The Perfect Gift

In all of our running here and there to find the perfect gifts to fulfill the desires of our loved ones hearts this Christmas, there is but one gift that matters the most in life and in death.

It is the gift of Jesus Christ. His gift gives love to us every moment of every day from the time we accept him as truth in our lives. He is truly the only gift that will ever matter.

Jesus Christ, Jesus the Messiah, came to earth leaving all of his deserved majesty to take the human form of an infant. His love was his motivation, specifically his love for us, compelled him to take action and intervene in our lives. From his vantage point in heaven, he could see that without his intervention our souls would be doomed to hell, an eternity apart from God.

We were doomed because there was no way for us to live a perfect life fulfilling the law which he gave us. He is a righteous, holy God and no darkness or no other way of life is found in him. He is so righteous that there was no way, other than his sovereign intervention, for us to be able to spend eternity with him.

Christ came to earth, born for the specific purpose to die for us. He took our place and paid a bill that wasn’t his to pay. We were in debt to the law which we could not live up to. Why would Christ die in our place? He would do this because of his great love for us, a love in which we cannot comprehend its fullness. He would die for us not because we were such great and wonderful people, but for the sake of his love for us.

Love is a great motivator even for us. We love our children and would move heaven and earth to save them if their lives were in danger. Christ did the same for us, only there was more at stake than just our physical life here on earth, our eternal life was at stake. He could not bear an eternity apart from us, his creation, and his children. He knew we were helpless because he created us.

At the time of his death, after living and walking among us, he was unjustly crucified. The people of that time stretched out his arms on a wooden cross and drove nails though his hands. Then they stretched out his legs and crossed his feet and drove a spike through them. He was nailed to a cross.

He was not guilty of any crime at all; in fact, he had lived a perfect life completely fulfilling the law that we could not. No sin or shame was found in him; he was the perfect lamb, a perfect payment for our sin and God laid the weight of the world’s sin, the sin of all time and all people, upon him.

As his blood was shed, the sins of the entire world…past, present and future were atoned for leaving us who would receive him as our Lord and Savior cleansed of our sin forever. Christ made a way; he is the gate through which we come to the Father (our creator) with confidence. Now, we will live with him forever and we don’t need to be afraid of death.

Why are we here on this earth? Why would God bother if Christ was the sacrifice for all time? We must learn to know him, and in order to know him, we must suffer as Christ did many trials and tribulations to help us learn. The purpose of the life we live here on earth is to learn to lay down our lives for others and follow the example that Jesus Christ gave us. In doing this, we bring him glory.

This sounds crazy, why does she believe this? Where is she getting all of this? I get these beliefs from God’s word, the bible, which he gave to us to help us in our spiritual journey.

The bible is tested and true on every plain. It has been proven in my life’s experiences and many more lives throughout the ages and in the earth through archeology. God’s word never fades away; it has always been and will always be. God’s word is powerful and has intricately shaped and molded my life. God’s word is the moral absolute and without it we do not know that it is wrong to kill, steal, lie, covet, or worship idols.

Without God’s word we do not know how to love our God or others. We do not know the sovereignty and holiness of our God’s name. We know nothing of the sacred things of our God. We do not know that it is right and good to honor our fathers and mothers.

We would never know what can bring us life, health and peace. We would not know that we need a savior. We wouldn’t know about the wonderful sacrifice that Jesus Christ made on our behalf.

For example, a person may not believe in God, but they know that it is wrong to murder. Why do they believe this way? Because God’s word is God’s word and it says don't murder anyone, it rules in the earth whether or not they believe in him or his word. Because God says so!

God’s word cannot be partly true because God is not a half way God! He went all the way to the cross and beyond to fulfill his word!

This is my Christmas gift to you. This gift, Jesus gave to me, when I accepted him as my savior and the gift is eternal life. Not because I am someone special, but because Jesus Christ is someone special and he is calling out to you today, do you hear him? Do you have the courage to listen and make the necessary acceptance of all this truth in your heart and to receive everlasting life from him?

If you have courage and are ready for your life to change, today is your day. Pray with me…Father, I know I am a sinner, I believe that you came to earth; you died to save me from a life apart from you. I believe that you love me and I ask you to come into my heart and rule my life. I need a change and I believe you are the only way to that change. I want to be with you forever.

Thank you Jesus for hearing my request and honoring it with your presence in my life. Fill me now with your Holy Spirit and show me what to do next. Amen.

Now, as an act of faith, tell someone about the decision you’ve just made. I know that the weight of the world has just lifted off of your shoulders and you are filled with an awesome peace you have never known. This is his presence, and it is another reason why all I have said is true. He will never leave you or forsake you and you can count on that.

Merry Christmas, his beloved ones.