Our culture is obsessed with the spotlight. If you are beautiful or talented, you are considered to be the best of the best. Most people think if you are recognized for what you do you have reached the highest "self" you can ever reach. If you have any doubt of this, look on YouTube or Facebook and see how many people are starving to become famous or recognized.
DOCTRINE #43: UNIQUENESS
God created each person uniquely and for a unique purpose. God made us each to value things differently than each other.
Question: Do you believe you encourage the uniqueness in others?
Next Doctrine: Doctrine #44
Table of Contents
If you need it, here is the support from the Word of God...
SCRIPTURE
"4 Now the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee; I have appointed thee a prophet unto the nations.
6 Then said I, Ah, Lord Jehovah! behold, I know not how to speak; for I am a child.
7 But Jehovah said unto me, Say not, I am a child; for to whomsoever I shall send thee thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee thou shalt speak." (Jeremiah 1:4-7)
(God formed Jeremiah after Jeremiah was conceived. God knew Jeremiah before He formed him. This didn't say God caused Jeremiah to be born or that God knew Jeremiah before he was conceived. Jeremiah was conceived. God knew him. God then formed Jeremiah for a unique purpose according to what God knew about Jeremiah. Many people believe that God causes people to have children, but actually we choose to have children, or choose to have sex, God does not make us do those things. If He did He would be violating our free will and be responsible for the eternal destiny of the individual. God only caused one person to be born: Jesus. We will see in the Doctrine of prayer that God could help a pregnancy, but it would not be against the will of the parents. Also, the Bible stated God could prevent conception by closing up the woman's womb.)
"15 Woe unto them that hide deep their counsel from Jehovah, and whose works are in the dark, and that say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
16 Ye turn things upside down! Shall the potter be esteemed as clay; that the thing made should say of him that made it, He made me not; or the thing formed say of him that formed it, He hath no understanding?" (Isaiah 29:15-16)
(God used the analogy of a potter to explain this process. God is the potter. We are the clay. The potter makes something from the clay he's given. He wouldn't make something bigger than he had clay for. He wouldn't make something for a strong purpose if the clay was delicate. God knows us and decides what is best because He is Right and Just; His decisions for our purpose are HOLY. We couldn't question His decision any more than the clay could question the potter. To say there is no God is to abuse causality.)
"1 How is the gold become dim! how is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, How are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!" (Lamentations 4:1-2)
(The potter can make something to be esteemed.)
"4 For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God besides thee, who worketh for him that waiteth for him.
5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou wast wroth, and we sinned: in them have we been of long time; and shall we be saved?
6 For we are all become as one that is unclean, and all our righteousnesses are as a polluted garment: and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee; for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us by means of our iniquities.
8 But now, O Jehovah, thou art our Father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." (Isaiah 64:4-8)
(We choose to remember God in our ways. We choose to sin. These people chose to not call on God's name because they thought they could determine their own purpose and didn't need God. Isaiah stated God was the potter and we need to do His purpose for our life. Next was a complicated passage...)
"13 Even as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that hath mercy.
17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.
18 So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will be hardeneth.
19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will?
20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why didst thou make me thus?
21 Or hath not the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one part a vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?
22 What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction:
23 and that he might make known the riches of his glory upon vessels of mercy, which he afore prepared unto glory,
24 even us, whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Hosea, I will call that my people, which was not my people; And her beloved, that was not beloved." (Romans 9:13-25)
(The theme of the passage was that God determined everyone's purpose, however, people could choose to do something other than their purpose. EVEN THEN, God gave mercy for people to recognize this fact. However, some people use the first verse of this passage to try to prove predestination. "God loved Jacob so Jacob would always do right. God hated Esau, so Esau couldn't do right." Notice, the rest of the passage didn't make that point. However, Paul was quoting the scriptures, specifically the beginning of the Book of Malachi. I have put the passage from Malachi in ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES so we can look at it more closely. The summary of the passage from Malachi was that even though God loved Jacob, that didn't result in people choosing to do right. In fact, they chose to do their own purpose! Here was a classic example of uniqueness...)
