Is a Gift Really a Gift If It’s Not Received?

We all like gifts, don’t we? Whether given in appreciation for something we’ve done, an expression of someone’s care for us, or a spontaneous gesture, gifts are fun.

 

Of course, some gifts are great but others, not so much. Years ago, one of my aunts had a habit of giving really unusual gifts. One time it was three pairs of thin, stretchy socks – red, yellow and white; another time it was a glass gravy boat with a lid shaped like a turkey. They say it’s the thought that counts – I couldn’t help wondering at times what she was thinking.

On the other hand, a few months ago, a good friend gave me a gift that was totally unexpected. Like me, Herb has enjoyed playing drums since his teen years, but decided it was time to part with his set of drums. Knowing I had resumed taking drum lessons for fun, Herb gifted me with his drum kit, complete with accessories.

 

The electronic drum kit I’d been using was enjoyable, but it wasn’t as serviceable as the real thing. So, I was very gratified by my friend’s generous gift. However, what if I had chosen not to accept the drums? They wouldn’t have been a gift, just a friend’s good intentions that weren’t accepted.

 

There’s a spiritual parallel to this. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is one of the most amazing and encouraging passages in the Scriptures. Because we all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, as Romans 3:23 asserts, we deserve condemnation and eternal separation from God. However, in His grace and mercy, the Lord offers us eternal life as a totally unmerited gift.

 

This is where the importance of receiving the gift comes in. John 1:12-13 declares, “Yet to all who have received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” The right to become children of God (complete with the gift of eternal life) is available “to all who have received Him…who have believed in His name.”

 

Oh, but God is love, right? Doesn’t He accept everybody, regardless of what they’ve done or what they’ve believed? According to the Scriptures, that’s a definite “nope.” His gift of forgiveness, salvation and eternal life is offered freely, but must be received.

 

According to the Scriptures, it’s not a matter of good things we have done. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).

 

Those are hard words to read. They certainly were difficult for people who heard Jesus say them in person. But it comes down to sincere faith, believing who Jesus was – and is – and receiving Him as Savior and Lord. As Paul the apostle wrote, “And we thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

When we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, in addition to redemption and life everlasting, there are many other things we receive. But that’s a subject for another time. What’s most important is having assurance that we have indeed received His free gift. In appreciation for what the Lord has done, we also should tell others about the gift that’s available to them as well. As Jesus told His disciples, “Freely you have received; freely give” (Matthew 10:8). 

Looking to See Who’s Been Naughty and Who’s Been Nice?

This is the time of year when we’ll be hearing, probably dozens of times, “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” I’ve always worried about its ominous admonition: “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why – Santa Claus is coming to town. He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness sake.”

As children, at one time or another we probably all sat on Santa’s lap and heard him ask, “Have you been a good boy (or girl) this year?” Funny: If we really believed the message of this familiar Christmas song, we should have responded, “Who are you trying to kid? You already know that, Santa!”

 

Entering adulthood, the grim specter of Santa spying on our activities and evaluating our respective niceness and naughtiness ceases to be a threat. But we still seem to cling to the naughty or nice notion, that we’re good people just as long as the things we do right somehow outnumber or outweigh the stuff we do wrong. 

 

That was my belief for my first 30 years. If you had asked me back then, I would have told you with great confidence that all things considered, I was a pretty good guy, convinced I was spending more time being nice than not. Then I encountered some unsettling Bible passages. They informed me that God and Santa don’t see eye to eye. No matter how much we do, no matter how nice we try to be, that’s not good enough in the Lord’s sight.

 

For instance, Romans 3:23 declares, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Kind of like trying to leap the Empire State Building. No matter how hard you try, even with lots of practice, you’ll never come close. Another verse in the same chapter uses even stronger words: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12).

 

Whoa! That’s a revelation! But it’s not just a New Testament idea. In the Old Testament we’re told, “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Compared to God’s holy, all-righteous requirements, Santa’s nice/naughty guidelines are a piece of cake – or milk and cookies, if you prefer.

 

However, the gospel literally means “good news.” So if it’s true that absolutely no one is righteous – good enough – in God’s sight, where’s the good news? I’m glad you asked.

