“Let us praise God for the FREE GIFT he gave us in his Son… we are set free, our sins are forgiven.” Ephesians 1:4-7 (GN)
…the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)
But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 (NLT)
We’ve spent most of our time this week talking about three of the amazing gifts given to us as Christians by God: happiness, peace, and hope. We are blessed by such an amazing God who so freely gives such wonderful gifts. Yet Pastor Jeff challenged us to remember that a gift, no matter how wonderful, needs to be accepted before it can be realized.
If you receive money for Christmas, until you accept it, you can’t spend it and enjoy the benefits of the gift. If you receive a phone, you have to accept it before you can use it…you can’t send a text on a phone that you haven’t accepted! The same rules apply to God’s wonderful free gift of His Son.
Prayer: God, I accept Jesus into my heart. Please forgive me for all of my sins and I acknowledge that I need your help. Come into my heart and be Lord over my life. Thank you for the wonderful gifts you have given me, both my material and spiritual blessings. In a special way this Christmas, help me to focus on your freely given gifts of happiness, peace, and hope. Thank you for the amazing gift of a right relationship with you through Jesus. Amen.