God's Internal Gifts Series

Turn your Bibles to Luke 2:10-11, 14

Title: God’s Internal Gifts

Theme: Benefits of Receiving God’s Gift, Christ

Series: Grasping the Truths of Christmas

Introduction: Have you ever received a gift inside a gift? I once read of a lady who received a pair of gloves for Christmas. The fingers of the gloves were stuffed with $20.00 bills. One man received a Russian doll that is Yeltsin on the outside, open that and on the inside is Bersniv, open that and on the inside is Stalin, open that and on the inside is a little tiny Lenin. (Rick Warren, Christmas Message)

Proposition: I would propose to that when Christians receive the Gift of God, Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, there are gifts that are put on the inside of them that manifest themselves in a way that is beneficial to spiritual health and to the building of the kingdom of God.

Listen as I read Luke 2:10-11, 14, “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” (Luke 2:10-11, 14)

Interrogative Sentence: Just what are gifts that are the results of having the Gift, Jesus Christ indwelling Christians and what benefit is that to the Body of Christ?

Transitional Sentence: Receiving Jesus is the greatest Gift anyone can receive, for the receiver of God’s Gift there is an abundant life promised. “Yet to all who 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.” (John 1:12-13)

The description of a Christian is a person who believes in Jesus and has received Christ into his life and heart. This repentant sinner has received Christ as being a gift from God. He must receive the Word of God as final authority, receive God’s offer of kindness and begin to take on the Lord’s image and His impressions of love as the governing principle of his affections and actions. (Matthew Henry) This repentant sinner believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ and is open to allowing the Holy Spirit to enable him to live out the Word of God. (The Pulpit Commentary)

To the born again Christian, Jesus says, “…I have come that [you] might have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) The New American Standard Bible says, “…I came that [you] might have life, and might have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 NAS)

This passage of Scripture holds a key truth that the Holy Spirit wants you to grasp today. You can have life in Christ that is beyond existing. Jesus gives meaning to life to those whom He indwells because He gives full satisfaction and perfect guidance. I have always appreciated what Elder Don Malcolm has said often, “Because of Jesus, I have found a reason for living.”

“Life,” (zoe) meaning a blessed life, life that satisfies, being indwelt by God but not necessarily favored by circumstances. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary) Jesus had on many occasions faced difficult circumstances and so have many of His most faithful servants, the apostle Paul, just to name one. This word for “life” is an active verb affecting every part of the child of God’s eternal existence. Jesus’ life offered freely is:

One: His life is energy, the force and the power of being. Your Christian life has a powerful influence on someone. Jesus has worked so powerfully through certain Christians that many ministries receive prayer and financial support from people they never see face to face on a regular basis, because someone in that ministry has helped, encouraged and fed the soul of someone.

When I was serving on the board of TFC, many times a special love offering would come in from someone who had once been touched by a Teens for Christ staff member some years ago back. They would often write expressing thanks and the love offering sent would often be just the right amount for a specific need. Because Christians receive God’s gift, Jesus Christ, they experience the blessing of sharing the life- giving force of Christ to others in need.

Christians who grasp the truths of Christmas know the truth of their very existence and they say like the apostle Paul, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-16)