The Christmas Journey Completed--The Gift of Salvation

 A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY COMPLETED: THE GIFT OF SALVATION Spring Valley Mennonite; December 26, 2021; 2 Corinthians 9:15 We have spoken of the journeys of the main characters in the Christmas account: the Maji, Angels, Mary and Joseph, but the greatest journey as well as the most significant was the journey made by our Lord Jesus. From the rich glories of heaven to our sin-darkened planet, from the throne to the manger, from absolute holiness and the presence of the holy angels to the kingdom of Satan-the Son of God came willingly to earth. As Adrian Rogers said, "He came down so we could go up." There are many gifts given and received during the Christmas season, most of these gifts are beautifully wrapped, as is this one I hold in my hand. Yet we all realize that while the wrapping is attractive, it is the gift inside that is important. We are reminded that as fascinating and beautiful as are the events of Jesus' birth, those events are like the beautiful wrapping paper on a gift-it really is the gift itself that is most significant. And unlike the let-down that often happens after all the Christmas presents are opened, God's gift of His Son grows better and better as time passes as we learn to appreciate the amazing gift that God gave. In the C.S. Lewis story of "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" the land of Narnia is gripped in perpetual winter, but it is a winter where Christmas never comes. How dreary a thought! I look forward to Christmas all year long! Yet often in the way we celebrate Christmas, there is a great build-up of excitement that soon passes. God has given a Gift that completely surpasses all gifts. It is a Gift that truly "Keeps on giving." God gave His Son to be the Savior of the world. What can possibly be more valuable than the welfare of our immortal soul? In Matthew we read Jesus' answer to that question: "For what will a man be profited if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" This morning, think with me about the wonderful and amazing gift-God's Christmas gift. Let's rejoice this morning as we affirm Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 9:15: "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" What is this gift and how does it affect me? On that first Christmas, God gave us the gift of salvation. Let's consider some reasons salvation is a gift. First of all... I. THE BIBLE CALLS IT A GIFT Several verses affirm this fact. The most familiar verse is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son..." Almost as familiar is Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given..."The Bible affirms repeatedly that we cannot earn salvation. Many people-might I say most people-believe that our eternal destination depends on whether our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds. The problem is that even good deeds done with the wrong attitude are worthless, and our inbred sin nature corrupts each act. Isaiah tells us that all our seemingly righteous deeds are like filthy rags in God's eyes. Stacked up against perfect holiness, all our good deeds fall far short. Ephesians 2:8-9 gives us the final word: "For by grace you have been saved by faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, that no one should boast." II. THE GIFT OF SALVATION IS A GIFT TO BE RECEIVED John 1:12: "But as many as received Him, to them were given the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." Notice the word "given" which speaks of a gift. A great question of the highest importance is "What is meant by "believing and receiving?" What is faith?" Faith is more than simple belief. Do you realize who are some of the strongest believers in Who Jesus is? The demons! James 2:19: "...the demons believe and shudder." Faith includes the idea of complete dependence. I like the illustration that comes from the world of Bible translation. One missionary was trying to explain the concept of faith. He took a chair or perhaps a stool, sat down on it and raised his feet so his entire weight was supported by the chair. "What is the word describing what I am doing," He asked. That word became the translation of "faith." Simply believing the facts about Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection does not save a person. We must put our complete dependence and full trust in the One Who gives us in the gift of salvation. We must fully trust in Christ for salvation to the exclusion of anything else. It is Christ plus nothing! A third reason Salvation is a gift is: III. EVEN THE MOST UNDESERVING PEOPLE CAN RECEIVE IT Even though salvation comes through the Jewish race, as Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, it is a universal gift to all mankind. The elderly Simeon who affirmed Jesus' identity as the Savior at our Lord's dedication in the temple quoted Isaiah as he said, "My eyes have seen Your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel." Salvation is available to anyone who will believe. Salvation is sufficient for all people, but efficient only to those who believe. The demon possessed woman named Mary Magdalene, a despised tax collector named Matthew, and the criminal crucified next to Jesus all received the free gift of salvation. Salvation is also shown to be a gift because: IV. THE GIFT WAS PURCHASED BY ANOTHER From the very beginning, the sacrifice of innocent animals demonstrated that a person's wrongs could be paid by a sinless substitute. Although the blood of an animal could never pay for human sin, the practice pictured the future sacrifice which would pay for all sin. In the fulness of time, God sent His Son to be the final sacrifice for all sin. When Jesus rose from the dead it signaled that God had accepted that sacrifice, as 1 John 2:2 states, "And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." Propitiation means satisfaction. God's holy judgment toward