Three Christmas Gifts

A. INTRODUCTION

1. The wise men brought three gifts, one from each representative.

“They . . . fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt. 2:11).

2. The three greatest gifts are not possession, money, or position, but;

a. Faith in God.

b. Hope in the future.

c. Love for others.

3. The greatest gifts are not to make life enjoyable or easy, but a reason to live and serve God.

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three;

but the greatest of these is love” (I Cor. 13:13).

4. “While many gifts are for this present world, only faith, hope and love are eternal and will endure into the next world” (ISBE, page 1420).

B. THE GIFT OF FAITH

1. Everyone has natural faith.

a. When we see a chair, we have faith it will hold us.

b. When we use a credit card, we have faith it will get things for us.

c. When we turn on a switch, we have faith electricity will give us light or warmth.

2. Christ came to give supernatural faith. “Unto you this day is born . . . a Savior” (Luke 2:11).

a. His salvation will hold us.

b. His salvation will get eternal things for us.

c. His salvation will give us spiritual light and warmth.

3. Faith is simply receiving what Jesus gives. “His own did not receive him, but as many as received Him . . . become children of God” (John 1:11-12). The inn keeper did not receive Him, but who did?

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4. Supernatural faith is His indwelling presence in us. “Christ lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Gal. 2:20, KJV).

C. THE GIFT OF HOPE

1. Hope is not based on an internal desire or attitude toward the future. Hope is based on the external fact that God became flesh, provided

salvation and will accomplish His promise to us.

2. Hope described:

a. Source. “My hope is in thee” (Ps. 39:7).

b. Confidence. “Hope . . . is an anchor of the soul” (Heb. 6:19).

c. Superior. “Better hope” (Heb. 7:19).

d. Regenerating. “Living hope” (I Peter. 1:3).

e. Expectation. “Blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).

3. Christianity is of all things a religion of hope, centered in God, from whom all deliverance and blessings are confidently expected” (ISBE, page 1419).

D. THE GIFT OF LOVE

1. The source of all love is God. “God is love” (I John 4:8).

2. We get our love from God. “The love of God has been poured in our hearts” (Rom. 5:5).

3. God’s greatest demonstration of love is the cross. “God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).

a. Before we repented.

b. When there was no good in us.

4. “The gods of the heathen are angry, hateful and constantly need appeasing” (Evans, page 46). The gods of the heathen give us no hope.

5. “Love is the perfection of divine nature by which He is eternally moved to communicate Himself” (Thiessen, page 130).

6. Love is giving. It is possible to give without loving, but it is impossible to love without giving. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John 15:13). “We

know love, because He laid down His life for us” (I John 3:16).

“This is love . . . He loved us and sent His Son” (I John 4:10).

7. Love can grow. “That your love may abound” (Phil. 1:9).

8. God’s love is permanent. “Nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God” (Rom. 8:39).

E. CONCLUSION

We must develop all these. “Your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope” (I Thess. 1:3).

What are you doing to build faith? _______________________

How are you loving people more? _______________________

What is your hope doing for you? _______________________

If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:

Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.