This should not come as a great shock to anyone who believes in God – His ways are not our ways.
He even told us that in Isaiah 55:9:For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
Amazing – the Creator of the universe is not just like us? Included in “my ways” are the values of God. We don’t know all of God’s values, but we know some that He has revealed in the Bible, like Micah 5:8, which tells what God values – to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
In the New Testament we learn about the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:8). Why is this a value? Because The Lord … is not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
So what else does God value? The Church, which is the body of believers who are described as “the bride of Christ.” That’s it, really. That’s all He values on earth. He doesn’t value our church buildings, or any of our other buildings. He doesn’t value our clever engineering and technical achievements. Advanced computer equipment and capabilities? Not impressed. Athletic and artistic achievements? Not impressed. Leadership and political skills? Not impressed. Scientific discoveries? Been there; done that. Fill in the blank of anything on earth – not of interest or value to God.
The earth and everything else on it are just the stage, props, and extras to the great drama of redemption. According to the script, God sent His Son to earth to rescue His children and build His eternal family. Jesus did not die for, nor does His shed blood avail for anything but the Church. That’s it. That’s all. He came to save from everything on earth.
So, does that mean we should value nothing else? No. God has charged us to be stewards of the earth and all of its inhabitants. Think about Noah. He spent years building an ark, which had temporary value for him, his family, and representatives of the animal world. Like Noah, we continue to care for creation for God’s greater purpose of saving the human family. Whatever can contribute to God’s great purpose is of value to God, but ultimately all He will save is His family of believers.
So, the question we must face is: do we value most what He values most – His Church?
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