12 11 07 The Gift That Keeps on Giving


“But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you. And in the same way you also should be glad and rejoice together with me.
(Philippians 2:17-18)

God had a plan to redeem mankind since the first sin. In Genesis, even as the Lord covered the sin of Adam and Eve, He revealed His plan for our salvation. Genesis 3:15 is the first mention of the promise of a Redeemer to one day crush the power of Satan and sin. Jesus is THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING; but only as we share that gift with others.

Paul gave his life as a sacrifice to those he served. He suffered through much in the way of physical pain, imprisonment, illness, and threats for the sake of those who would hear the Gospel and believe in the Savior. He had a passion for people and for their understanding of the Gospel. He was continually pouring himself out, day-by-day, giving all he could for the sake of Christ. He would gladly offer himself up in place of another, if it meant their eternal life. If only we be so bold, so dedicated to the cause of Christ! Paul would also call for us to be “living sacrifices” the living and breathing Gospel for the world to see.

Jesus is THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING, but do we do our part to continually share that gift? What does the person who has it all really need? He or she needs Christ more than any thing! People need relationships more than gold and silver. Even we who know the Lord need one another for encouragement, for accountability, and for strength to continue on day-by-day. As we share Christ in our daily routine of life, even in the special sacrifices we make for one another, we continue to give THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING.

What gifts are we giving to one another? What gifts are we giving Christ? Let’s rejoice with one another and with our Savior as we commit to allow Him to pour Himself into us and then pour that Spirit out to others. What better gift to give at CHRISTmas time?