“By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].” – 1 John 4:9-10 (AMP)
The golden verse of the Bible that shows God as the greatest Giver also reveals Jesus who is the only begotten Son of God as the greatest gift ever given to any man or even to humanity. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This passage, as revealed by Jesus Himself shows that Jesus came into the world as a gift to humanity from God the Father. It is by this gift that humanity has access to the grace of God which brings salvation.
Jesus Christ is the grace of God personified and by this grace, everyone is able to be reconciled to God and have eternal life. But like every other gift, the receiver’s choice of acceptance and appreciation of the value of a gift is not impeded. What this means is that a man has the right to either reject a gift or accept it. No one can be forced to accept any gift no matter how beautiful and valuable the gift is. It is the duty and responsibility of the receiver to understand the value and importance of the gift given.
Salvation came to humanity through Jesus Christ, even though man has no right to earn. What you earn is no longer free but a reward for an activity. Salvation is free because it was not earned by the efforts of the fallen man. The fallen man has no ability to earn the gift of God. This is a huge turning point when considering that man has always wanted to use religion to appease God and reconcile with Him. No one can do that in any way and truly gain access to God. The gift of God, when received, accepted and appreciated, paves way for man to access God.
It is therefore important that at one point or the other, every man acknowledges the Christ who is God’s gift to humanity in order to be saved. The reason God gave the world His only begotten Son is so that the world might be saved from the consequences of sin and have eternal life through Him. Now, the big question is: “Have you consciously accepted this gift from God?” Making this decision will mark a big turning point in your walk with God and your perspective of whole other things in life. It’s a decision you have to make daily and unashamedly, without compromise.
Reflections: Do I truly value and appreciate Christ as the gift of God to humanity? Am I living in ways that show God that I appreciate the gift of His Son that gave me eternal life?
Confession: I declare that I am a child of God, I value the gift of God to humanity and I live with this consciousness of appreciation and value. The world will not be able to replace Him in my heart for I am submitted and yielded to Him forever.
Related Scripture: John 3:1-21
Bible Reading: John 6
