No Greater Love, No Greater Gift
Every Christmas we hear about extraordinary or unusual gifts that are far too expensive for the average person to even dream of. However, we all have the opportunity this Christmas to receive something of much greater value than any material thing the world can offer. It is the gift that God wants each of us to have. The Bible says, “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).
There’s no greater love than God’s love for us. There’s no greater gift than God’s gift of his Son.
No Greater Love
There is no greater love than God’s love because there is no greater source. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. Also, there is no greater love than God’s love because it is so comprehensive. Our love is selective, but God so loved the world that he gave his only Son…all people are the objects of his love.
There is no greater love than God’s because of its sacrificial nature. God gave his only Son, Jesus Christ, and Jesus voluntarily came to earth knowing it would cost him his life! A substitute was needed because all men are sinners and continually fall short of God’s standard of right and wrong, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Jesus’ death was necessary because the righteous judgment for our sins is death—“the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
Man’s death sentence ultimately involves eternal separation from God in a place called the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:15). But Christ died to pay the necessary price for man’s sin. God showed his love for us “in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). There is no greater love than God’s sacrificial love.
No Greater Gift
There is no greater gift than the one God gave. It was the greatest gift ever given because it was one-of-a-kind that can’t be duplicated. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son. Jesus Christ is unique. When he became a human, Jesus didn’t cease to be God, but became a man, as well. He was miraculously born of a human mother without a human father so he could be completely a man, but also completely divine. He is the one and only God-man, uniquely qualified to be mankind’s substitute in death. Being God he was sinless and not under condemnation for any sin of his own. Being a man he could legitimately die in the place of mankind.
The second reason there is no greater gift is because it’s completely free to those who receive it. It only has to be accepted through faith or belief. God gave his Son that whoever believes in him should not perish. No amount of good deeds will ever be enough. Only through faith in Christ and what he has done for us can the gift be received, “for by grace are you saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Finally, there is no greater gift because of its unending benefits. The gift of God spares sinners from eternal punishment and secures eternal life for all who believe. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned….whoever believes in the Son has eternal life” (John 3:18,36). It is truly the gift that keeps on giving…its benefits never cease. Jesus Christ rose from the dead once our sin debt was paid. Then he went back to heaven to “prepare a place” for us (John 14:2-3). The joy that awaits us there will never end.
Have you accepted God’s love gift of his Son? If you would like to receive his gift by faith, you may do so right now. It is a personal decision that must come from your heart. Don’t ignore the one-of-a-kind gift that God has ready to give you. Receive him today! Here is a prayer that may help you verbalize your heartfelt decision...
Dear Jesus, I have sinned against you and do not deserve your love, but I know that you love me and died for me that I may have eternal life. On the basis of what you have done for me, I accept you personally into my life to be my Savior, and to help me live in a way that pleases you.