The Gift

John 3:18 “Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.” (MSG)

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.” (KJV, emphasis added). In Jesus two things happen to everyone who believes,

 they will not perish but have everlasting life. It, therefore, means that everyone without Him will perish and will not have everlasting life. God did not send Jesus to condemn the world. God sent Jesus to save the world because the world was already condemned. Every one of us was headed in the wrong direction, and the destination was disaster. What Jesus came to do was to redirect us—salvation.

Psalm 16:10-11 “You cancelled my ticket to hell—that’s not my destination! Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.” (MSG). Salvation is a redirection. We were facing hell, some people were going at ten kilometres per hour, but they were still facing hell. Some people were going at fifty, and some of us were going at two hundred kilometres per hour. But guess where we were still facing? Hell. Then Jesus came and set us in the right direction. He redirected us because we believed in Him. He has rescued us so that we will not perish but have everlasting life. 

Everlasting life is a spectrum, we have it here on earth, but we have the fullness in heaven. As we get closer and closer to Jesus, the intensity of everlasting life in our lives increases and increases. How do we receive this salvation? How do we move from facing the direction that leads to destruction to face the direction that leads to life? It is by faith, by believing. John 1:12 “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” (emphasis added). The confidence and the right to become a child of God comes when we turn and believe. You have to accept this gift (the best gift), that God gave because He so loved you. 

Imagine a man who has an eye for good things sees a very beautiful lady. He professes his desire and commitment to the lady and offers her a gift. But the lady turns her back on and refused the gift. He tries several times, but she rejects the gift. Finally, she realizes that the man is not only handsome, but he is also wealthy, intelligent, and anointed. So, she changes her mind, and accepts the gift, the man, and everything he was offering. Now imagine that God wraps His best gift, His Son, and He is giving that gift to you. Will you accept?

Prayer: Father, I thank You for giving me Your best gift. Jesus, I receive You, I accept You, and I believe You. You are my most treasured gift ever, in Jesus Name. Amen!