THE ULTIMATE GIFT

Good Morning

I pray all is going well with you this morning –

Happy Monday!

I had every intention of getting this post up first thing this morning

But then I got side-tracked …

I took care of a couple of chores and then decided to bake

            Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies for my guys … YUM!

This year has been particularly challenging – for my waistline

You see, I typically GIFT my baked goods

But I really do not feel like going through the hassle of packing and shipping

So, we have had a smorgasbord of treats –

Cookie assortments, bourbon balls, and cakes are up next (rum & red velvet for Christmas Eve)

It’s the most ‘calorie-filled’ time of the year!

But – treats are not the subject of our post today

GIFTS – and THE ULTIMATE GIFT in particular is the subject of our post today

I thought about this post as I was typing up one of the verses for yesterday’s post:

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’ John 3:16

 

I was typing the verse from memory but then went to look at the actual text:

I had typed, ‘that whosoever believes in Him would not perish’. Yet, when I looked at the NKJV and KJV of the Bible, it notes, ‘… that whoever believes in Him should not perish …’

It seems a simple exchange, ‘would’ instead of ‘should’

But as I thought about it more, I understood why it said ‘should’

 

So – what does this have to do with GIFTS?

‘God so love the world that He gave …’

What did He give?

He gave us all an incredible GIFT

What was that GIFT?

‘… He gave His only begotten Son’

 Why did He give us this PRECIOUS, MOST ULTIMATE GIFT?

‘… that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

 

‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

 Jesus is the Indescribable and Ultimate Gift –

And, He was given so that none of the LORD’s creation should perish;

That none should have to spend a life on earth or eternity thereafter – separated from Him

But the truth of the matter is that many can and still will

You see, a gift not given, is no gift at all – kind of like my treats this year

But the LORD already tackled the issue of giving – He gave the very best gift He could

that Gift being Jesus

And Jesus keeps the gift-giving going by blessing those who believe with the Gift of the Holy Spirit [discussion for another day]

But the gift-giving is only part of the solution to the problem

Gift receiving is the second and critical portion of the equation

A gift not given is no gift at all

But, a gift given and not received – it is a gift of no effect to the recipient

If I am blessed with the ultimate gift but choose not to receive it, I am still gift-less

 

THE ULTIMATE GIFT

Understand – when it comes to the subject of salvation

While none should perish … many will perish because they refuse to accept the GIFT

 

‘If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is LORD and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.’ Romans 10:9

 

‘For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.’ John 3:17

 

‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’ Acts 4:12

 

‘For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.’ Ephesians 2:8

 

JESUS CHRIST – the indescribable, amazing and ultimate GIFT

And you do not need to wait until Christmas Morning to receive, open and enjoy this GIFT! 

Have a Blessed Day!

‘But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name,

He gave the right to become children of God’

 John 1:12