The Greatest Gift
What was the best gift that you ever received? I've received some pretty spectacular gifts. I've also received some little gifts that became dear to my heart. **Spoiler Alert** In fact, this past week I received a big gift from my husband that I will post later.
However, none of these gifts compare to the greatest gift that I have ever received - the gift of eternal life. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Shhh.... Don't tell......... I'm a great big sinner! (#1) Yes, that's right. I was born a sinner and I sin often. Unfortunately, that sin prohibited me from the greatest, most precious relationship I could ever imagine. This relationship was with a God who loved me, but more on that a little later.
You may not desire such a relationship. You may not even believe that God exists. Why would I want a relationship with someone that I can't see, touch, or hear? Why does it even matter? Oh my dear friend, this relationship matters more than any other relationship will ever matter. In fact, this relationship determines my eternal destiny. That's a relationship too important to ignore.
You see, without a personal relationship with God I am doomed to eternal death (#2). Many people don't believe in eternal death in a literal hell. In fact to some, hell is nothing more than a joke or a term to use when you're angry. However, Jesus gave us a very vivid picture of what hell will be like in Luke 16. This was not a place that I wanted to go.
But like I said earlier, I'm a sinner. If the consequence of being a sinner is eternal death, I needed to learn more about the gift of eternal life and you need to learn of it too (#2). Now in my own eyes, it is difficult to call myself a sinner. In fact, people who look at me would probably consider me a good person. After all, I'm kind and go out of the way to help those less fortunate. I give to charity. I work hard and try to keep a good attitude when doing it. I've never killed anyone and I'm not a thief. However, all of those things aren't enough. They can't take away the fact that I have lied before. I get lazy. I am prideful. I am a sinner.
It sounds pretty bleak, but remember that I said above that God loves me? Do you know how much He loves me? He loves me so much that He sent His perfect, sinless Son as the sacrifice for my sins. As perfect and sinless, His blood was the way that my sins could be covered so that I could stand before a perfect, blameless and holy God. It was the only way that I could have a personal relationship with Him. (#3) It was the only way that I would have eternal life instead of eternal death in hell.
So how dis I get this eternal life and relationship with God? Did I have to do something special like give 10 homeless people a free meal and a place to stay until they got on their feet? Did I have to beat myself? Did I have to get baptized? Did I have to be really good and never sin again? The answer to all of these is NO. Can you imagine how prideful and horrible Heaven would be if everyone had to work to get there? I can. We would all stand around bragging of all the good things that we did to get there (#4). No amount of good deeds will get you there. In fact, being religious won't get you there either.
Instead, the Bible tells us that we need accept the free gift offered to us. Just like you accept any other gift you're given, you just have receive it. In fact, the Bible tells us that we need to believe that Jesus died for us as the only way to Heaven, trust in Him as that way and confess it with our mouth (#5).
Do you know that you are a sinner and that the only way to eternal life and a relationship with Him is by accepting that gift that He gave you? Are you willing to trust in Him as that only way? If so, tell Him so today. Tell Him that you know that you are a sinner and understand that He provided the only payment for that sin by the death of His Son. Ask Him to save you from that sin so that you can spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Receive His free gift today.
#1 - Romans 3:23
#2 - Romans 6:23
#3 - Titus 3:5
#4 - Ephesians 2:8-9
#5 - Romans 10:9-13
However, none of these gifts compare to the greatest gift that I have ever received - the gift of eternal life. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Shhh.... Don't tell......... I'm a great big sinner! (#1) Yes, that's right. I was born a sinner and I sin often. Unfortunately, that sin prohibited me from the greatest, most precious relationship I could ever imagine. This relationship was with a God who loved me, but more on that a little later.
You may not desire such a relationship. You may not even believe that God exists. Why would I want a relationship with someone that I can't see, touch, or hear? Why does it even matter? Oh my dear friend, this relationship matters more than any other relationship will ever matter. In fact, this relationship determines my eternal destiny. That's a relationship too important to ignore.
You see, without a personal relationship with God I am doomed to eternal death (#2). Many people don't believe in eternal death in a literal hell. In fact to some, hell is nothing more than a joke or a term to use when you're angry. However, Jesus gave us a very vivid picture of what hell will be like in Luke 16. This was not a place that I wanted to go.
But like I said earlier, I'm a sinner. If the consequence of being a sinner is eternal death, I needed to learn more about the gift of eternal life and you need to learn of it too (#2). Now in my own eyes, it is difficult to call myself a sinner. In fact, people who look at me would probably consider me a good person. After all, I'm kind and go out of the way to help those less fortunate. I give to charity. I work hard and try to keep a good attitude when doing it. I've never killed anyone and I'm not a thief. However, all of those things aren't enough. They can't take away the fact that I have lied before. I get lazy. I am prideful. I am a sinner.
It sounds pretty bleak, but remember that I said above that God loves me? Do you know how much He loves me? He loves me so much that He sent His perfect, sinless Son as the sacrifice for my sins. As perfect and sinless, His blood was the way that my sins could be covered so that I could stand before a perfect, blameless and holy God. It was the only way that I could have a personal relationship with Him. (#3) It was the only way that I would have eternal life instead of eternal death in hell.
So how dis I get this eternal life and relationship with God? Did I have to do something special like give 10 homeless people a free meal and a place to stay until they got on their feet? Did I have to beat myself? Did I have to get baptized? Did I have to be really good and never sin again? The answer to all of these is NO. Can you imagine how prideful and horrible Heaven would be if everyone had to work to get there? I can. We would all stand around bragging of all the good things that we did to get there (#4). No amount of good deeds will get you there. In fact, being religious won't get you there either.
Instead, the Bible tells us that we need accept the free gift offered to us. Just like you accept any other gift you're given, you just have receive it. In fact, the Bible tells us that we need to believe that Jesus died for us as the only way to Heaven, trust in Him as that way and confess it with our mouth (#5).
Do you know that you are a sinner and that the only way to eternal life and a relationship with Him is by accepting that gift that He gave you? Are you willing to trust in Him as that only way? If so, tell Him so today. Tell Him that you know that you are a sinner and understand that He provided the only payment for that sin by the death of His Son. Ask Him to save you from that sin so that you can spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Receive His free gift today.
#1 - Romans 3:23
#2 - Romans 6:23
#3 - Titus 3:5
#4 - Ephesians 2:8-9
#5 - Romans 10:9-13
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