Self-deprecation and self-loathing have no place in the Gospel.
I get it. We know ourselves and our Shadow all too well. We Sabotage our best efforts constantly and prostitute our hearts to the newest, flashiest thing; adulterous, our hearts can be.
But that does not condone our self-berating religiosity.
Sure, when we compare our self-worth to that of the magnificent work of the cross, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, we feel insignificant and dirty; unsubstantial and stained.
But that's not how Jesus sees us.
Scripture calls those who are "in Christ"...
- Worth more than many sparrows/birds (Luke 12:7 & 24)
- Clean-- pure, blameless, innocent (John 13:10, 15:3)
- Jesus' friends (John 15:14)
- Heirs to the Kingdom (Acts 3:25, Gal 3:29, Gal 4:7)
- Right with God (1 Cor 1:30)
- Pure (1 Cor 1:30)
- Holy (1 Cor 1:30, 1 Pt 2:9, Eph 1:4)
- Free from Sin (1 Cor 1:30)
- God's temple (1 Cor 3:16)
- Known by God (1 Cor 8:3, Gal 4:9)
- The Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)
- Saved (1 Cor 15:2)
- New creation (2 Cor 5:17)
- Children of God (Gal 3:26, 4:7)
- God's sons (Gal 4:6)
- Free (Gal 4:7)
- Blameless (Eph 1:4)
- Masterpiece (Eph 2:10)
- Citizens of Heaven (Eph 2:19)
- Members of God's household (Eph 2:19)
- Light (Eph 5:8)
- Loved (1 Thess 1:4)
- Chosen (1 Pt 2:9)
- Royal priests (1 Pt 2:9)
- God’s special possession (1 Pt 2:9)
- People of God (1 Pt 2:10)
- Blessed (1 Pt 3:14, 4:14)
I know. I know. We ARE called to be humble. And I love how C.S. Lewis brilliantly defined humility: "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less."
The Gospel renews us.
It reconciles us.
It redeems us.
This includes our pretentious self-deprecation and arrogant self-loathing that feigns humility with all the stench of religiosity.
Next time we're tempted to undervalue our worth, we have choices:
- We can go on calling Jesus a liar and pretending that our self-deprecation and self-loathing is spiritual and holy.
- Or perhaps we can agree with how Jesus sees us.
- We can go on calling Jesus a liar and pretending that our self-deprecation and self-loathing is spiritual and holy.
- Or perhaps we can agree with how Jesus sees us.
After all, Jesus is God... and maybe He sees us more clearly than we see ourselves.