You Are Mine

Isaiah 43

¹ But now, this is what the LORD says—
    he who created you, Jacob,
    he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
² When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.
³ For I am the LORD your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
    Cush and Seba in your stead.
⁴ Since you are precious and honoured in my sight,
    and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
    nations in exchange for your life.
⁵ Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
    I will bring your children from the east
    and gather you from the west.
⁶ I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
    and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring my sons from afar
    and my daughters from the ends of the earth—
⁷ everyone who is called by my name,
    whom I created for my glory,
    whom I formed and made.”

We looked this past week at what is most important to us.  What are the things we value most?  Using the image of the house fire and what we would want to save for ourselves.  Pictures, documents, pets, people.  And we looked at what God places value on.  We could have also talked about what John says of this in his gospel.  John summarizes the message of the gospel this way: ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 

God values the whole of the creation he has made.  Isaiah tells us that God loves his people so much that he sacrifices part of his creation to save them.  John tells us that he loves his creation so much he gives up his only Son to save all of creation.  John says it is because God loves his creation.  Isaiah shows God speaking to us and saying in verse 4: Since you are precious and honoured in my sight, and because I love you.

This is our identity.  It is the identity of the neighbours around us.  And it is the identity of the neighbours far from us.  God loves his people and all of his creation.  He says we all belong to him (the message of baptism).  And God does all that is necessary for the creation to be saved.  We are loved, we are forgiven, we belong.  We live as those who belong to God and treat all around us as belonging to God as well.

This is why we find ways lo love our neighbours.  They are loved by God just as much as we are.  We find ways to care for God’s creation.  God wants all of creation to be redeemed and renewed.  We work to restore order and bring compassion to all in need.  God wants all to have life and be loved and belong.