You are Irreplaceable to God!

Your Value Is Far Greater Than You Can Imagine

I recall sitting on the stage as a band member, backing up hymns on the Sabbath before a filled auditorium of perhaps 700 people. I had recently decided to leave the college I had enrolled in nearly two years earlier due to difficulties I noted with the faculty and college operations and doctrines. I just did not fit in. It was an extremely hard pill to swallow, being rejected by fellow instructors and ministers within the organization that was advertised to the world as “God’s college,” a message I had first believed, and thus plunged into the workings of the institution with my whole heart.

That afternoon as I sat on the stage back of the speaker, who was vice-chancellor of the college and a powerful orator. He dove into his message with uncommon zeal, focusing on the subject, “You Can Be Replaced!” The choice of subject I am certain had to do with his learning that one of his faculty members was planning to leave. That faculty member was me. He did not have the courage to personally take me aside and discuss the reasons why I was leaving, but took the opportunity to blast away at anyone whom he thought might be a threat to his rulership. “You can be replaced!,” he bellowed at one point, making sure that I and every other party guilty of leaving the college would feel utterly disgraced. It was indeed a heartrending and discouraging moment, one I have never forgotten.

Can You Be Replaced?

That statement, “You can be replaced!,” has given pause for thought many times since that day in 1973. Does God almighty consider you to be replaceable in His grand scheme of things — a throwaway, a discard to be trashed should you commit some perceived unforgivable sin, or show yourself unfit for a position in this world of flawed leaders who judge you unfit, for whatever reason?

I have concluded over the several decades since I left this college that you, as a called and chosen son of God, are not replaceable, but your Creator has carved out for you a specific place in the City of God that no one else can fill. The evidence is very strong for this view, as I will show you here.

1. If you are a called and chosen vessel of the Eternal, He will never give up on you. Look what John 6:44 says:

“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent me draws [heikuo, ‘drag, by divine impulse’] him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Why would the Father draw or literally “drag” a person to Jesus Christ unless He has an infinitely important purpose for that person? That person will be raised up (resurrected to eternal life) at the end of this age according to John 6:44, in the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4). Such a fact is restated by John in John 6:65:

“And He said, ‘Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.”

Moreover, Jesus made it plain that in His Father’s house [heavenly Zion] are “… many mansions [mone, a staying, residence’],” and He [Jesus] has prepared a place [topus, “a spot in space, but limited in occupancy”] for us in that mansion. In that place where He has gone — to the Father — “… there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). We are destined to reside at the Father’s throne, alongside Jesus Christ! (Revelation 3:21).

Such a commitment by our Father and Christ to grant us a position at the heavenly throne is an incredible investment on their parts, one that they assure us is real and genuine: “… being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete [epiteleo, ‘fulfill completely, execute, terminate’] it until the day of Jesus Christ …” (Philippians 1:6).

2. We are walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, are His brothers, and in all respects will receive an inheritance like His. That being the case, then we are irreplaceable just as Jesus Christ is irreplaceable. Of course, He is the Son of God, having been directly procreated by the Father, with the awesome role of the Savior of mankind, whereas we are descendants of Adam. Even so, our inheritance is placed right alongside Jesus, and with such an illustrious future it is inconceivable that we could be replaceable. A listing of our identities with those of Jesus Christ is given at the end of this paper.

3. We have been chosen before the foundation of the world, and known before we were born. The Scriptures are very clear on this matter.

“… just as He chose us in Him before the foundation [katabole, ‘ founding’] of the world [kosmos, ‘orderly arrangement’] that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined [ eklegumei, ‘picked out, selected’] us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will …. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance [kleroo, ‘allotment, assignment’], being predestined [proorizo, ‘mark out beforehand, determine before, foreordain’] according to the purpose of Him who works all things, according to the counsel of His will …” (Ephesians 1:4-5, 11).

