WHAT GOD’S GIFT MEANS TO MAN

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   God has given man so many things that man often just takes God’s gifts for granted. 

1.    This is true of man’s physical blessings.

2.    It is also true of man’s spiritual blessings.

 

B.   In this lesson, we want to look at one of God’s gifts to man.  We want to examine what this gift means to all men.

 

C.   The gift is the gift of His precious Son, Jesus Christ.

1.    John 3:16

 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…

 

a.    The key word for our study is the word “gave.”

b.    Definition:  to present voluntarily and without expecting compensation.

2.    2 Corinthians 9:15

 

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

 

a.    Our Lord is not just a gift.  He is an “unspeakable” gift.

b.    Unspeakable means:  indescribable, unable to expound in full.

c.    This gift involves everything about Jesus:  giving up the splendors of heaven, being born of a woman, taking on the nature of flesh, living in a sinful world, doing battle with the evil one, dying on an accursed tree, shedding his blood, being buried in a cold, dark tomb, rising the third day, ascending to the right hand of God, and ruling over His kingdom.

 

D.   What does this gift really mean to us?  In what ways can we benefit from the unspeakable gift of Jesus Christ?

 

I.             TRUE LOVE

 

A.   Love is not something that is common in our world.

1.    The word is well-known.

2.    There is a deep desire in most individuals to be loved.

3.    But, how many can truly say that they have true love given to them by others.

 

B.   Jesus noted the ultimate test of love in John 15:13.

 

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

 

1.    How many of us have had another person die for us?

2.    Examples: 

a.    The bull rider who was hurt in the arena.  His friend came to assist him and covered him with his body when the bull came charging at them.

b.    The soldier who sees a grenade and throws his body on it so his fellow soldiers do not get killed.

 

C.   Jesus manifests true love. 

1.    It is a love that sacrificed.

2.    However, it was a sacrifice for His enemies, not his friends (Rom. 5:10).

 

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

 

D.   It is hard for us to get our minds around Jesus’ true love for us.

1.    We only know Him by faith.

2.    His act of love was manifested some 2,000 years ago.

3.    It is a love that must be embraced by faith.

4.    It is a love that is understood more than felt by our emotions.

5.    It is a love that is neglected or rejected by so many.

 

E.   The words of 1 John 3:16 must constantly live in our minds.

 

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us…

 

II.           PERFECT EXAMPLE

 

A.   As Christians, we know that our lives are now supposed to be lived in service to God (Rom. 6:13).

 

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin:  but yield yourselves unto God, as they that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

 

B.   There are two exhortations that we can give to Christians who want to live holy and godly lives.

1.    Live in harmony with the gospel of Christ (Phil. 1:27).

2.    Live your life following the example of Jesus Christ (Phil. 1:21).

 

C.   Jesus’ example is a perfect one.  He never committed one sin (1 Pet. 2:21).

 

Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.

 

D.   Jesus’ example does several things for us.

1.    It enables us to see how we are to put His words into practice.

2.    It never disappoints.  His example will always be right.  We will never see Him slip, mess up, or sin.

3.    It never allows me to get haughty and lifted up.  I will never be better than Jesus.  I always have the need for improvement and growth.

 

III.         SALVATION

 

A.   This is the meaning of the gift of God’s Son known more than any of the others.  Jesus came to bring salvation.

1.    Luke 1:68-69

 

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.

 

2.    Acts 4:12

 

Neither is there salvation in any other:  for there is none other name under heaven given among men, where by we must be saved.

 

3.    1 Thessalonians 5:9-10a

 

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us…

 

4.    Hebrews 5:9

 

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

 

B.   Salvation and the words:  “I am saved,” are also words that are said without much real consideration of their real benefits.

1.    The word “saved” means “to be rescued from danger, injury, harm, or loss.”

a.    We can comprehend being saved from a burning car.

b.    We can comprehend being saved from a powerful rip current.

c.    We can comprehend being saved from someone who has kidnapped us.

2.    What are we saved from?

a.    Saved from our sins

b.    Saved from the evil one

c.    Saved from the wrath of God

d.    Saved from the torment of eternal condemnation in hell

3.    In order to appreciate the salvation found in Christ, we must study these things diligently.  They are all evil and harmful to man.  To be saved from them is a blessing.

 

IV.         PEACE

 

A.   We do not often live in a peaceful world.

1.    Nations war against each other.

2.    City streets are filled with violence.

3.    Schools see far too many shootings take place.

4.    Workplace violence is common.

5.    Our homes are often filled with anger and strife.

 

B.   Jesus came to give peace on earth.

1.    It was prophesied that He would be the Prince of peace (Isa. 9:6).

2.    The angels told the shepherds:  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

3.    Jesus told His disciples:  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you…” (John 14:27).

4.    Paul declared of the Christ:  “For he is our peace…”

 

C.   There are at least three places wherein Jesus injects peace into our world.

1.    Through Him, we can have peace with God (Rom. 5:2).

 

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

2.    Through the avenue of prayer, faithful Christians can have peace within their hearts (Phil. 4:6-7).

 

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

 

3.    In the church, God brings peace to all cultures and races of people (Eph. 2:14, 16).

 

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us…and that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.

 

V.           HOPE

 

A.   Hope is a wonderful thing.

1.    We become ill.  We go to the doctor.  He diagnoses the problem and prescribes the treatment.  We are told that if, we will follow his orders, we will get well.  There is hope.

2.    Someone has a family member who gets kidnapped.  A special forces unit gets involved.  They find where our loved one is being held as a hostage.  A plan is made to rescue the individual.  There is hope.

 

B.   A world without Jesus provides no hope to mankind. 

1.    You live.  Then, you die.

2.    The life you have here serves little, if any, purpose.

3.    We should just eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.

 

C.   A life in Christ, on the other hand, gives hope (1 Tim. 1:1).

 

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope.

 

D.   Christ is our hope for something beyond this life.

1.    The Bible teaches us that Christ died and was buried.

2.    However, He did not stay in the grave.  He rose the third day.

a.    He is proof that there is life after death.

b.    Paul refers to Jesus as “Christ the firstfruits” (1 Cor. 15:23).

1)    The firstfruits were the first fruits of the harvest in the Old Testament that were dedicated to God.

2)    These firstfruits were promise that there was more to come.

3)    Christ is the firstfruits from the dead, that is, the first man to be raised from the dead never to die again.

4)    He is the promise of more to come.  “…Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming” (1 Cor. 15:23).

3.    In death,

a.    There is the stillness of the body lying in the casket.

b.    There is the cold and darkness of the earth.

c.    There is the decay of natural forces. 

d.    There is the loneliness of departing from the gravesite.

4.    Jesus tells us:  “This is not the end.  ‘I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  and whososever liveth and believeth in me shall never die’” (John 11:25-26).

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   The gift of God’s Son means so much to mankind.

1.    True love

2.    A perfect example

3.    Salvation

4.    Peace

5.    Hope

 

B.   There is no cost to these things.  They are free.   They are part of God’s gift to humanity. 

 

C.   Maybe we have a little better understanding of Paul’s words found in 2 Corinthians 9:15.

 

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.