The famous philosopher, Rene Descartes, once said, “I think, therefore, I am.” Like every philosopher – every person, really – Descartes wanted to know himself, and not just superficially, but on the inside. All people have a desire to know themselves, to know their weaknesses and strengths, their foibles and limitations.
Christians are not immune to this search for self-realization. We’re no different. We want to know who we are, why we’re here, and where we’re going. Thankfully, God has been gracious. His Word answers all of those deep questions. Today, the psalm writer tells us that: CHRISTIANS KNOW WHO THEY ARE. 1) They Are Unique, and 2) They Are Loved.
1) They Are Unique
Today is Confirmation Sunday in our church; a big day for Megan Coyne. She has the privilege to stand before her church family and her Lord as she confesses her faith in Jesus and her willingness to continue in that faith. Yet, Megan will no doubt encounter ups and downs as she continues in her faith. There may be times when she questions who she is. When that happens, remember you are unique.
Go home and dig out your birth certificate if you can, or if you dare. Look at the information printed on it. It shows your birth weight, your height, your eye and hair color, it indicates whether you’re a boy or a girl. “What’s the point?” you ask. Well, the information compiled on that certificate describes who you are. You are unique. No one else in history fits that description.
This is a blessed comfort. You are unique in the way you were made. King David describes it this way: “for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” The work of the Lord is wonderful. Just look at the life he has bestowed upon us. It’s as the apostle Paul said, “In him, we live, breathe, and have our being.” And each one does this in a unique way.
We are unique in God’s eyes, just as a single crawfish is unique in a sack of hundreds. Yesterday, we had our annual crawfish boil at church. It was funny watching everyone. The adults went right to the tables and sat down. They weren’t interested in the crawfish, not unless they were boiled and dumped out in front of them. The kids were different, however. They were all around the cooler of live crawfish, studying, inspecting, and marveling over them. “Look at the size of this one!” someone yelled. “Yeah, and look at pincher on this one!” another called. “This one has an antennae longer than the other, and this one has a little brown spot on its tail!” They marveled at the unique shape and detail of each crawfish. Imagine how God could come up with so many different shapes and designs for something as mundane as the “mudbug”.
How much more remarkable to think that God formed you in a special way when he brought you into the world! Life is a special gift from God. Just like a single crawfish, so God has made you who you are. You are unique. But even better than a sack full of crawfish is that we are redeemed children of God.
God, our Creator, sent his own Son to buy us back from sin, death, and the devil. God sent Jesus Christ – his own Son in his exact image – to win salvation for us. Jesus was unique. He was a true human being. He had flesh and blood just like you and me. Yet, he was also true, eternal God. He was more than just a snow flaky representation. He was God almighty – the Creator himself – and yet, he humbled himself to become part of the creation, so that he could suffer and die for all creation. Now, that’s unique!
Christ Jesus did this for you, so that you might have eternal life. God brought us into this world, has given us faith to believe in his Son, so that he might take us from this life into his eternal glory. As a child of God, you know who you are. You are one-of-a-kind, unique to God. There’s no one else like you. God made you. He knows you. And he loves you.
A lot of people don’t believe this though. There are subtle lies, which threaten to rob us of our certainty in Christ. For example, the theory of evolution has the capacity to wipe God’s uniqueness from our lives. Consider the repercussions of such thinking. To tell people that the sum total of their lives is just the result of millions of years of trial and error, then don’t be surprised when people don’t think that life is special or unique. Don’t be surprised by the senseless violence, or the blatant disrespect of others. If my existence is the product of some primordial ooze creeping from an ancient swamp, then why should I value my life at all, or yours for that matter? Such thinking can change a person’s outlook on life. If life is merely a disorderly series of random acts – something without design or purpose – then the meaning of life becomes quite simple: greed, selfishness, fits of rage, discontentment, lust, and perversion.
The result is that we have a world filled with people who have no identity. They know that they have desires, wants, and needs but they’ve no way to fulfill such things. God gives identity, though. He reveals that we are sinful. We’re decrepit creatures conceived in sin. As different as we are, we’re the same. We are all born with the tenacity to curse God and defame his good Name. We decry God’s identity and want nothing to do with him. Yet, God has made us uniquely his own. He gave us spiritual rebirth through faith in his Son. These blessings help us to recognize that we are unique.