“For whom He foreknew [proginosko, ‘to know beforehand, foresee’], He also predestined [proorizo[ to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined [proorizo], these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

These and other Scriptures make it plain that we are known individually even before the earth was renewed (Genesis 1), picked and selected to be heirs of salvation marked out beforehand, foreordained. How is this possible? I do not know, but the word of God says so. Not only that, but we are plainly told that some of God’s prophets were known and ordained before birth — likely at conception — to be prophets of Israel. Jeremiah was one (Jeremiah 1:5), and Isaiah another (Isaiah 49:1-2), but I believe that the same can be said for all of the prophets, teachers, and others called of God. That includes us! We were known before the foundation of the world, like Jesus Christ was, and our inheritance is to be like His! (See the items at the end of this paper.)

4. God has invested His spirit in you, and knows He will receive back from you great increase from that investment. Notice the parable of the talents that makes this point clear. A man [the Creator], before traveling to a far country, called his servants and delivered his goods to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, proportionate to their abilities; then the man went on his journey. The servant who had received five talents traded and made five more. Likewise the servant who had received two talents increased his by two, but the servant who received one talent hid it in the ground. Upon returning from his journey after a long time, the man lavishly complimented the two servants who had doubled their talents, and made them rulers over many things and an entry into the joy of their Lord. However, he castigated the slothful servant who had hidden his talent, gave his talent to the one who had been given five talents, and cast him into outer darkness (Matthew 25:14-30).

Our heavenly Father gives these “talents” to those He knows will multiply them. Paul in I Corinthians 12 goes through these several spiritual gifts in detail — wisdom, knowledge, miracle working, prophecy, discerning spirits, speaking in tongues, healing, administration, teaching, and so forth — showing that the spirit given at baptism and the laying on of hands is powerful as it works through the human vessel it inhabits, “… distributing to each one individually as He wills” (verse 11). Moreover, the Eternal makes it clear that He “… has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased” (verse 18). He has given each of us the spiritual gifts He knows we require to fulfill His purposes … an investment that is relegated to each of His saints because of His love for us, to make each of us into the vessel He desires, for we are “not our own”:

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the holy spirit which is in you, which you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (I Corinthians 6:19-20).

Paul mentioned that he disciplined his body to bring it into subjection, lest when he had taught others he might be a castaway [adokimos, “unapproved, rejected, worthless”]. This may sound like he could indeed by rejected from sonship in the kingdom of God, but I believe his statement here is only theoretical, that he would never forsake such a great salvation offered to him and to anyone else the Father would call. Paul himself stated that “… He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ …” (Philippians 1:6), showing his confidence that the Father will not give up on anyone in their progress to attain salvation … because those whom He calls are irreplaceable!

Jesus calls us friends (John 15:15) as we keep His commandments; He would never refer to us as friends if He considered us replaceable. He has revealed to us everything that the Father has revealed to Him (Matthew 11:25; 13:11; John 15:15), something He would not do if we were replaceable. We are the “apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8), and He intends that we endure through all trials that will be faced in our lives so we can be with Him on His throne forever (Revelation 3:21; Matthew 24:13).

Our loving heavenly Father and Jesus Christ intends for us all to be with Him forever, to be kings and priests and reign on the earth for 1,000 years (Revelation 20:4). He has prepared a special place for us in his heavenly mansion, and will not give up on us as we strive on to serve Him to the very end of the age. We are not replaceable!

Your Incredible Future

Proofs That Our Future Parallels That of Jesus Christ

Evil is not the only problem we face. Not knowing our worth, feeling worthless, is a major problem. Evil behavior stops when we are convinced of our self-worth before God and have a positive view of who we really are, thus showing us the way of God’s lawful way of living.

We Are to Become Like Jesus Christ. So, to help convict you that you have an incredibly wonderful future beyond anything you can imagine, alongside Jesus Christ at the Father’s right hand, here are some identities of the saints with Jesus Christ, to show that our destinies are parallel.

1. We have A FUTURE eternal nature.

— FLESHLY EXISTENCE ON EARTH —

Jesus Christ (John 1:14; Romans 8:3).

