Deserving

Hammster

Psalm 144:1
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I wasn't sure what you meant :) I do not know the answer to that. I think He loved us when He created us, knowing what would happen.

I don't know if you do gardening but when you plant that seed you do all you can to make it grow. That little seed deserves your care because you planted it. I doubt your a soft as me but I feel that the little plants deserve my care, even if I intend to eat them. I also feel that they deserve eaten rather than rotting away. Now I'm human and fallible. The love I hold for anything can't compare to the love of the Holy, Everlasting God. My decisions are in error and I have no wisdom.

Now if God created us in His likeness, could my feelings towards that seed be a poor shadow compared to the love He feels to those He designed, created and knew in the womb? I don't have the answer but that occurs to me. Any deserving is God given because of Him and not 'our deserving' because of us.

I know what I deserve and it's not pretty :/

That’s my point. ;)
 
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Hammster

Psalm 144:1
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When we plan to raise a family, the child is the seed of that family. It has all the potential of becoming a wonderful soul.

Similarly, when we are born, God values us highly, we are many times more precious than a sparrow which is itself valued highly by God, because our noble nature can be expressed by choice, what we decide to be, through response to revelation from Him, whereas all other creatures have only the essence they are born with.
I didn’t ask if God values us, though. I asked is there anything about us that makes us deserving.
 
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Wordkeeper

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Acts of the apostles 17
24“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

The text says that God hopes "men might seek Him". How does he do that? He makes things uncomfortable for them, they see injustice and they are uneasy. Hebrews 11 says they are alienated by the humanity they live in and seek a better humanity and God is glad to be associated with them for their right thinking and has prepared a New Man for them to be a part of.
 
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Hammster

Psalm 144:1
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Acts of the apostles 17
24“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

The text says that God hopes "men might seek Him". How does he do that? He makes things uncomfortable for them, they see injustice and they are uneasy. Hebrews 11 says they are alienated by the humanity they live in and seek a better humanity and God is glad to be associated with them for their right thinking and has prepared a New Man for them to be a part of.
Okay. And?
 
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LaSorcia

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Not at all.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:8

So, are you deserving of this love?
That's how He showed his love; however God chooses to show His love for me, I'm very grateful.
 
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Hammster

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That's how He showed his love; however God chooses to show His love for me, I'm very grateful.
Same here. And I’m more grateful because I know how undeserving I am.
 
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Tone

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I get what you are saying. But their worth still comes from God.

Obviously...who's worth doesn't ...? Isn't this the very reason why there is any worth? I don't know anybody who says that there is worth in something that He has no part of.
 
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danielmears

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If you back up a verse you will read "after our likeness". So, it's image and likeness. There's more to it.
But, what happened in Gen 2? You know the answer, we fell and lost our original righteousness in an act of disobedience. Sin and death spread to all people because of the fall.

Because mankind fell how does that correlate to deserving Gods love?
In the Image of God Man is no longer fallen once redeemed. You/we are made in the image of God, that is not that we look like God but have the Father, the word which is filled with God's power, and the holy spirit. God is light, love and spirit and Jesus prayed we too be one as he and the Father all of us one. John 17:21 God is love so deserving or not, God loves.
 
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Bible Highlighter

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Ah. Those who love God deserve His love.

This is where God sees value and worth in us (Whereby He loves us):

"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." (John 15:10).

While God can certainly love His creation, and even a sinful person (because He sends rain also on the unrighteous), it does not mean it is the same degree of love that He has for those who obey His commands (Whereby His love abides within those who keep His commands). God is love. He is the source of all true love, and He tells us to even love our enemies. For Jesus said to the Father on those who were crucifying to forgive them, for they know not what they do. So yes. The essence and core of God is love, but again, God loves His people to such a degree more where they abide in the depths of His love (whereby He gives them the fruits of the Spirit, like: Love, joy, peace, etc.).
 
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Neogaia777

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Jesus thought (or "seemed to think" maybe) that we were worth dying for, but I fail to understand how or why...?

But, He's God so...

God Bless!
But I don't think that reason, whatever it is, is us being deserving of anything from Him, as in like Him owing us anything, or anything...

He put whatever it is/was in us, so that He could come and die for it...

One of the great mysteries of God, and of God being God...

God Bless!
 
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