kind of passion for us. I don't know if I explained my side clearly, sorry. God bless everyone!