The Elect Man is a “nephesh,” a “living soul” (Strong 5315) as stated in Genesis 2:7. (Hebrews 2:14).

— FUTURE ETERNAL EXISTENCE —

Jesus Christ (John 17:5; Acts 2:33-34; 5:31; 7:55-56; Ephesians 1:20; Colossians 3:1; Hebrews 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; I Peter 3:22; Revelation 11:15).

The Elect (Revelation 3:21; 22:3, 5; I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; John 17:22).

2. WE ARE DESTINED TO RECEIVE RULERSHIP OVER THE NATIONS AS SPIRITS.

Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5; 2:26-27; 19:14-16; John 18:37).

The Elect (Isaiah 60:1-3; Revelation 2:26-27; 5:9-10).

3. WE ARE TO INHERIT ALL THINGS.

Jesus Christ (Haggai 2:8; John 1:3, 10; 13:3; Psalm 102:25; Isaiah 45:12; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:15-17)

The Elect (Revelation 21:7; Matthew 5:3, 5).

4. WE RECEIVE GOD’S SPIRIT BY BAPTISM AND THE LAYING ON OF HANDS.

Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:16; see also Mark 1:10 and Luke 3:21-22). Jesus was baptized along with a number of other people; see Luke 3:21. Like the elect, God’s holy spirit was given at baptism, for it is pictured descending as a dove — akin to the laying on of hands — a dramatic demonstration of the Father’s spirit-impregnating power. Such signs seldom accompany the baptism of the saints, but God’s spirit is granted nonetheless.

The Elect (Acts 2:38; 9:17-18; 19:5-6; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6-7).

5. WE ARE SPIRITUAL BROTHERS, WITH THE SAME FATHER, FAMILY, AND POTENTIAL.

Jesus Christ (Matthew 12:47-49; Romans 8:29; John 16:28; Revelation 1:5). As an Elder Brother whose mission it was to live a sinless life, and pay the penalty for men’s sins as the pioneer or forerunner of the saints’ salvation, Jesus Christ is the mediator between the elect and the Father (I Timothy 2:5).

The Elect (John 17:21; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 2:11, 13).

6. WE ARE SENT TO EARTH BY THE FATHER.

Jesus Christ (John 6:44; 13:3; 16:28).

The Elect (Hebrews 2:13-14).

7. WE WILL REIGN WITH THE FATHER ON HIS THRONE.

Jesus Christ (Revelation 21:22; Hebrews 8:1).

The Elect (Revelation 3:21).

The fact that we will be sitting on Jesus’ throne, and Jesus is sitting on the Father’s throne, shows that we will all be sitting on the same throne! This is a consequence that we will be in a close family relationship with one another.

8. WE WILL BE WORSHIPED [only Gods ARE WORTHY OF worship].

Jesus Christ (Romans 14:11; Philippians 2:10; Matthew 28:9; John 9:37-38).

The Elect (Revelation 3:9; Isaiah 49:23; 60:14).

9. WE PRAY DIRECTLY TO THE FATHER.

Jesus Christ (John 17:1; Matthew 26:39).

The Elect (Matthew 6:6,9).

10. THE FATHER SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO US.

Jesus Christ (Matthew 3:17; Matthew 17:5).

The Elect God the Father speaks to the elect through the Word, the Scriptures (II Timothy 3:16; Ephesians 6:17).

11. WE ENDURE TRIALS, SUFFER, AND OVERCOME AS LIVING SACRIFICES.

Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15; Revelation 3:21; Leviticus 1:3, and similar references elsewhere; Isaiah 53:3-5; see also I Peter 2:21-24; Matthew 27:26, 28-29, 35).

The Elect (Romans 8:17-18; 12:1; I Peter 1:6-7; Revelation 21:7; Galatians 2:20).

12. WE ARE MINISTERED TO BY ANGELS.

Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:11; Luke 22:42-43).

The Elect (Hebrews 1:13-14; Hebrews 13:2).

