12 27 07 He Gave First…..

“For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
(For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though
for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.)
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
(Romans 5:6-8)

So what did we get for CHRISTmas? What did we give? Did we get what we asked for? Did we get what we really needed? Did we get the things we never dreamed we would receive? Or did we get what we deserved? Did we give gifts to please others? Did we give to impress? Did we give to meet a real need? Did we give just to give?

God’s Word says that the wages of our sin is death, yet God granted us eternal life with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:23) His Word also says that we ALL have sinned (and continue to sin I might add!) and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) So if we ALL are sinners; if we still sin; if we are earning death through our sin; we (ALL) face a dilemma! But God…….

GOD so loved the world (ALL of US) that He gave His only Son as a sacrifice for our SIN (John 3:16), that none of us should perish (eternal death and separation from God). So here is the situation:

A sinner is an enemy of the holy and righteous God. That’s ALL of US! However, Christ died for our sin that we could be made holy and perfect in the sight of God the Father. We have the opportunity to be God’s friend! Christ was the perfect blood sacrifice for ALL our sin. The real decision is will we receive the gift…will we accept the gift…will we do what is required of us…EACH of us on an individual basis? God’s gift is not without cost, though it is free to us! It costs Jesus pain, suffering, and temporary separation from God the Father. Yet He bore it all and overcame the grave for our salvation. Will EACH of us believe in the Son of God as our Lord and Savior and repent of our sin? It’s a personal decision and a personal relationship. Only you and God…me and God know for sure! The evidence is in how we live. If ANYONE believes in His heart that Christ is the perfect (sinless), incarnate (in the flesh) Son of God, that He died on the cross for their sin, and rose from the grave and makes that confession with his words (true repentance), than he is saved from the wages of sin (eternal death and separation from God). ALL will experience a physical death, but the unbeliever will die a spiritual death as well (eternal separation from God). It’s a decision we ALL must make for ourselves…before we die physically!

Who would die for an enemy? Who do we know that would even die for a friend or family member in this world? Many say it, but who would really do it? I have heard of many who would kill for anything, but to die?

So how many of us already have what we really need this CHRISTmas? If not, we get what we deserve…the wages of sin! Those of us who believe have already received way beyond what we could ever imagine…an eternal relationship with the God of Creation through Jesus Christ! Don’t others deserve a chance to know Him too? Our gift to others is to now share the gift Christ offered to us; a relationship with Him. It’s what we give and why we give; because HE GAVE FIRST!