A Great Gift: God’s Grace of Eternal Life

Hello Friends,

How are you doing? The countdown has begun…. As of today, the season of Fall is only 15 days away, which means there are only 15 more days of summer. I know that probably doesn’t mean much to you since most of you are in school, but in the grand scheme of things it means a lot. For example, Fall is only 15 Days away, Halloween is only 54 days away, Thanksgiving is only 81 Days away, Winter is only 105 Days away, and Christmas is only 109 Days away. In addition to all of this, each day from now until the day after the first day of Winter, the sun is going to rise later and set earlier, which means less sunlight. When Fall approaches in 15 Days, life is going to get busy and things will begin to change! How are you going to enjoy the last remaining days of Summer? Hopefully, you plan on spending time outside in the beautiful weather!

As I think about the changing of seasons, I often find myself thinking about grace and how amazing God’s grace is. I think about grace because as things change and life gets busy, grace is something that gives us peace, that gives a sense that things are going to be okay, that gives us the reminder that even if we don’t have everything together we can still accomplish something, and that gives us hope for what we don’t know. Grace is something that God gives us to make our life a little easier.

Do you know what grace is? Paul answers this question when writing to the people in Ephesus. Paul wrote, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8, NIV). Did you catch what Paul said about grace? First and foremost, grace is what saves us: it helps us to be forgiven of our sins, to help us accept Jesus in our heart. Second, grace is not something we created: it is something God created and gave it to us, like we give a gift to someone we know on their birthday. God gifted us grace because He knew we would need it; and we didn’t have to do anything to receive it. Third, grace is not something that makes us proud and boastful, but rather humble and kind. As a matter of fact, it leads to another gift. I know this is a lot to think about, so let me break it down for you. I’m going to need you to use your imagination though!

Look at this beautifully wrapped package. As you can probably guess by the way it is wrapped, there is a gift inside. Do any of you like to receive gifts? Of course you do! I can’t imagine anyone saying that they don’t enjoy receiving a gift. If I were to give this package to you and ask you to give me five dollars, would it be a gift? No, if you have to pay for it or do something to receive it, it isn’t a gift. When someone gives you a gift, it doesn’t cost you anything. It doesn’t come with any conditions. All you have to do is accept it. That’s what makes it a gift.

What was the best gift you have ever received? Was it your first bicycle? Maybe it was an XBox 360® or a Sony Playstation® or a new puppy or kitty or a new tractor or maybe an art kit. For some of you it may have been a battery-operated remote control car or, for others, it might have been a favorite stuffed toy. In a group like this, we might have a lot of different ideas about what makes a great gift, but today I want to tell you about a gift that is, without question, the greatest gift ever given.

What is that gift? It is the gift of eternal life through grace. It is the gift of God and it was given to anyone who wants to receive it. The Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Whoever — that’s you and me. The greatest gift of all is for you and me.

When someone gives you a gift, it is never polite to ask, “How much did it cost?” But in this case, the Bible tells us how much God’s gift cost — and the cost was great. It cost God his only Son. Can you imagine how much God loved us to send His one and only Son to earth to die on a cross so that we could have eternal life? Can you imagine how much Jesus loved us to be willing to die on that cross so that we could have eternal life in heaven?

Eternal life — what a gift! And all we have to do to receive it is believe and accept Jesus as our Savior and know that from God’s gift of grace we can be saved so that we can experience eternal life with Jesus one day. God’s gift of grace is truly something special because it leads to having an eternal life.

So, as the seasons prepare to change and the countdown begins, make sure to receive God’s gifts because the gifts He gives you just might be what you need to enjoy the season and holiday at hand. I’m so glad God has given me grace!

Let us pray: Thank you, God, for the greatest gift of all. Thank you for Jesus, who loved us so much that he paid the price for our sin to give us the gift of eternal life. And thank you for the grace that leads us toward seeking forgiveness from the things we have done wrong. Amen.

Your Friend, Holy Spirit!