Unworthy

<<undeserving, not good enough>>

John the Baptist considered himself unworthy even to untie the Lord’s sandals (Mt 3:11). Because of the bad choices he made and the lifestyle he had lived the prodigal son said he was no longer worthy to be called his father’s son (Lk 15:19). In our sinful selves we are not worthy for God to

Sin made us unworthy; Christ has made us worthy. Thank Him profusely

even look at us but He has chosen us, and replaced our unworthiness with the righteous of Christ. He even calls us His children, demonstrating His amazing grace (Jn 1:12; Eph 1:4, 2:8,9).

The gospel was first shared with the Jews but they rejected God’s offer of eternal life, proving themselves unworthy by their attitudes, so the good news was given to the Gentiles – the non-Jews (Act 13:46).

If we love another person or thing more than Christ (making that an idol) and do not voluntarily take up our cross in commitment to God we are not worthy of Him (Mt 10:37-39).

We should have a humble assessment of ourselves. Jesus taught when we have done everything we have been told to do should say, "We are unworthy servants, we have only done our duty" (Lk 17:10). Paul considered he was unworthy to be called an apostle because of the persecution he inflicted on the believers before he came to faith in Christ (1 Cor 15:9).

Partaking of communion (the Lord's supper) is not to be done in an unworthy manner (1 Cor 11:27,28). The requirement is before taking the bread and the juice that symbolise Christ’s sacrifice that each person

Search your heart before communion

examines their heart (and deals with any issues such as unconfessed sin the Holy Spirit brings to mind) so they can do so with a clear conscience. Otherwise they are “guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” by showing irreverence and acting indifferently toward communion, as if it were just another meal when in fact the very purpose of communion, is to honour and remember the Lord’s work of salvation on the cross.

See also: grace, rejection, self-esteem, value, worth/worthy.