The Gift of God
Christmas is a time of the year when people give gifts to others. Some people demote the idea of Christmas because it is not regulative in Scripture. Others devalue it because it is too materialistic, and we seem to miss “the reason for the season.” Still, others detest the mingled pagan, symbolic idolatries. Most people “do” Christmas in some manner of family tradition. These traditions ebb and flow based on changing family chemistry and dynamics. Increasing stress and tension usually accompanies the build up to Christmas celebrations. The Christmas debate rages, credit card debt rises, and then, right on schedule…a silent night of peace arrives, if only for a fugacious day.
Gift giving is biblical. In fact there are a number of accounts where people give gifts. The motivation for giving gifts varies. Sometimes it is a courtesy, and sometimes it is to appease ill will, as in the case of Jacob with his brother Esau (Gen 33:10).
Foremost in the motif of gift exchange is the Christmas gathering in the field of Bethlehem, recounted in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 2). Poor shepherds received the gift of knowledge of a Savior born, and they brought the gift of their presence to His manger. Rich men from the east also had a special invitation to attend the royal birthday party (Mt 2). They brought material gifts, but they also gave the gift of their worship to the newborn King (Mt 2:11). The nativity scene in my neighbor’s yard is a bit convoluted, but I appreciate his efforts to remember a seemingly unremarkable event from two thousand years ago. Santa was not bowing at the manger back then, but the sense of reverence is understood far better today, by more people, than on that cold winter night in the Middle East. Surely, Christmas gatherings, celebrations, and gift giving have contributed to this knowledge.
Jesus spoke to the woman of Samaria about the gift of God (Jn 4:10), and Peter rebuked Simon the magician for trying to buy the gift of God (Acts 8:20). If one were to ask his neighbor about this idea of the gift of God, a likely response would be Jesus Christ, even by unbelievers. No matter how much the atheist and pagan tries to suppress the truth of the birth of Christ at Christmas, he shows up on Christmas day at family gatherings. He eats good food, tells funny family stories from the past, probably gives the best presents, and he knows deep down in his heart that Jesus Christ is the gift of God. God gives good gifts (Jas 1:17), and Christmas is a wonderful time of the year to speak with the people at our holy day gatherings about God’s gifts. Let’s remember a few of them, and then remember to share them with the ones we love this Christmas.
First, Jesus Christ is the gift of God (Jn 4:10). After writing extensively on the issue of Christian giving, in a letter sent to the church at Corinth, the apostle Paul, as he often did while writing, went into exuberance mode, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (2 Cor 9:15)!” This is another way of saying, “You cannot out-give God.” Paul was a man who mused on every facet of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which he valued about all else (Phil 3:8), and which he made his exclusive message (1 Cor 2:2). The gift Paul received was the gift Paul gave to others.
Jesus Christ is the gift people do not know they want for Christmas. Sin has separated every man from God (Gen 3). The Gospel of Christ Jesus is the Word of God’s reconciliation (2 Cor 5:19). Men hear of this ministry of reconciliation, and it is foolishness to them (1 Cor 1:18), by God’s design (Mt 11:25). God shows all people that salvation is His gift giving idea. It is His exclusive gift, to give to whom He chooses (Jn 15:16; 2 Thess 2:13). This is clearly evident because God forbids people to decide for Him or to choose Him of their own free will (Jn 1:13). Christ is God’s gift, and it cannot be wrested from His hand. It must be released by Him, at His appointed time (Gal 4:4), to those appointed to believe in Him (Acts 13:48).
No one seeks after this gift, not even one (Rom 3:10–12), because no one understands God’s gift. A man must be dragged to Christ (Jn 6:37, 44, 65). Christ is undesirable to natural man (1 Cor 2:14), until he is regenerated and converted (1 Pet 1:3), that is, until He is made spiritual (1 Cor 2:15). A spiritual man is one who has received the gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:12), having been born of the Spirit (Jn 3:5–8), and who now walks by the Spirit (Rom 8:4), evidenced by His calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus (Joel 2:32), praying in the Spirit (Eph 6:18). The difference between those who have the gift of God, and those who do not, is stark in contrast.
Second, the Holy Spirit is the gift of God (Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45). God the Father, the giver of every good gift (Jas 1:17), and God the Son, the giver of His own life (Jn 6:51; 10:28), have sent/given the Holy Spirit (Jn 14:26; Jn 15:26) to the people on their Christmas list. The Holy Spirit is Himself, the Lord, the giver of life (Job 33:4; Jn 6:63; Nicene Creed). Here, we must conclude that when God gives Himself as a gift, He is truly a gift that keeps on giving for all eternity (Rom 6:23).