"14 For it is as when a man, going into another country, called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey.
16 Straightway he that received the five talents went and traded with them, and made other five talents.
17 In like manner he also that received the two gained other two.
18 But he that received the one went away and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
19 Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them.
20 And he that received the five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: lo, I have gained other five talents.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 And he also that received the two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: lo, I have gained other two talents.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter;
25 and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own.
26 But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter;
27 thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest.
28 Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away.
30 And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:14-30)
(This parable represented God making each person uniquely. One person had one talent, one person had two talents, and one person had five talents. Each was given according to his ability. Again, God formed each person according to who they were once God knew them.)
"4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are diversities of ministrations, and the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all.
7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.
8 For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit:
9 to another faith, in the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, in the one Spirit;
10 and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discernings of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; and to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 but all these worketh the one and the same Spirit, dividing to each one severally even as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
13 For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many." (1 Corinthians 12:4-14)
(Paul stated we are all different, yet have the same Spirit which was grace.)
"1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
2 And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, and ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith.
4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office:
5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.
6 And having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;
7 or ministry, let us give ourselves to our ministry; or he that teacheth, to his teaching;
8 or he that exhorteth, to his exhorting: he that giveth, let him do it with liberality; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." (Romans 12:1-9)
(This passage began with God's Will and renewing our mind to Think like God. Then the key point was presented: we are unique. Thinking like men meant comparative and we're all the same. This passage outlines the Motivational Spiritual Gifts! They are unique gifts given by God the Father, before we were Believers!)
"16 Repent therefore; or else I come to thee quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth.
17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it." (Revelation 2:16-17)
(You will get a new name in eternity that only you will know. This is your uniqueness: who God made you to be.)
Clearly we are all different and serve different purposes in the body. Like we have just learned, we can be humble and look up to each part being valuable. Why is that important? If we all valued things the same we could only stay at zero and never go any higher and no one would gain and no one would lose. If I value something at 5 and you value something at 15, we can both gain if we exchange in our uniqueness. Do you know what exchanging in our uniqueness brings?
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE
"1 The burden of the word of Jehovah to Israel by Malachi.
2 I have loved you, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother, saith Jehovah: yet I loved Jacob;
3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness."
(When we look at the Doctrine of love, we will see what hated meant. For now, God gave more to Jacob than to Esau because God knew both and it was right to do this.)
"4 Whereas Edom saith, We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places; thus saith Jehovah of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and men shall call them The border of wickedness, and The people against whom Jehovah hath indignation for ever."
(Edom/Esau would justify themselves and do their own purpose. God said He would respond through justice to tear them down.)
"5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Jehovah be magnified beyond the border of Israel."
(God said this sentence to Jacob/Israel. This sounded like a good thing and Israel would respond by doing God's Purpose.)
"6 A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?"
(God said Jacob/Israel at that time was despising God's Name, even though He loved them.)
"7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible.
8 And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts.
9 And now, I pray you, entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he accept any of your persons? saith Jehovah of hosts."
(God encouraged Israel/Jacob to confess and repent. This meant the choice was Israel's/Jacob's to do right or wrong, even though they were loved.)
"10 Oh that there were one among you that would shut the doors, that ye might not kindle fire on mine altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, saith Jehovah of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand."
(Jacob/Israel was loved AND God said He would no longer accept their offering!)
"11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the Gentiles, saith Jehovah of hosts.
12 But ye profane it, in that ye say, The table of Jehovah is polluted, and the fruit thereof, even its food, is contemptible.
13 Ye say also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith Jehovah of hosts; and ye have brought that which was taken by violence, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye bring the offering: should I accept this at your hand? saith Jehovah.
14 But cursed be the deceiver, who hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing; for I am a great King, saith Jehovah of hosts, and my name is terrible among the Gentiles." (Malachi 1:1-14)
(God said He would reach out to Gentiles: people who were not "loved".)
