Thoughts on God’s gift to us
Sunday I quoted from a Western movie called Open Range. Know that I am a sucker for westerns. Also recognize that all the words in them are not necessarily inspired, but I think these words might be because they represent so much the sentiment and truth of Christianity. The doctor’s spinster sister says these words to a damaged cowboy as she offers him a small locket for luck. He at first wants to reject the gift thinking he is not good enough, but the “good enough” is her opinion of him and has little to do with the disabled opinion he has of himself. Read the words:
“It’s not your choosing if it’s a gift!”
I think these words in Ephesians say much the same thing, only they are speaking of salvation.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
People often think they have to talk God into helping or saving them. Others think they have to pay some kind of price for God’s mercy. Still more simply think they are not of enough value to experience God’s love and blessings.
“Indeed rarely will anyone die for a righteous person; though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves His love for us, in that while we still were sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:7-8)
The giver of the gift decides the value of the one who receives the gift, not the one who receives. This is a core idea of the Christian faith. God has decided, acted and proven that each of us is of immense value to Him ? a value qualified by the cross of His only Son, the perfect, sinless, complete offering of Jesus Christ. God has chosen to give us this gift. We just receive, say thank you and respond.
In the movie, this broken cowboy and former gunfighter becomes a better man begun by such a simple, undeserved, but accepted gift.
God wants to save us!
God wants to help us!
God wants to bless us!
We don’t have to pay for it, deserve it or talk him into it, just accept with a simple act of faith in God, God who has revealed Himself in the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. As we approach Thanksgiving and the Christmas season, think on these things!
I hope you will be able to join us for a special weekend of worship, Celebrate Recovery tonight, then Saturday worship at 6:00 p.m., a reception for the ZOE mission at 7:30 p.m., and then all our Sunday services, including our new 5:00 p.m. worship. We will celebrate what God has done in and through us through ZOE Ministry in Rwanda and Zimbabwe. You will be inspired as we begin Thanksgiving week with such big-deal moments. I think we need to hear Vincent’s (a 15 year old from Rwanda) story. And he needs a place to tell it, God at work.



