The Gift that keeps on giving

Dr. Terry Cheek

With Christmas fast approaching, this year retailers seem to be starting their advertising much earlier than usual. Of course, I have been saying that for previous years also. Honestly advertising seems to start earlier every year. Recently I have seen many advertisements claiming to have the gift that keeps on giving. All of these have been very expensive gifts usually high-end automobiles, luxury vacations, diamonds, gold, even insurance and investments. As I said each of these had one thing in common, they were very expensive.

If we really look at each of these expensive gifts, and really any materialistic gift, we see they are far from being the gift that keeps on giving. Every one of them will break, wear out, can be lost or stolen and they will all loose value given time and conditions.

Commercialism has made its mark on Christmas and sadly it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. The Christian doesn’t have to allow commercialism to dictate our Christmas! And, we know, there is a gift that keeps on giving. Let’s investigate Gods word and have Christmas refreshed and simplified before we become overwhelmed with materialism.

Even though we know, we should take time to remember that Christmas is the story of the incarnate birth of Christ. Not just any birth but Christ, the messiah, coming to dwell among men. Let’s allow our minds and hearts the time to absorb that thought. God came to earth in the flesh of man and willingly walked among us. God talked with us, healed us, met our physical needs and even cleared up centuries of religious corruption regarding his teaching’s. Those are some of the fringe benefits of his coming, but they were not his primary purpose. Luke chapter two tells of his birth. In Matthew 5:17 Jesus gives us a glimpse into his purpose for coming. From the KJV we read “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” From our Bible we learn that Jesus came to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. We were and still are unable to fulfill or meet Gods law. I realize most people reading this are shaking their head in agreement, at least I hope you are. The Bible fulfills many applications in our life. I believe the most important one is the application pointing us to Jesus for salvation. Again from Jesus own words found in John’s gospel 12:47 KJV “And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” Some today will say, Jesus didn’t come to judge, it’s his own words. True they are. Jesus didn’t have to come to judge because we have already been judged and found guilty. Without a proper relationship with God we have no hope. Without Jesus there is no hope! Jesus came to save the whole world, what an amazing thought that is. In case you’re wondering how all of this will fit into my title, “a gift that keeps giving.” Read this piece of scripture. Romans 6:23 KJV “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The payday we are promised through a life of unforgiven sin is death. But the gift of God, free pardon and forgiveness of sin, is eternal life! God’s gift is Jesus Christ and God’s gift when accepted and applied is a gift that keeps on giving for an eternity.

If you’re not certain that Jesus is your Lord and Savior, I beg you do not put it off any longer. Call upon him this Christmas and ask him to come into your heart, forgive your sin and accept the free gift of eternal life. There is a gift that keeps on giving but we cannot buy it, all we have to do is accept it. Romans 10:9-10 sums it up nicely “KJV That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Merry Christmas everyone and remember Jesus is the reason for the season.

Until we meet again, either in print or in person, may God richly bless you is my prayer.

You can contact Terry by email at theinspiringword@gmail.com