Third, salvation from sin, death, hell, and the lake of fire is a gift of God (Eph 2:8–9), which is the gift of righteousness (Rom 5:17), and the free gift of God, which is eternal life (Rom 6:23). This gift can be given because of the gift of God’s grace, in justifying sinners (Rom 3:24; 5:16). Justification is the declaration, “not guilty.” Christians have been justified by Christ’s blood payment for sins. They have been justified by grace (Tit 3:7), which means God has imputed Christ’s righteousness to the Christian’s account of debt because of sin.
The elect, redeemed, believer’s debt of sin is cancelled because it has been paid-in-full by Christ’s precious blood (Col 2:14; 1 Pet 1:19). The Christian is also justified by faith (Rom 5:1), which is a gift of God (Phil 1:29; 2 Pet 1:1). Salvation comes to the Christian, by a gift of God’s grace, through the gift of faith (Eph 2:8–9), and the gift of faith is given by the gift of hearing (Is 35:5; 42:18; Mt 11:5), and the gift of hearing is given by the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17), which is a gift (Jn 17:8, 14).
Unfortunately, men twist the gift of God. “What must I do to be saved?” they ask (Mt 10:17; Acts 16:30). The Christian’s answer is, “nothing to do, only believe our report.” God has saved His people from their sins, from all eternity, granted by grace in time (2 Tim 1:9–10). He sent a Spirit-filled preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them, to announce it to them (Rom 10:13–17). One recognizes these people are recipients of God’s gift because of the evidence of faith, given to them as a gift. You can hear the faith in their hearts, by the testimony of Christ on their lips.
Fourth, the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to God’s children (Rom 1:11). These gifts come with the gift of the Holy Spirit (see #2 above); therefore, we call them “spiritual” (1 Cor 12:1). They are personal gifts from God to each believer (1 Cor 7:7). They are diverse gifts (1 Cor 12:4), according to God’s grace and choosing (Rom 12:6), so that Christ’s church can be built up through their diversity into unity (1 Cor 12:30; 14:12; Eph 4:12, 16).
Christians are employed by God according to His gifting (Eph 3:7), which is measured by His own will (Eph 4:7). They should avoid neglecting their spiritual gift (1 Tim 4:14); but kindle afresh the gift of God (2 Tim 1:6). Christians should desire greater spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:31; 14:1). They must refrain from disputing over spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12–14). There is nothing lacking in these gifts (1 Cor 1:7) because they are God’s good and perfect gifts (Jas 1:17). Paul lists God’s spiritual gifts in: Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; and Ephesians 4.
Christians are royal priests (1 Pet 2:9), who offer up spiritual gifts (Heb 8:3) and spiritual sacrifices (Rom 12:1) to God, in an act of glad obedience to our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. Christian life is one of employing and distributing gifts given to us by God. He gives, and we receive the Spirit, who gives, and we become givers of good gifts, according to His will (Heb 2:4).
Fifth, the gift of giving, itself, is a gift of God. When God gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to an elect child, His purpose is to conform her to the image of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus (Rom 8:29). Her cup overflows with blessings and grace upon grace (Ps 23:5; Jn 1:16). Grace has been given to a Christian so he can graciously give like the Macedonians did toward the poor saints of Jerusalem (2 Cor 8:1–5). It is a work of God’s grace for someone to become a gracious giver, with love as the motive for their giving (2 Cor 8:1, 6, 7, 1 Jn 3:17). Christ laid down His life for us, we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 Jn 3:16). God makes all grace abound toward us, with all sufficiency, for every good work (2 Cor 9:8).
Finally, the gift of irrevocability (Rom 11:29). What good is a gift that breaks or fails? The gift of God is eternal life, and His life is indestructible (Heb 7:16). His gifts and calling are irrevocable, too. He will never give salvation, and then take it away for any reason. That would be a wretched gift. God is not wretched. He is the most gracious giver, of the best gifts that never wear out (Neh 9:21; Lk 12:33), never fail (Lam 3:22; 1 Cor 13:8), never can be stolen (Jn 10:28–29), never lost (Mt 18:12–13), and never abandoned or forsaken (Heb 13:5).
The security of our gift of salvation is best stated by the apostle Peter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again, to a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time (1 Pet 1:3–5).
In summary, God has given His people a number of gifts. Christ is God’s gift to His people, and so is the Holy Spirit. When the gift of the Holy Spirit is received, the gifts of the Spirit are received with Him. The first gift is salvation, followed by God’s special gifts given to each of His children, for the purpose of building up the Temple of the Holy Spirit, which is the church of Christ, which is the a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Eph 2:22).
In conclusion, we must value and celebrate the gifts given to us. The meaning behind them is the life of God in Christ, given to us by the Spirit. There is no better gift than God Himself, and we are free to give our gift away over and over again because it is infinite and eternal. Thank you, Father. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Holy Spirit for giving us Your presence under the tree of life, with the bright star atop to remind us You are everything to us.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
December 22, 2020