 

In a season when gift giving is on our minds, Romans 6:23 offers fitting assurance: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The gospel of John confirms this declaration: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

 

That’s encouraging. However, if even our very best efforts aren’t good enough, why is God willing to offer this gift to each of us? It goes back to the reason we celebrate Christmas. The familiar verse, John 3:16, tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” 

 

This speaks of a limitless, unconditional love we can scarcely comprehend. But the Scriptures are clear: If it weren’t for the sacrificial, atoning death of Jesus Christ on the cross – and His resurrection – there would be no reason to celebrate His birth.

 

Romans 5:8 expands on this: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” And yet another passage underscores the gift aspect: “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

 

There’s no escaping this truth. Titus 3:4-6 also affirms we can have a genuine, eternal relationship with God only through His gracious gift. ”But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

 

This goes far beyond the story about a young couple in an obscure village 2,000 years ago given the incredible responsibility of serving as earthly parents for the Son of God. Trusting in the whole counsel of God’s Word, we discover why we care about Christmas at all. 

 

While youngsters around the world fret about whether Santa Claus will find them nice or naughty, that’s not God’s concern. Humanly speaking, we can never be good enough. But according to the Bible, to use today’s language, “not to worry!” 

 

He’s already done everything necessary to make us right with Him – if only we’re willing to receive His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. We’ll never receive a greater gift than that!

Why Hold Back When We Know the Cure?

Suppose you’re a medical researcher diagnosed with a dread, terminal disease. You determine to apply all of your skill, expertise and intelligence in search of a cure. And one day, much to your delight – and surprise – you find it. You conduct necessary tests to confirm your findings – no question about it. There’s a cure for you, and for anyone else who wants it.

There’s only one problem: You wonder, “Who am I to impose this cure on someone else?” With so many physicians and medical centers providing other treatment methods, you think it might be “intolerant” to let anyone else know about your good news.

Ridiculous, right? Rather than intolerant, you’d be regarded as selfish at best, cruel and murderous at worst, for withholding such wonderful, life-giving information. 

And yet, this is exactly what happens every day in our communities, across the country and around the world, in a spiritual sense. The disease is called “sin,” which describes not only bad behavior and wrong thinking, but also separation from God. In the Scriptures we find the “cure,” which is Jesus Christ. People need to hear and have the opportunity to respond. However, as Romans 10:14 says, “How then can they call on the One in whom they have not believed? And how can their believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?”

This is why Jesus, in His Great Commission before ascending into heaven, instructed all of His followers, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). This command was not solely for the “green berets” of Christianity, the “special forces” who are seminary-trained, but to everyone who professes the name of Jesus Christ.

Sadly, studies indicate only about 10 percent of all professed followers of Jesus actively share their faith with others. That means 90 percent of the men, women and young people assembling for worship each week never get into the action. They may know, as Romans 3:23 states, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). For some reason, however, they feel disinclined to share with others about the Good News, summarized in the last part of that verse: “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

There are many reasons – or excuses – for not talking with others about Jesus. We might fear rejection, that people would label us “fanatics” or “Jesus freaks.” There’s fear of failure, that we’ll mess up somehow in presenting the gospel message. We might think we’re not adequately prepared or trained for the task, that we don’t know the Bible well enough, or need to attend more evangelism workshops or conferences. There are other justifications as well, but when put to the test, all lack validity.

Consider, for example, the blind man that had his sight restored by Jesus. When interrogated by the Pharisees, he didn’t respond with a detailed theological treatise. He just replied, “One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see” (John 9:25).

Then there was the Samaritan woman at the well, who was shocked to have a Jewish man – Jesus – approach her, especially given her sketchy background. After He described Himself as the “living water,” and compassionately recounted her painful past, the woman ran to tell the townspeople. The passage then states, “Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I ever did’” (John 4:39). 

This woman had never attended Sunday school, or received specialized evangelistic training. Like the blind man, all she knew was this was someone unlike anyone she had ever encountered and she was eager to tell everyone else about Him.

