10 Reasons
God Offers Th
1
GOD LOVES TO
GIVE GIFTS Long
before we took our
a great giver of ever
first breath, our Crea
ything a man or wo
tor showed Himself
m
an could ask for. To
heart (Psalm 37:4).
to be
day, He still wants to
As the Father of he
give us the desires
av
en
1:17). When we say
, He is behind “eve
of
our
that “the best thing
ry good gift and ev
ery perfect gift” (Ja
s in life are free,” it’s
and friendship, and
m
a way of acknowled
es
laughter, He is show
ging that when Go
ing that no one can
priceless and so pe
d gives life,
give a better gift th
rfectly suited to ou
an He can. Yet His
r needs and happine
best offer is so
ss, many think it’s to
o good to be true.
IT’S DESCRIBED
IN THE BIBLE Th
e most quoted of all
mysterious gift that
books describes a
goes far beyond an
wonderfully
ything we have ever
peace of mind, acce
re
ce
ived. When unwrap
ptance, forgiveness
ped, it includes
, adoption into the
does God offer to
family of heaven, an
give us the desires
d
of
ev
ou
er
lasting life. But
r
he
ar
t as a reward for go
It refers to this spirit
od living? Not acco
ual package as salva
rding to the Bible.
tion and calls it “the
gift of God” (Roman
s 6:23; Ephesians 2:8
-9).
IT CANNOT BE
EARNED In most
areas of life we work
to be trusted and pr
hard to earn respec
omoted. But God’s
t and the right
perfect gift of salva
merit but by mercy
tion is different. It co
, not by trying but by
mes not by
trusting, and not by
words of the apostle
working but by resti
Paul, “By grace you
ng. In the
have been saved th
it is the gift of God,
rough faith, and th
not of works lest an
at
no
t of yourselves;
yone should boast”
Testament letters, Pa
(Ephesians 2:8-9). In
ul added, “Not by
an
ot
her of his New
wo
rks
of
to His mercy He sa
righteousness which
ved us” (Titus 3:5).
we have done, but
according
2
3
4
GOD PAID FOR
IT HIMSELF Long
before wise men br
our Creator gave us
ought gifts to a Be
the gift of choice. Kn
thlehem manger,
owing that love mus
He gave us the freed
t be voluntary to be
om to accept or re
meaningful,
ject Him. From the
parents chose to wa
beginning, howeve
lk away from Him. Ins
r,
ou
te
r first
ad
of
rescue whereby an
leaving them in their
innocent victim wo
rebellion, He reveale
uld
di
d a plan of
e
on behalf of the gu
Temple ritual anticip
ilty. An elaborate sy
ated what God Him
ste
m
se
lf would do for us on
of symbolic
the time of God’s ow
the center page of
n choosing and in a
human history. At
moment of infinite
only be explained by
and eternal significa
love—He sacrificed
nce, He did what ca
His Son to pay for ou
n
r sin (John 1:29; He
brews 10:5-10).
IT COMES WITH
A PROOF OF PU
RCHASE The rece
history. Jewish prop
ipt we hold for His
hets predicted a M
payment is the reco
es
siah who would de
9:26). When He arriv
rd of
liv
er His people from
ed, the Gospel write
their sin (Isaiah 53;
rs tell us that He he
to the oppressed. Th
Daniel
aled the sick, raised
en He did what no
the dead, and gave
one expected Him
adoring crowds, He
hope
to
do. Instead of riding
silently bore the sla
to power on the sh
nder of critics, and
Three days later, He
ou
lders of
voluntarily died at th
walked out of a gu
e hands of Roman
arded tomb (Luke 24
the hands of enem
executioners.
:1-7). Eyewitnesses
ies rather than deny
of the resurrected Ch
that they had seen
rist died at
Him alive.
5
6
IT WAS WRAPP
ED WITH CARE
God packaged His
predictions, widely
perfect gift in thou
observed miracles,
sands of years of fu
and breathtaking re
lfilled
Lord of he