2) They Are Loved By God
Our unique identity as Christians is due to God’s faithful love. His endless love is revealed in his Word. The Bible reveals God’s love to us because it teaches us about the abiding love of Jesus, our Savior. The reason God has worked faith in us to believe is because he wants us to know we are unique. We are loved by God.
King David wanted to make sure that truth was reality in his life. He longed for God to continue his gracious work upon his sinful life. He begged God to prove his uniqueness. David makes a faithful demand of God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Back in school, they were given at the end of every chapter. It meant studying and cramming, writing, and correcting. I’m talking about tests. Nobody seems to really like tests even though they’re a regular part of our lives. Usually, we’ll endure them, but we won’t welcome them. We’ll put ourselves through the tortures of the DMV, just so we can get a driver’s license. People might even take on extra work and testing, in order to get a job promotion. We’ll tolerate the pressure and distaste for tests.
Yet, what is David’s attitude towards his faith life? He actually encourages God to test him. When was the last time you asked God to test your faith? It seems absurd for David to ask for such a thing, but it really isn’t. David wanted God to test him so that the Lord’s love would win out. David wanted God to test him in the sense that he brought all sin and weakness to the surface, so he could see his sins and mistakes and properly deal with them. “Search me! Test me! See my offenses!” David insists.
Do you want to know that you’re unique in God’s eyes? Then urge him to test you. Insist that God search you, test you, and see your offenses. Then you will see how his faithful grace and mercy will make all things well. We test God every time we worship. Together we confess, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner!” There’s the test! Will God be merciful or not? Is he faithful to his promises? Is he powerful enough to wipe out your mistakes? Well, stand back and observe your God in action. See how he tests your sin and failures! See how he condemns his own Son in your place. See how he sheds his blood for you! See how he rises and ascends to his heavenly throne! See how God tests you and leads you to pass. See how he places a fellow sinner – a minister – in your midst as his mouthpiece proclaiming: “God our Father has been merciful to us and given his only Son as the atoning sacrifice for all of our sins. Therefore, as a called servant of Christ, and by his authority, I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We pass the test. Our Savior leads us to see that we are unique. We are loved by him.
God’s unique love for you makes you unique as he leads you to serve him with your life. God has given each of us unique talents and abilities that we can use to his glory. You are wonderfully made, and God can use you. There are so many opportunities available to serve God right in our church. We have members of all ages with all sorts of needs. We can serve each other. There is a wide-world around us that’s filled with people searching for meaning in life, who think they don’t matter to anyone. We can serve them with the gospel.
That’s what Pentecost was all about. The Holy Spirit built the church with ordinary men. Yet, he gave them unique gifts. He gave them the gift of language. And they were sent out to serve with those gifts. Those Pentecost gifts of the Spirit were not meant to puff up the disciples’ ego. None of them bragged about being “anointed with the Spirit”, or “being super-Christian”. They were to use that gift of language to serve others – to speak real gospel hope to real people with real problems.
This is all part of God’s plan for us as well. God’s plan of salvation is based on his love, not that he promises we’ll speak in mysterious languages, but his plan includes ministry, service, to others in his name. We can serve God with our gifts. If you’re unsure of this, then ask God to search your heart. Ask him to, once again, reveal his grace to you.
Just like each single crawfish is different, so you are unique and special to God. When you look closely at a single crawfish, it’s not very impressive. There’s not much of a meal there. In fact, he looks insignificant. Yet, when he’s joined with the rest of the sack and offered up, he brings joy and provides enough food to feed a small army.
You may feel like a single crawfish; that you can’t make a difference in the world because you are too small or insignificant. Remember who you are. You are part of a plan. God seldom uses just one person to accomplish his will. You are part of a plan, and you contribute by using the gifts God has given. No one says it’s going to be easy, though. There will be ups and downs, though. Remember who you are. You are uniquely loved. God’s Word says so. Remain in God’s Word, keep coming to church, and continue to pray that God gives you the strength to serve him even as he faithfully serves you. Amen.
