The world looks upon the church and people of God with hatred and contempt. I readily grant that the world embraces religion as a respectable, commendable thing. The world loves its own. But it hates the church of God and looks upon his saints as contemptible things. It always has and always will- (John 14:18-21).

And God’s people always look upon themselves as contemptible, sinful things, unworthy of the least of God’s favors and blessings. Others may not know us; but we know ourselves. "We know that in us, that is, in our flesh dwelleth no good thing!" We know that we are, by birth, by nature, and by practice, sinners deserving of God’s wrath. Paul was not speaking with false humility when he called himself "the chief of sinners." Job was not being hypocritical when he said, "Behold, I am vile!…I abhor myself!" David was not playing games with God when he said, "My sin is ever before me." The world looks upon the church and people of God with hatred and contempt. And God’s saints look upon themselves as hateful, contemptible creatures before the holy Lord God. That is the essence of repentance. It is a loathing of myself because of sin.

But the Lord God himself looks upon his people in Christ as the most precious, honorable, beloved things in the world. This is what he says to us- "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee!"

Proposition: God’s estimate of his people is that they are precious, honorable, and beloved- Imagine that!

1. This is God’s estimate of his church as a whole.
2. This is God’s estimate of every individual believer.

I. This is God’s Estimate of His Church as a Whole.

Whether talking about the church universal, the whole body of Christ, or the local church, which is the outward, visible representative of that great mystical, spiritual body, when God speaks of and to his church, he says, "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee."

• There is a Church Universal which is made up of all God’s elect, all who were redeemed by Christ, all who believe on him. This church is the family of God, the Kingdom of God, the body of Christ, and the bride of Christ. This is the church Christ loved and died to save (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25). This is the general assembly and church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven (Heb. 12:22-24).
• The local Church is the outward, visible representation of the church universal. We do not diminish the importance of the local church. This is where Christ meet’s with his people (Matt. 18:20). This is the temple of God (I Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:22). But the church and kingdom of our God is bigger than this assembly! It is made up of a great multitude which no man can number!"

There is nothing in, or about, the church by nature that sets it apart from the people of the world. God is no respecter of persons; but if he were, there was nothing in us for him to respect. Yet, he says, "thou wast precious in my sight!"

1. The church of God is precious in his sight because he loved us with and everlasting love and chose us to be the heirs of eternal salvation.
2. God’s purpose of grace relates to his church, whom he did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son; and all his purposes regarding all other things are made subservient to his purpose of grace toward his church (Rom. 8:28-30).

"The bounds of the nations hath he set according to the number of his chosen. The arrangements of providence have all been disposed with an eye to them. All things work together for their good, and for the achievement of their ultimate perfection. God is pleased to reckon them as his crown jewels, his peculiar treasure, because he sees in them the purchase of his Son’s agonies. They have been bought with a price far above gold and silver."- (C. H. Spurgeon).

3. God’s church is precious above all creation in h is sight, because in it his glory is revealed- (Eph. 1:3-14; 2:7).

He has displayed his glory in creation, he manifests it in providence, but he displays all the glory of all his attributes only in the redemption and salvation of his church by Christ.

B. Exceedingly precious is the church of God in his sight; and she is therefore, in the highest sense of the word, honorable.

Notice how the Lord puts it- "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable."

1. Honorable because of her nearness to Christ- "The bride, the Lamb; wife!"
2. Honorable because of her character- "An Holy Nation!"
3. Honorable because of the work entrusted to her- "The Pillar and Ground of the Truth"- "My Witnesses"- "Go ye therefore…!"
4. Honorable because of the destiny that awaits her (Rev. 21:9-22:5).

Let us ever hold the church of God in high esteem. She is honorable in God’s sight. God blesses the world through his church. She is God’s ordained mouthpiece and instrument of grace to the world. Honor the church as God honors it. If you have been standing aloof, unite with the church of Christ. Commit yourself to it. "Come thou with us, and we will do thee good."

C. Then the Lord God says, "I have loved thee!"

That means, "I have taken complacency in thee." The Lord God is well pleased with his Son, and he takes delight in his church because of her union with his Son (Zech. 3:17). "Therefore," he says, "will I give men for thee, and people for thy life!" Because God loves his church, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, nations will fall before it, and kingdoms will be sacrificed to advance it. The cause of God, his church, his truth is in no danger!

II. This is God’s Estimate of Every Individual Believer.

To every believer the God of heaven speaks personally. He says to you and to me- "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee." Here are three adjectives by which God himself describes you who believe.

A. Precious- "Since thou wast precious in my sight."

How precious the believer must be if he is precious in God’s sight! Here we are in God’s sight, placed as fully and completely before him as we shall be in the day of judgment. His thoughts about us are not mistaken. His judgment is not cloudy. He knows exactly what we are, have been, and shall be. Yet, he declares that we are precious in his sight.

As I said concerning the church as a whole I must say concerning each of us personally- There is nothing in us by nature to make us precious in God’s sight. We were not dug from the quarry of precious things, but from the pit of corruption.

Illus: The Remembrance Room

If I am precious in his sight, it is because of what he has done, not because of what I have done! We are precious in his sight because…

1. He has bought us at a very dear price (I Pet. 1:18).
2. We are his workmanship (Eph. 2:10).

• Regeneration.
• Illumination.
• Sanctification.
• Preservation.

1. We are being conformed to the image of his dear Son- (Rom. 8:29).
2. We are his own sons and daughters (II Cor. 6:17-18; I John 3:1).

NOTE: That which is precious to me is that which I look upon with great satisfaction, set great store by, think of often, and keep in safety.

B. Honorable- "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honorable!"

To be honorable among men, these days, is insignificant. Our "honorable men of rank and position are the most dishonorable men in the world. Daily we read of legislators, senators, and congressmen who are thieves, adulterers, and homosexuals! Speak of the scum of society! Judging by our nation, it seems that the old proverb is true, "the scum of every pot rises to the top!" But to be honorable in God’s sight is something else. That is indeed honorable! Every believer is in God’s sight honorable, because discriminating grace has made him precious.

1. You have been honorably born- "A Child of the King!"
2. The believer is honorable in rank- (Heb. 2:6-8).
3. We have been called to honorable service- "Ye shall by my witnesses."
4. We have the honorable privilege of free access to the King’s throne (Heb. 4:16).
5. You and I are heirs to an honorable inheritance (Rom. 8:17).

God says to you who believe, "Thou hast been honorable." Grace has made you so! Now, meditate for a moment on this third adjective…

C. Beloved- "I have loved thee!"

Here is a theme better grasp by thought than by talk, so I will say little about it. But I urge you to think much upon it.

God says, "I have loved thee!"

1. Eternally!
2. Particularly!
3. Effectually!
4. Pre-eminently!
5. Unchangeably!
6. Immeasurably!
7. Freely!

By way of practical application, let me urge you who are God’s own dear children, precious, honorable, and beloved, to use these words as your own and…

1. Apply them to Christ!
2. Apply them to the Church and People of God!
3. Apply them to the souls of lost sinners!