When you RECEIVE a GIFT, what’s next? I mean, what are you going to do?
ILLUST: I remember the chorus of the song, “The Gift” by Collin Ray:
“All I WANT is to HOLD YOU FOREVER
All I NEED is you MORE EVERYDAY
You SAVED my HEART from being BROKEN APART
You GAVE your LOVE away and
I'm THANKFUL EVERYDAY, for the GIFT!”
I love to sing this song when I was drunk, especially when the season of Christmas is approaching. Now, I realized the REAL POINT of the song. I don’t know if the singer understood the real message of his piece. But for us, this chorus surely talks about the LOVE of God for you and me. It’s a love song, but it really pictures the LOVE of God and how we should be THANKFUL of His INDESCRIBABLE GIFT!
What more if we RECEIVE the GREATEST GIFT of ALL? It is a GIFT that the world can never provide! But before you RECEIVE this GIFT, are you WILLING to PAY the PRICE? It’s up to you! The PRICE is FREE! Absolutely, no hidden strings attached! Yes! It is PAID in FULL! Jesus PAID the PRICE!
Now, how can we RECEIVE it? Simple just BELIEVE! Yes BELIEVE the GOOD NEWS of Christ!
Listen to the GOOD NEWS so that you will BELIEVE! And you will RECEIVE the FREE GIFT of God for!
Here are the 4 top reasons why we G-I-V-E the “thanks” to God alone!
G – God GAVE HIMSELF for us!
I – “I SHOWED Myself,” declares the Lord!
V – Verified GOOD NEWS w/ Various miracles!
E – Encouraging WORD of God!
SCRIPTURE: Titus 2:11-14,
“For the GRACE of God that bringeth SALVATION hath APPEARED to ALL MEN, 12 Teaching us that, DENYING ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, RIGHTEOUS, and GODLY in this PRESENT WORLD; 13Looking for that BLESSED HOPE, and the GLORIOUS APPEARING of the GREAT God and our Savior Jesus Christ; 14Who GAVE HIMSELF for us, that he might REDEEM us from all iniquity, and PURIFY unto Himself a peculiar people, ZEALOUS of GOOD WORKS.”
I. God GAVE His ONE and ONLY SON! (vs. 14a)
John 3:16, “For God so LOVE the WORLD, that he GAVE His ONLY begotten Son, that whosoever BELIEVEth in him should NOT PERISH , but have Everlasting life.”
WORLD = MANKIND/ALL HUMANITY/HUMAN RACE……. “All men!”
Romans 5:12, “As by ONE MAN SIN ENTERED into the WORLD, and death by sin; and so death PASSED UPON ALL MEN, for that ALL HAVE SINNED.”
Imagine, “FAULT of ONE, FAULT of ALL!”
ILLUST: Imagine your company, SOMEONE (only ONE) made a MISTAKE, millions of money was lost! Then here comes the OWNER, saying, “Let us deduct from your monthly wage what was lost. No more Christmas BOMUS, ALL of you!” What will be the feeling of those who were innocent? Or in your classroom. Someone’s late (only ONE)! Your teacher has a bad day. Then the teacher says, “Ok, lets have a long quiz!” What if you belong to that class and you were so early. What would be your feeling?
Back to the Scripture, in vs. 11, “GRACE of God that bringeth SALVATION hath APPEARED to ALL MEN”
Romans 5:18, “Therefore as by the offence of ONE JUDGEMENT came upon ALL MEN to CONDEMNATION; even so by the RIGHTEOUSNESS of ONE the FREE GIFT came upon ALL MEN unto JUSTIFICATION of life.”
“All men!”
****Adam’s SIN brought CONDEMNATION unto ALL MEN!
The CONDEMNATION: War, Pain, Sorrow, Weeping, Gnashing of Teeth, Hatred, Disease, defeat, depression, Bondage, Slavery, Poverty, Fear, Worry, Doubt, LIFE WITHOUT a PURPOSE, etc…
****This are the consequences of Sin!
Romans 5:15, “But not as the offence, so also is the FREE GIFT. For if through the offence of one many be dead , MUCH MORE the GRACE of God, and the GIFT by GRACE, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath ABOUNDED UNTO MANY.”
