The Father Loves to Give Gifts!
Giving gifts is the primary focus of Christmas for many people. It’s a family time and there are many other traditions we’ve added to our Christmas celebration. But gift giving is the one tradition that everyone shares. There are various explanations for why this is so. One goes all the way back to the biblical record of the wise men who gave gifts to Jesus Matthew 2:11.
Yet even the wise men’s gifts are just one aspect of giving in the Christmas story. There is another, much more significant gift. The most well known verse in the Bible tells us,
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Jesus, Himself is a gift from God the Father. The verse says it all. The Father loves us, everyone in the world, and wants us all to live with Him forever. He gave His Son Jesus to make that possible.
What’s more, the Father has given us even more than Jesus. Let’s look at five other gifts He has given us.
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5 Gifts the Father has Given Us
- Grace, the favor of God 1 Corinthians 1:4. The grace of God is an umbrella that covers all His children. It’s like being the teacher’s pet and getting the best treatment. The teacher is the Father. We’re His favorite and He treats us like it.
- Salvation, the gift of eternal life Romans 6:23. Jesus told a desperate woman that she needed the gift of God to fill the hole in her heart she had tried to fill with five failed marriages. She accepted the gift and it changed her life! John 4:10, 39-42
- The Holy Spirit Acts 2:38. Before Jesus died He told his followers He wouldn’t leave them alone. He would send them the Spirit of God as a Helper John 16:7, 13 and He did. The Spirit gives joy Galatians 5:22-23, leads Galatians 5:18, guides John 16:13 and teaches 1 John 2:27 God’s children. Like Jesus, the Spirit is a gift from the Father for our benefit.
- The gifts of the Spirit 1 Corinthians 12. One of the mysteries of the Christian life is that we have been given spiritual enablements to accomplish things with supernatural effectiveness. Each of us has at least one gift to use for the good of the Church 1 Peter 4:10.
- Every good thing that happens in your life James 1:17. Our heavenly Father is a good Dad who loves to give great gifts to His kids Matthew 7:11.
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As we draw near to Christmas, let us continually give thanks for the gift of Jesus who has brought us salvation. Let’s give thanks to our Father that He is so generous in so many ways.
[Tweet “Today, do what God did for you. Do something good for someone who can’t pay you back.”]
I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment or question below.
And Merry Christmas!
