We had a discussion two weeks ago about how Jesus is worthy of all praise and all glory belongs to Him. Despite this, He was counted as not worthy by the world around Him. He was crucified in our place. It was a choice He willingly made because he felt we were worth the sacrifice. However, the leader went on to say that we are worthy. When she finished, I said "That is a false gospel. I know that is not your heart, and understand what your trying to say, but thinking we are worth is a false gospel".
I have a strong personality, so I know the comment stung, but I stand behind the comment of correction, and made it in love because we are responsible when we teach others for what we say, words matter. James 1 warns us of this "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body."
A false gospel is less about Jesus and more about me. If I was worthy, it would have to be before the cross, because "worthy" describes the person, whether it is seen as an adjective or a noun. Jesus died for every single person that has or ever will live on this earth, regardless of the decision made to accept the gift or not. If I am worthy, I don't need the sacrifice of Jesus.
According to Oxford Languages, Worthy means
adjective 1. having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in a specified way.
- deserving effort, attention, or respect.
- good enough; suitable.
noun 2. a person notable or important in a particular sphere.
What the person was trying to articulate is that Jesus felt we were worth the price He paid on the cross. Worth means:
adjective 1. equivalent in value to the sum or item specified.
- sufficiently good, important, or interesting to justify a specified action; deserving to be treated or regarded in the way specified.
- used to suggest that the specified course of action may be advisable.
- having income or property amounting to a specified sum.
noun 2. the value equivalent to that of someone or something under consideration; the level at which someone or something deserves to be valued or rated.
- an amount of a commodity equivalent to a specified sum of money.
- the amount that could be achieved or produced in a specified time.
- high value or merit.
Words matter. Worth the cost does not equal worthy. They words don't mean the same thing; one is the essence of the gospel while the other is a false gospel. I love the way Two Min English differentiates between worthy and worthy:
Understanding the difference between "worth it" and "worthy" is key to using them correctly. "Worth it" refers to something being valuable or beneficial enough to justify the effort or cost. On the other hand, "worthy" describes someone or something that deserves respect, attention, or support due to their qualities or actions. Simply put, worth it focuses on the value of an action or thing, while worthy highlights the deserving nature of a person or object.
The world said Jesus wasn't worth anything, but then tells us we are worthy. We were worthy of death; yet, they condemned Him to death. They were wrong because He alone is worthy. He deserves all of our attention, all of our effort, all of our respect. Jesus was perfect; we are not. Jesus was sinless, we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. He was always good enough, our righteousness is as filthy rags. He is worthy on the earth and He is worthy in Heaven. Our worth comes only from Him, and what He did in us and for us.
Jesus valued us enough to choose the cross and take our place. He became our sin. Nothing in or of us was deserving of the sacrifice. To think we are worthy is a false gospel.
The Bible has much to say about us being worthy of repentance, us not being worthy of Christ, walking worthy of the call (Which also means people can walk unworthy of the call of Christ), and being counted as worthy (Which also means people can be counted as unworthy). Revelations tells us that there was none on earthy found worthy. Below are a few verses from the word about the topic of worthy.
"Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matthew 3:8-10
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39
"You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory." I Thessalonians 2:10-12
"And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: "The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." ' But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.' So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. "But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' "For many are called, but few are chosen."" Matthew 22:1-14
"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." Ephesians 4:1-6
"And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us." Hebrews 11:32-40
"Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.""Luke 20:34-38
"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."Colossians 1:9-14
"And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?" And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it. So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it. But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."" Revelation 5:1-5
Ultimately we chose to walk worthy of the price paid, or we don't walk worthy of the call that God has on our life. The decision is ours but we are never going to be worthy this side of Heaven. Jesus placed a value on us that said we were worth the price He paid at Calvary. Our worth is only attached to Him and what He was willing to pay for us.
Another thing society often tries to tell us is that "we are enough". This is also false doctrine.
Oxford Languages defines enough as:
adjective: 1. occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations
pronoun 2. as much or as many of something as required.
- used to indicate that one is unwilling to tolerate any more of something undesirable.
adverb to the required degree or extent (used after an adjective, adverb, or verb).
- to a moderate degree; fairly.
- used for emphasis.
Outside of what Christ did for us on Calvary, we are not enough. We do not have the quantity, quality or scope to meet the demands of the law, the needs in our life or the expectation of God. We are not enough. The world wants us to say that we are enough because when we do think we are enough, we don't need Christ.
We come to Christ as we are, but if we were enough, He would leave us as He found us, in our mess. It is important that we don't buy into the message that we are enough or that we are worthy. The gospel message is that Christ is enough. Christ alone is worthy. He took every sin. Christ covers every failure. He alone is worthy. No one else.
Because of Him, I have great value. The world won't always see that value. I may not always feel that I am valuable, but my Creator says that I am. God speaks of life over His children. He calls us valuable, loved, holy, blessed, chosen, forgiven, adopted and freed just to name a few. He does not say we are worthy or that we are enough, that comes only in Him. Remember, words matter.
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