The Perfect Gift
Have you ever been given a gift that felt so personal and something only someone who knew you really well could give? Take a moment to think of a gift you’ve received like that. It could be as simple as a friend bringing you your favorite coffee from your favorite coffee shop. It could also be a family member gifting you a necklace you were eyeing at a store and did not purchase in order to save money. For me, that gift was when my best friend bought me a beautiful (and expensive) set of acrylic tiles for a game we love to play together. She had casually sent me a website link for us to dream about what tiles we’d buy if we were rich. Next thing I knew, I was unwrapping those tiles on my birthday. Tears welled up in my eyes and my jaw dropped to the floor. I couldn’t believe she had spent that much money on a gift for me! I will never forget the kindness, generosity, and love I felt that day from my best friend.
The Perfect Gift-Giver
You know who else loves to give amazing gifts to those He loves? God, our Heavenly Father. Ephesians 2:8-9 (ESV) says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” In that scripture, we see that the greatest gift we could ever receive is salvation, or eternal life with God forever. John 3:16 (ESV) is a verse in the Bible many people know and one we should never grow numb to. It says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son (to die on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins– my add-in), that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Salvation is believing that God gave us His son, Jesus, as the sacrificial payment for our sins. Then through confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believing in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved (Romans 10:9).
Believing in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross is all we have to believe in order to receive the greatest gift of all: salvation. But, coming after Ephesians 2:8-9 is Ephesians 2:10 (ESV), which says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
Responding to the Gift
Receiving the incredible gift of salvation is just the beginning of a life walking with Jesus. As we have read, it is by grace we have been saved, and grace is receiving anything good that we do not deserve. God lavished His grace on us by giving us Jesus. Once we receive the free gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit enters our hearts, which leads us to desire to do “good works” out of gratefulness for that gift. We do not need to do anything to keep our salvation, for it is a gift that God will never take away (John 10:28). However, we are called to turn from our old, sinful ways and walk forward in our new self in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 4:22-24). It’s not always an easy road, but it is one that is deeply worth it.
When my best friend blessed me with that incredibly generous gift, she didn’t expect to receive anything in return from me. It was a free gift from her to me. That is how God views the gift of salvation. It is a grace-filled and free gift from Him to anyone who believes in His son, Jesus.
Believing in Jesus is the greatest thing I’ve ever decided to do. Receiving the free gift of salvation is the most amazing and generous gift I’ve ever received. It is way more precious to me than the tiles my friend gifted me. I pray you believe in His Son, Jesus, and receive the free gift of salvation, walking forward toward eternity with the greatest gift-giver forever.
