It’s All About The Gift
Good News – December 2013 – Grace & Truth Magazine
It’s All About The Gift
Christmas is just around the corner with all the excitement it brings. Gifts will be given and received by almost everyone. How exciting is that?
Do you ever ponder over gifts, wondering just what to buy for family and friends? In affluent economies this becomes a problem. It seems that most people already have everything they need and most of what they want. What to buy? We could search almost endlessly for just the right gift for each person on our list.
On the other hand, what will we receive? Again, in affluent countries, there is little lack. We wonder if we will get something useful and something we don’t already have. That would be nice! Suppose we receive something that we not only can use, but that we need. Further, suppose we receive something that we not only need, but something we can’t live without! Wouldn’t that be great? How thankful we would be.
Let’s think about God. God is the originator of giving. He is also the origin of the greatest gifts ever given or received. God is very aware that all people are sinners and cannot measure up to His holy standard: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23 NKJV). He also knew that we were helpless in our sins, so He gave us a gift that could help us out of our sins: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn. 3:16).
Jesus Christ came to this earth and died on a cross for our sins: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24). The apostle Paul tells about “our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us” (Gal. 1:3-4).
God’s Son, Jesus Christ, was more than just a “good man” – He was perfect! He never sinned, yet He took the punishment for sinners: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The Bible clearly states that sin must be punished – by death: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
The Bible also makes it clear that because of the death of Jesus Christ for us, we can not only be forgiven, but we can receive eternal life. What a gift that is! Did you know that after this life you will enter eternity, which lasts forever? You will spend eternity in one of two places: heaven or hell. Jesus said, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:3), which includes heaven. “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.
So we have seen that the greatest three gifts ever given are from God:
- God gave His Son Jesus Christ to die for us.
- Jesus Christ gave Himself in death for our sins.
- God can now give us eternal life free of charge, since the price was paid by Jesus Christ on the cross.
Have you received the gift of eternal life? You can only get it from God – and you need it! Without it you will perish in hell (the lake of fire) for all eternity. With this gift you will thrive in heaven (God’s house) for all eternity. Not much of a choice, really. Why not choose eternal life through Jesus Christ today? We can tell you more.
By Tim Van Ryn