“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11
Do you have all your shopping done yet? There are some folks that are hard to shop for: You have no idea what they need or want; You don't know what size or color.
But God knows exactly what we need. He gives us good and perfect gifts. Just to help us keep our spiritual perspective in these last days leading up to Christmas, let us be reminded of some of God's gifts to us. Our scripture in Luke 2:11 says, “Unto You”.
The gift of the Savior. If there ever was a gift where "everybody needs one", "one size fits all", or "you can't do without it", this is it. He is called the Deliverer in Romans 11:26, the Anointed One in Psalms 2:2, Author and Finisher of our faith in Hebrews 12:2, Bread of Life in John 6:35, and Chief Cornerstone in Ephesians 2:20.
It was a promised gift as Genesis 3:15 informs us, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel”.
Genesis 3:15 is the promise to Satan by God, that God will send someone to defeat him, and redeem the sin of mankind. That person was Jesus Christ, Our Lord. That's the short version of what Genesis 3:15 means in a nutshell.
It is a perfectly timed gift. Galatians 4:44 tells us, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law”. The gift of salvation. A personal relationship with the living God.
The Bible says in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Ephesians 2:8-9 informs us how we are saved, ”For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”.
We will receive a gift, the Bible tells us in John 14:16-18, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you”. An indwelling Person, An empowering Person, An educating Person.
Then we receive the gifts of Grace. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast”. Grace is a gift of God, and our desire to be obedient to each of God’s commandments is the reaching out of our mortal hand to receive this sacred gift from our Heavenly Father. All We Can Do.
What do you do with a gift? Use it! The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:14, “Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.”
Share it! 2 Timothy 1:6-7 says, “Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.
Thank God for it! 2 Corinthians 9:15 tells us, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift”.
As we move closer to Christmas, may we know that we have received the perfect Gift, Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Barb and I wish you a very Merry Christmas.
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