“All men!”
In Christ, No ONE is EXCUSED! “Amen!”
****GRACE of God in Christ, ABOUNDED unto many!
What is the GIFT by GRACE?
Forgiveness of sins, peace, prosperity, joy, abundance, healing, BLESSINGS, etc…
Romans 5:17, “For if by ONE MAN's offence death reigned by ONE; MUCH MORE they which RECEIVE ABUNDANCE of GRACE and of the GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS shall REIGN in LIFE by ONE, Jesus Christ.”
“All men!”
“Amen!”
MUCH MORE! “GIFT of RIGHTEOUSNESS shall REIGN in LIFE!” Amen!
It is a GIFT. Given FREE for those who BELIEVE! It is ONLY by FAITH that makes us RIGHTEOUS!
ILLUST. – My TESTIMONY:
I grew up in a Christian Family. But in 2003, I entered the CHAOTIC world of COLLEGE, FULL of TEMPTATIONS. I spent 6 years without finishing my Engineering. It was 6 years having NO PEACE in my MIND and my SOUL! Always DRUNK! DROP OUT! Always worried about where to get money for my tuition fee. Because I spent the money that parents provided for my tuition fee. I wanted to QUIT alcohol and cigarette but I can’t. I was a SLAVE of the devil. I was in PRISON and under the DOMINION of darkness. My y life was DARK, CHAOTIC, USELESS, HOPELESS, WASTED, BUSTED and DISGUSTED. Without CHRIST, RULING in my LIFE, I was a “DEAD-FOOL”, I was in HELL! But now that I have ETERNAL LIFE, I will no longer REGRET from my PAST FAILURE (WASTED money, time and effort), no more FEAR for TODAY and no more WORRY about TOMORROW.
I needed a place to REST my SOUL! I needed DELIVERANCE from my BONDAGE. I needed someone to SAVE me from the hands of the devil. Indeed! I was SAVED! My CHAINS are GONE and was SET FREE!
“So if the Son sets you FREE, you will be FREE indeed.” (John 8:36)
—- FREE from BONDAGE (Old Sinful deeds)!
—- FREE to LOVE others, even our ENEMIES!
—- FREE from doubt, worry and fear for TODAY and TOMORROW!
—- FREE to WORSHIP and SERVE the Lord Jesus CHRIST!
—- FREE to declare that JESUS CHRIST is Lord!
—-FREE to TESTIFY about the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ!
Romans 1:16, “I am NOT ASHAMED of the GOSPEL of Christ: for it is the POWER of God unto SALVATION to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
“The POWER of God!” What SALVATION? For the Jew FISRT!
----FREEDOM from SLAVERY, BONDAGE, CAPTIVITY
---DELIVERANCE from DARKNESS, Healing, PEACE, PROSPERITY, etc…
ILLUST. – My TESTIMONY:
I remember my DARK and CHAOTIC life. One time, I and my friends stayed in a bar for almost one week, until we spent all our money! We continued to order drinks, but the owner noticed that we had no more money! So he told us to go home. But before we go home, we need to pay our bill. We had no money! The owner saw my cowboy boots, and it was good. He wanted me to leave my boots as our payment. I loved that boots! The problem was, my friends left me and went home! Then they told my dad about what was happened! There he was, he PAID our BILL and we went home! Yes! The owner allowed me to go out! Why? The Credit was PAID in FULL! When we arrived home, my cousin jokingly exclaimed, “WOW! The PRODIGAL SON is HOME AGAIN!” Remember, I grew up in a Christian Family.
Yes we are SET FREE from the POWER of sin! What can SET us FREE?
“NOTHING but the BLOOD of Jesus!” Amen! We are PURCHASED by the PRECIOUS BLOOD of Jesus!
PRAISE GOD! ALL GLORY to Him! Amen!
