March 5, 2024

Life’s Greatest Gift

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 3:16-21

Everyone loves presents, yet many people reject the greatest gift ever given. This gift is God’s Son, and the term “only begotten” expresses His uniqueness. There has never been anyone else like Jesus, who is truly God and truly human. He is the only One who lived a perfect life and died as a sinless sacrifice in the place of sinful humanity.

When God gave the gift of His Son, mankind had two options. They could either accept Jesus by faith or reject Him. This is the most important choice a person will ever make, because the outcome has eternal ramifications. God will one day judge the people He has created, and that judgment will be on the basis of what they have done with the gift of His Son. Those who believe in the Savior will not be condemned, because they have received eternal life. However, John 3:18 says whoever doesn’t believe has already been judged and condemned for unbelief.

The determining factor between the accepters and the rejecters is the object of their love. Those who refuse God’s Son love their sin and don’t want to change. But believers come to Christ because they love the truth and desire righteousness. Which one are you?

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