sin was totally satisfied by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. A gift costs us nothing, but the cost to the Father was His Son; and to the Son it was the rejection by mankind and the suffering of death. A high price was paid, and we were bought with that high price. That leads to the next thought about gifts: V. THERE ARE STRINGS ATTACHED When we accept a gift, there is a moral obligation to be grateful for that gift, to show appreciation. The more expensive and needed the gift, the greater should be the gratitude. I have received some valuable Christmas gifts over my lifetime: there was my 12-gauge shotgun from an uncle when I was 13 (which I still use 60 years later), the Stihl chainsaw from my mother-in-law for example. I was speechless in both those cases. But nothing compares to the gift God gives us of the forgiveness of our sins and the resulting eternal life in Paradise! We have the obligation of gratitude. And there is the obligation to return the love of God through obedience. Jesus told His disciples, "If you love me, you will obey My commandments." Jesus' greatest commandment? Love one another. VI. THE GIFT WAS WRAPPED WITH CARE In His sovereign foreknowledge, God planned before the creation of the world to redeem mankind from sin. The whole Bible from beginning to end is the account of how God would accomplish His plan of salvation. The gift of salvation was wrapped in the rituals of the Temple and sacrifice. Later, additional wrappings of Old Testament prophesies told of a child Who would be born, the Son Who would be given. This "Anointed One" or "Messiah" was foretold as One Who would suffer and die for our sins in prophesies such as Isaiah 53:5: "But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed." This magnificent gift was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, was embedded in a loving family with brothers and sisters and placed in at a crossroad of culture in the small town of Nazareth outside of the major Greco-Roman city of Sepphoris. But all the prophesies and details of Jesus' birth were just wrappings; the gift of salvation was the Lord Jesus Himself. He is the way, the truth and the life. Accepting Him as Lord and Savior is salvation from our sin. VII. THE GIFT WAS EXACTLY WHAT WE NEEDED The best gifts are matched to the receivers need. This is the most personal reason for believing Salvation is a gift. The greatest need of every person is forgiveness of their sin. Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's standards. And the result, the wages of sin is certain eternal death. We can do absolutely nothing to change those facts: we are sinners, and we are condemned. Unless God does something, we are eternally lost. But God did do something! He gave mankind the gift of His Son Who died in our place, that tiny helpless baby in the manger became the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice; He was the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. We do not need justice and fairness. We do not need rewards or compensation. We need mercy and grace. The basis of our salvation is God's lovingkindness and grace, undeserved and unearned. V. THE GIFT OF SALVATION CONTINUES TO GROW There are some gifts we receive that so completely fill a need that they grow in usefulness. After 46 years we still have a few wedding gifts that are in use, like our flatware. Most everything else has worn out and been discarded. But the Christmas gift of Jesus and salvation grows more valuable, and we will realize its supreme value throughout eternity. For accepting this gift of salvation is just the beginning. To the initial gift of the forgiveness of our sin is added the peace promised by the angel to the shepherds. We have peace with God which enables us to have inner peace with ourselves and the power to live at peace with others. The Holy Spirit's indwelling presence gives us the power to live overcoming lives. We have the fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, kindness, faithfulness and self-control. With the gift of salvation we are given purpose and guidance in life. And we have the blessed hope of eternity free from sin in the very presence of our Lord and Savior! Truly salvation is the gift that keeps on giving! And God sent His Son in the fullness of time to be our Savior. We have been given the matchless, indescribable gift of Salvation. Helen Steiner Rice wrote the following poem entitled "What Christmas Means to Me." She describes this amazing Christmas gift God gave us all. What Christmas Means to Me Christmas to me is a gift from above- A gift of salvation born of God's love. For far beyond what my mind comprehends My eternal future completely depends. On that first Christmas night centuries ago, When God sent His Son to the earth below, For if the Christ Child had not been born There would be no rejoicing on Easter morn. For only because Christ was born and died, And hung on a cross to be crucified, Can worldly sinners like you and me, Be fit to live in eternity.... So Christmas is more than getting and giving, It's the why and the wherefore of infinite living, It's the positive proof for doubting God never For in His Kingdom life is forever. And that is the reason that on Christmas Day, I can only kneel down and prayerfully say, "Thank You, God, for sending Your Son, So when my work on earth is done, I can look at last on Your holy face, Knowing You save me--alone by Your grace." The indescribable gifts of forgiveness of our sin, of life eternal in heaven, of peace with God and purpose in living in the here and now come through Jesus Christ. But a gift, no matter how freely given, must be received. And like a gift under the Christmas tree, it must be opened to gain any benefit. The gift of the forgiveness of our sin and life eternal must be individually opened. Have you received the gift of eternal life, or is it still sitting there with your name on it, but unwrapped? 6