I had not planned to talk about the Holiday Christmas but in prayer this morning my mind was changed. It is said that “Jesus is the reason for the season” however I say He is the reason for all seasons! During this time of year many attempt to display a spirit of Christmas, I presume this means giving. However, in truth I had never had any measure of goodwill within me until the Spirit of God dwelled within. Until the moment I accepted Jesus as my Savior all my giving was based upon my own discretion's motivated by my selfishness. All my giving was in some manner about me. Yet, now because of the gift of God the only gift I have to give of any value is that which I have freely received, Christ Jesus.
According to the Word of God Jesus is God’s gift to the world. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. God declared in His wisdom to give the world a Savior and a way to be reconciled unto Himself. A very important issue here is that Jesus is Savior and He is the gift God gave to the world, however, until one believes and receives Him this gift it is of no value to them. Although, I had seen the words of the scripture written above on signs in the end zone while watching football games and Jesus loves you signs posted along the freeway, it had no affect on me at all until I believed and received Him.
That time did not come through attending a church, attending a revival or reading something that enlightened me. Jesus came to me in the form of one of His believers at a time when I was lost, desperate and hopeless. The messenger was my brother and he told me that I needed to be saved. He did not tell me about the birth of Jesus (that I knew) but that Jesus died for my sins and wrongdoings, and that He rose from the dead and because Jesus is alive I too could live in Him. In truth, although I didn’t know what that meant, I knew it was true. I now know that God’s Spirit was drawing me. My brother told me that I was in darkness and that God sent Jesus to save me. I believed that God did indeed love me and wanted to help me. He led me in a simple prayer, where I confessed to God that I was indeed sorry for my sins and I needed Him to save me and I confessed Jesus as my Savior and Lord and I believed in my heart what I had been told. Oh, what a glorious day! At that point I repented, which is turn from the direction I was going and turn to God. In that moment He delivered me from the power of darkness and conveyed me into the kingdom of the Son of His love in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. I knew I was forgiven. To this very moment the memory brings tears to my eyes, for from that day to this He has never left me or forsaken me, and I still believe and now know I live because He lives! I walk in newness of life.
His Word says greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive with Christ, by grace you have been saved.
Beloved, we have no other gift of value to give other than that of our testimony of Jesus Christ and the power of His love toward us who believe. I encourage you today, to give what has been freely given to you and I pray that we share the gospel of Jesus Christ boldly in the spirit of meekness with those all around us striving to have a sense of peace on earth and goodwill toward men without the Prince of Peace and the gift of God given as Savior to the world, Jesus Christ.
