THE BEAUTY OF GIFTS

One of the best known verses in the Bible is John 3:16: “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.” At Christmas time, more than any other time of the year, we think about giving. If we are honest, it’s not always a joyful thing. We find ourselves under the pressure of “one more gift.” That’s mixed in with the joy of giving to those we love. We know that a ‘true’ gift is something given with no strings attached. A true gift looks for nothing in return. God is the ultimate Giver. He has given us life. He gives us the air that we breathe. He brings the rain in spring and the sunshine in summer. He gives to us whatever health we may enjoy. He gives us the ability to hear, see, and even think. In Ephesians 4 we’re told that God (Jesus Christ) gave gifts to various men for the perfecting of the saints. God gave these gifts to the church. Whatever capacity you have to serve in the local church is a gift from God. As we think of this holiday season, let’s consider the special gifts given to us by God. He gave the gift of His Son. “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel – which means, God with us.” Matthew 1:23. A deep theological question might be: how did the God of eternity, the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent God contain Himself within the body of a man? I don’t pretend to know the answer to that question, I just know it’s true because that what Scripture says. So, because Christ came and took upon Himself flesh, becoming one of us, He understands our limitations. He understands the weakness of the flesh (though He never yielded to it). He understands our hurts and concerns. He even understands our rebellious attitude (though it’s still sin). Another blessing from God is that Christ gave His life for us on Calvary. During this Christmas season much of the world loves to sing songs about a child in a manger. But, He grew up! It is said that the trouble with kittens and puppies is that they grow up to be cats and dogs. The world likes to think about a babe in a manger but they really don’t want to hear about a man on a cross. While men crucified Christ, and are responsible for their actions, at the same time Christ went to Calvary willingly to give His life for us. We hear Christ saying in Matthew 26:53, “Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” As well, He said, “…I lay down My life — only to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord...” John 10:17,18. This leads us to the greatest gift of all that we can receive from God – the gift of eternal life. In Romans 6:23, we are told, “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This gift from God comes through Jesus Christ, which explains why Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” So how do we get this most wonderful gift? Any gift that is available to you only has meaning if you are willing to receive it. This gift too, must be received. “…to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12. If you have not already received this gift of eternal life don’t let another season go by without asking Christ for this glorious gift. You might want to pray something like this. “Lord, I offer up to You this prayer. I know there is sin in my life. I recognize that I need a Savior. I ask Jesus Christ to come into my life and I ask Him to forgive my sin. Right now, I trust Jesus Christ as my only means for eternal life. I thank You, Lord, for salvation in the Name of Jesus. Amen.” This prayer, or something like it, must come from the heart. If it does, you can be assured that you have the greatest gift of all. “Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13. Merry CHRISTmas!