13. WE FORGIVE THE SINS OF OTHERS.

Jesus Christ. (Matthew 9:2-6; also in Mark 2:3-12 and Luke 5:18-26; Luke 23:34; I John 1:9; 2:12; Psalm 86:5).

The Elect (Matthew 6:12, 14-15; Matthew 18:35; Mark 11:25-26; Luke 6:37; 17:3-4; II Corinthians 2:7,10).

14. CHRIST AND THE ELECT ARE EQUIVALENT AT THE RESURRECTION.

Jesus Christ made no distinction between Himself and Mary — and all of His ecclesia — at His resurrection. He stated, “I ascend unto My Father and your Father; and to My God, and your God” (John 20:17). A special point was made to emphasize that He considered Himself no greater than one of the brethren in terms of the true Parent for each of us. He considered Himself, in fact, a part of the brethren by this declaration. Besides, He acknowledged that the true Parent of each of us is the Father, and the only wellspring of hope we have — just as He had — is the resurrection from the dead to eternal life.

The Greek words used in John 20:17 for Father and God are as follows:

Father (Strong 3962) = pater, a father (lit. or fig., near or more remote).

God (Strong 2316) = theos, a deity, esp. the supreme Divinity, fig. a magistrate.

We will appear like Him in the resurrection (I Thessalonians 4:14; I John 3:2; Philippians 3:21; Romans 8:29; I Corinthians 15:49; Colossians 3:4; II Peter 1:4).

See Romans 6:5-6, where it is said that if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection.

15. THE LAW IS WRITTEN IN OUR HEARTS, WE DO THE FATHER’S WILL, AND WE HAVE HIS MIND.

Jesus Christ (John 5:19; 17:21; Isaiah 42:21; Matthew 5:17-18; Jeremiah 31:33).

The commandments and fruits of the spirit codify for God’s way of love to the Father and love to one’s neighbor (Exodus 20:2-17; Galatians 5:22-23; Matthew 22:3;6-40).

The Elect (Matthew 6:10; I Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5; Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10; Acts 2:17-18; righteousness is defined as keeping the commandments in Psalm 119:172).

16. WE ARE GIVEN A NAME THAT NO ONE ELSE KNOWS.

Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:12).

The Elect (Revelation 2:17).

17. WE ARE TO BE EXAMPLES OF GODLY LIVING TO THE WORLD.

Jesus Christ (John 4:34; 5:19, 30; 9:4; 12:49; 14:10).

The Elect (I Peter 2:21-23; I John 2:6, 15-17; Matthew 5:12-16; 11:28-30; John 7:18; 13:15).

18. THERE IS HOPE OF GREAT GLORY IN THE SPIRIT REALM AFTER PHYSICAL DEATH.

Jesus Christ

“… looking unto Jesus the Beginner and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the stake, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2). Joy (Strong 5479) = chara, “cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight.”

The Elect (Romans 8:18-23; I Corinthians 2:9).

19. WE HAVE BEEN SENT INTO THE WORLD.

Jesus Christ and The Elect (John 17:18).

20. WE ARE NOT OF THE WORLD.

Jesus Christ and The Elect (John 17:14, 16).

21. WE ARE TEMPTED WITH EVIL

Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:15).

The Elect (James 1:12, 14).

22. WE WERE ORDAINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD TO BE SONS OF GOD.

Jesus Christ

“He [Jesus Christ] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (I Peter 1:20).

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:1-2, 14).

The Elect

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:3-6 ).

“For whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined these He also called; whom He called these He also justified; and whom He justified these He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30).

“Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed [tasso = ‘to place in order, appoint’] to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

23. WE WERE MADE A LITTLE LOWER THAN THE ANGELS.

Jesus Christ

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little [while] lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9).

The Elect

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you visit him? For you have made him a little [while] lower than the angels, and you have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet …” (Psalm 8:3-6).

“For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying: ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, or the son of man that you take care of him? You have made him a little [while] lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’ For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him.” (Hebrews 2:5-8).