If the reason God died for us was because we were worth it, can we still say God's love is amazing?

These thoughts were prompted by a Berean Call radio program responding to the question of a caller who said, 

I've been on the fence concerning your views of self esteem and self love. But I think you've really missed the mark when it comes to our self worth. I recently read The Secret of Loving by Josh McDowell. He's no slouch when it comes to biblical apologetics. And he says we are worth the price God paid for us, the death of His Son. Doesn't that make us of infinite value to God?

One look at the cross and you know we are infinitely valuable to God. This cannot be debated. But here is the deeper question: Was it our value that prompted God to die for us? Or was it pure love in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it? It has to be the second. Paul wrote in Romans 5:8 that God loved us even while we were yet sinners. When we get to heaven we are not going to go, "Wow, God I'm really glad you saw my worth and went through the whole cross ordeal for me." Instead we will fall down and cry out, "I am so unworthy, oh God, thank you!"

If God died for us because we are worthy, what are we thanking Him for on Sunday morning? To think that it was our worth that moved Him to die is to destroy our motivation for gratitude and to assault His mercy toward us. 

God does not love me because I am worth it. He loves me even though I'm not. Am I precious to Him? Infinitely so! Does Christ's death for us show us that He infinitely values us? Yes! But His death was not prompted by our worth, but by His love (Eph 2:4). 

If God died for us because we were worthy, then someone needs to talk to Charles Wesley about his flawed lyrics, 

Amazing love, how can it be?

That Thou my God would die for me! 

The adulterous woman, crying at Jesus' feet, loved much because she was forgiven much (Luke 7:47), not because Jesus looked at her and said, "You deserve it!" 

Tonight I asked my wife, "How'd you feel if I said, 'I love you because you're worth it.'" 

She replied, "I'd be insulted."

Let us not insult God with high views of ourselves. We don't deserve His mercy. If we did, it would no longer me mercy. If it is my worth that prompts God's love for me, then His love is not unconditional.