Treasured By God

Discovering Your True Worth in God’s Eyes

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
—Ephesians 2:10 New Living Translation

The word that the New Living Translation translates as “masterpiece” is Strong’s Greek 4161 (poiēma), which denotes a product of creative action—a workmanship, handiwork, or thing made. The English word “poem” owes its origin to this term. In the New Testament, poiēma presents creation and redemption as parallel acts of divine artistry. “In Romans, the cosmos itself is God’s crafted testimony, rendering every human accountable to acknowledge the Maker. In Ephesians, believers constitute a fresh creative act—formed in Christ and designed for holy activity. Both uses stress God’s intentionality: nothing is accidental; all is purposed.” (BibleHub.com)

Treasure or Trash?

What is considered treasure and what is considered trash? As a child growing up in Brazil, I have many memories of taking things that would be considered trash by many and turning them into my treasure. I recall one time when one of our home electronics stopped working. I don’t remember what it was, but I remember asking my dad if I could take it apart and try to fix it. I never fixed it. But I had so much fun taking it apart, and so many different parts became toys. They either became a house, or a garage, or a ramp, or a bomb, or a spaceship, or a secret weapon, or a robot…

That old electronic was essentially junk; it did not work. But in my hands, as a curious child with a screwdriver, it was a treasure. I saw endless potential in what many would have considered a piece of junk.

Sometimes, people may look at you and fail to see your potential. Even worse, you may look at yourself and fail to see your potential. That is why we must be reminded of how God sees us. We are His workmanship, His poem, His masterpiece, made new in Christ Jesus todo the incredible things He planned for us to do from long ago.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

44 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
—Matthew 13:44-46 NKJV

Jesus teaches us that the kingdom of heaven is of such incredible value that once we realize it, we gladly give up everything for it. We don’t gain the kingdom of heaven out of fear; we don’t gain it by being curious about it; we gain it by giving up everything else.

This is an interesting way of teaching about the kingdom of heaven. We know that salvation is free, yet it costs everything. Jesus died for us, and we don’t have to buy our salvation from Him. Yet when we truly love Him, nothing comes between Jesus and us. Nothing in the universe is more valuable than Jesus.

Though in these two parables it is clear that it is the kingdom of God that is the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, I can’t help but consider that there might be a double significance to the parable of the great price.

The parable of the merchant seeking beautiful pearls applies not only to people seeking the kingdom of heaven, but also to Christ seeking His lost inheritance. Christ, the heavenly merchant seeking valuable pearls, saw in lost humanity the pearl of great price. In humanity, defiled and ruined by sin, Jesus saw the possibilities of redemption. Hearts that have been the battleground of the conflict with Satan, and that have been rescued by the power of love, are more precious to the Redeemer than are those who have never fallen. God looked upon humanity, not as vile and worthless; He looked upon it in Christ, saw it as it might become through redeeming love. He collected all the riches of the universe and laid them down in order to buy the pearl.

Imagine Jesus, having found us, its like He sets us in His own crown.
For they shall be like the jewels of a crown,
Lifted like a banner over His land—
—Zechariah 9:16b NKJV
“They shall be Mine,” says the Lord of hosts,
“On the day that I make them My jewels.
—Malachi 3:17a NKJV

There is biblical evidence comparing both the kingdom of Heaven and us to precious jewels or a treasure. This is the ultimate win-win scenario. God is the ultimate treasure for all of humanity, and we just happen to be the ultimate treasure to God. Imagine if we began to treat each other as having the great value that God places on our lives?

Could it be this simple?

This idea of God being the greatest treasure we could ever hope ot find in our lives and the idea that to God we are a treasure of incomparable worth can shape our lives in very practical ways. It raises God to the highest level in our lives, where we treasure nothing above God. God reigns supreme in our hearts. Our greatest treasure, the most important relationship in our lives. This view makes God the solid foundation upon which everything else in our lives is built. God is the treasure that is worth far more than anything this world has to offer. As the parables that Jesus told teach us, we gladly give up everything for God because He is worth so much more than anything and everything we could ever give up for Him.

What about the other part? The one about us being God’s treasure? The Bible illustrates this by saying that just like royalty on earth adds the most beautiful and precious stones to their crowns, God sees us as the most beautiful and valuable jewels in the universe. That means that God sees incredible value in youe life, even if you don’t always see it. That means God cares very much about you and desires to be with you.

This also means that God loves, values, and desires to be with the other people you meet and interact with every day. God also loves your siblings, classmates, coworkers, and even your enemies. God sees every person as incredibly precious, and we should treat them as such.

When we look at it like this, it's almost as if we can summarize the whole law in two commandments.

37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
—Matthew 22:37-40NKJV