A Very Precious Gift

(THE KIMBERLY JOY SHOW: A Very Precious Gift)

WE GIVE OUR LIVES FOR A VERY PRECIOUS GIFT

To give is to FREELY hand something over to someone. In other words, we don’t give because we feel pressured to give. We give because we want to give. Moreover, God wants us to freely and willingly give our lives to Him. Romans 12:1 (King James Version) says:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

WHY DOES GOD REQUIRE THAT WE GIVE HIM OUR LIVES?
According to Romans 5:12, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, it opened the door for sin to run rampant. Therefore, every single human being is born into sin. In fact, David said in Psalms 51:5 (New Living Translation):

“For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.”

What is sin? Sin is rebellion against God. So, we’re all born with a nature to disobey God. Nevertheless, we don’t have to stay that way. We don’t have to remain in sin. We don’t have to die in our sins and suffer for eternity in hell. Instead, we can be forgiven and set free, IF we are willing to give our lives to God. I say “willing” because God doesn’t force us to live for Him.

God proves His love for us. He extends the invitation to receive His love. He even sends us warnings, if we need them. However, He never makes us do something we’re not willing to do. As a matter of fact, Adam and Eve fell because God didn’t create them to be robots. He didn’t use a remote to control their every move.

“Go here! Go there! Now sit down! Now stand up!” Instead, God gave them a free will, which meant they had a choice to obey Him or not. Even though God gave them love, riches, dominion over the earth, and eternal life, unfortunately, they willingly decided to listen to someone else and go against God’s expectations.

I recently heard someone describe God as a gentleman. That He is! A gentleman is polite, courteous, honorable, and respectful. Therefore, wouldn’t you want to give your life to such a GENTLE-man? Wouldn’t you want to give your life to the One who created you and gives you life every day? Yes, every day! You woke up this morning because of GOD! Acts 17:28 (KJV) says:

“…..In [God] we live, and move, and have our being.”

Wouldn’t you want to give your life to the One who loves you more than anyone ever could? God loves us all so very much, that He gave us a very precious gift–His Son Jesus. John 3:16 is one of the first Bible verses I believe many Christians learn. It was one of the first ones I learned! Why? That particular verse contains the message every believer should share and every person should know. GOD LOVES THE WORLD! He loves every human being! Because of His love for us, He gave His one and only Son Jesus as a living sacrifice to die in our place in order for us to gain the eternal life which was originally granted to the first man and woman. Now, isn’t that amazing?! Although their disobedience corrupted mankind, God had another plan!

HOW DID JESUS GIVE?
God’s plan for us wouldn’t have been fulfilled if Jesus hadn’t freely and willingly given His life.

In addition to giving His life when He was crucified on the cross, Jesus gave His life in many ways leading up to the cross. Philippians 2:6-7 (NLT) say:

“6 Though He was God,
He did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, He gave up His divine privileges;
He took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.”

Jesus did that for us! He gave up His nice, comfortable position in Heaven in order to live like a mere human being! Although He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of a virgin, He still grew and lived as a man here on earth. While He lived as a man, Jesus gave so much of Himself. The four gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are filled with examples of Jesus’ love.

Jesus gave His time to those who wanted to sit and listen to His teachings, like Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha (Luke 10). When she sat at Jesus’s feet, He didn’t ignore her or turn her away. Rather, He taught her.

Jesus gave food to over 5,000 people who were hungry (Matthew 14).

Jesus gave wine to guests at a wedding party (John 2).

Jesus gave love and attention to a group of children (Matthew 19).

Jesus gave compassion and forgiveness to people like the Samaritan woman who had had several husbands (John 4) and like the woman who was openly humiliated for committing adultery (John 8).

Jesus gave healing to many who were blind, deaf, crippled, paralyzed, and sick.

To some who were dead, Jesus gave them a second chance at life.

Jesus gave deliverance to those who were being tormented by evil spirits.

Most importantly, JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE! As the book of Isaiah states, like a lamb, Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross. Gospel artist Kirk Franklin and The Family used to sing:

“Now behold the Lamb
The precious Lamb of God
Born into sin that I may live again
The precious Lamb of God.”

Because Jesus gave His life on our behalf, we should be motivated to give our lives to Him. I’m not just referring to the moment we accept Him into our hearts. That’s only the beginning! But every day, we should give our lives. So I encourage you, starting right now, daily live your life as a gift to the Lord. He’s worthy of it!

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION
If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can do so right now. I then encourage you to find a good Bible-believing church that will help you grow in your relationship with the Lord.