  

If only each of us was as eager to tell others about the Lord Jesus Christ. We tend to think that’s the job of trained professionals, like pastors and missionaries. We support their efforts with money in the offering plate or checks in the mail. We applaud or shout a hearty “Amen!” when we hear about people who have given their hearts to Christ. But how often do we consider, “Could it be that God has brought this person into my life for a reason – to share about Jesus?”

Every one of us is afflicted with a disease called sin, and if not cured, it is terminal for all eternity. We can’t cure ourselves, much less anyone else. But we know the One who can. What we can do is tell them that the cure is available – and theirs for the asking.

Maybe we should pray a simple prayer, “God, I’m willing to talk with someone about You. I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge, but I know that You are. I also know the Scriptures promise that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Make me sensitive to someone who needs to hear about you today.” I have every confidence that is one prayer the Lord will not fail to answer.

The Real. Meaning. of Christmas.

As a society, we seem to be puzzled over so many things. For instance, in basketball, who was better: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or Lebron James? In football, is Tom Brady really a better quarterback than Peyton Manning or Aaron Rodgers? Is it really about global warming, climate change, or is Joe the meteorologist just a bad forecaster? 

We have the imponderables, such as who’s right, the Democrats or the Republicans? Is it really all about you – or is it all about me? Is a zebra white with black stripes, or black with white stripes? Then there’s one of the all-time classics: less filling – or tastes great?

But one topic of discussion seems to transcend them all, particularly at this time of year, is: What’s the real meaning of Christmas? If you’ve watched any of the TV specials this year – or any year – we hear this question raised again and again. And the range of answers is astounding. 

According to celebrity hosts and pontificators aplenty, Christmas is all about (take your choice): 1) getting together with friends and family; 2) love for our fellow man/woman/person; 3) sharing; 4) peace and joy and good will; 5) Santa Claus; 6) giving; 7) good food and feeling all warm and fuzzy all over. You can probably add to this list, but we have no shortage of perspectives on what Christmas means.

It’s fun spending festive, relaxing time with loved ones. Who among us is opposed to peace, joy and good will? This time of year would seem strange without jolly old Saint Nick. And when it’s cold outside, warm and fuzzy inside feels good. But isn’t it time we get this whole business cleared up? If we go straight to the source, it’s evident the real meaning of Christmas is none of the above.

Turning to where the original Christmas story is found, in the Bible, we see its meaning summed up in four words: “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14). Think about it: If Jesus hadn’t been born, we’d not be singing about wise men at this time of year. Angels would have had no reason for serenading a group of shepherds quietly watching over their sheep. Hardly anyone would have ever heard of a little town named Bethlehem. The little drummer boy would have had to play for someone else.

But it goes far beyond that. If God hadn’t chosen to come to earth in human form, we wouldn’t be dividing human history by B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini). The cross might have been cited in some obscure historic writings about ancient Roman practices, but it certainly wouldn’t have become a revered religious symbol. Most of all, we’d still be thinking about God as distant and unknowable, rather than the God who came near and desired to know us – and be known.

Perhaps Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey said it best in their book, In His Image. Regarding Jesus – “the Word” who became flesh – they state He “became the visible, finite expression of the invisible, infinite, inexpressible God.” 

But why did Jesus come? This question is best answered in His own words. For instance, the Lord stated, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). In the very next verse, the One who was proclaimed to the shepherds Himself proclaimed, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep…. I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father” (John 10:15).

For all of us who desire to know God, but have struggled to discover how that can be possible, Jesus asserted, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The One who taught us to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39), and to “do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12), came to earth not only to teach, and serve as an example, but also to do for us what we couldn’t possibly do for ourselves. 

We were, in the words of Ephesians 2:1, “dead in [our] trespasses and sins.” How can dead people save themselves? For that reason, Jesus gave His life to atone for our sins. As Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

As a result, while we envision baby Jesus receiving gifts such as gold, frankincense and myrrh from the Magi, we should also consider how from birth, He was preparing to give the greatest gift of all: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

So in a few days, as we revel in the byproducts of this season – fun, frivolity, and festivities – we would do well to consider what the Scriptures themselves tell us about the “real meaning of Christmas.” I hope you enjoy a truly merry Christmas – celebrating the Christ who started it all!