Recently I heard a song on our Christian radio station, KLOV. After hearing the chorus I had to look up the lyrics online to be sure I understood the song correctly. Sadly I had. Referring to people, the Christian artist sings, “You are more than flesh and bone. Can’t you see you’re beautiful? Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe. He [God] wants you to see, He wants you to see that you’re not just some wandering soul, that can’t be seen and can’t be known. Yeah, you gotta believe, you gotta believe that you are worth dying for, you’re worth dying for, someone worth dying for.” (Emphasis mine) “Someone Worth Dying For”, by: Mikeschair. 

It’s a nice sentiment, but there’s more than a little error planted in the chorus – “You’re someone worth dying for.”  At first glance this sounds good, but the idea actually nullifies the truth of God’s character, lowering the reality of His love. The whole point of the amazing grace of God is that He showered His love on His enemies, not beautiful people worth dying for. Consider Colossians 1:21, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled.”  If people were worth Jesus dying for, then the value would be centered in us, not in God.  If we actually got what we deserved, we’d all go to Hell. No one deserves Heaven, and we are not worth the salvation God offers us so full and free.  This is what make the love of God so amazing, that He would stoop so low to save a wretch like me. Christ dying on the cross doesn’t prove my worth nor my value. In truth it reveals how awful my sin really is. He came to pay our rebellious penalty, not purchase a bunch of diamonds in the rough. When the redeemed enter Heaven, we will not be singing, “Thank You God, but I know I was worth dying for, someone worth dying for!” Instead we’ll be on our faces crying, “Worthy is the Lamb! All wisdom, glory, honor, and power are unto the Lamb Who was slain. The One Who was, and is, and is to come!” Rev. 4:8, 11 and 5:12.