Don’t your eyes just gravitate to signs that read “Buy One, Get One FREE!” We love the word ‘FREE’! But truthfully, when I really do the addition, I’m paying the right price for the product anyway!
The only thing that is truthfully free is the gift of salvation from Jesus Christ.
It’s FREE! (Well, it wasn’t free for Jesus, it cost Him His life, but for us – it’s FREE.)
Now, believing in Santa is fun, and you get presents, (if you were nice and not naughty); but the presents get old and wear out, they are the gifts that ‘keep on breaking!’
But believing in Jesus brings the gift of His gracious salvation, with a special add-on, the peace of God.He alone offers a free gift and He alone offers a gift that really keeps on giving!
His gift? Seventeen times in the New Testament the gift is:
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Who doesn’t want unearned favor? Who doesn’t want peace? But the only way to have peace, is to first have…grace! Unless we receive His grace, we will never know His peace.
You see, unlike Santa, Jesus is not checking His list of who’s ‘naughty and nice.’ And you don’t have to work harder to deserve His love.
“But I’ve really messed up,” You might say, ” I really don’t think I ‘do’ a lot of good things that make God happy.”
This is the message that we must “Go, and tell it on the mountains”:
GOD IS LOVE. He is gracious. He pours out blessing on the undeserved. God’s love is not dependent on my faithfulness – God’s love is dependent on His very nature of love.
Our nature? “All we like sheep have gone astray;” (Is. 53:6), (not just you, ALL of us ‘miss the mark’.) “We have turned everyone to his own way;” (not just you, everyone.)
God’s nature?”…and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
THAT is grace. That is saving grace. Songs are written of this ‘amazing grace!’
God didn’t wait until we all got on the right road, no, because God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:8)
Today, have you received His grace? It’s free. “Be still and know that He is God.”
Take time every day to receive God’s love. As if He is handing you, not a once a year gift, but a daily gift , and you say, “Lord, I receive Your love.”
There’s a lot of ‘Ho-Ho-Ho’-ing going on, so while we are out and about, let us receive the grace of God, His undeserved favor, and we in turn will be filled with His peace. “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” But if you are not sure you have ever had that conversation with the Father in heaven about wanting to receive the love and forgiveness of His Son, …
it’s easy. You see, the work has been done by Jesus. He knows that we as sheep, have ‘all gone astray.’ He knows we have ‘turned everyone to his own way’, but “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6).
Simply come to Him, just as you are this moment. “Don’t be afraid. For there is born to you THIS day,… a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11). “This is the day the Lord has made…” (Psalm 118:24). He will receive you. Give Him your mess. He’s the only One who is big enough for it all. He will take it and make you new! “Therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
That’s what the age old songs tell us over and over again: “Joy to the world the Lord is come, …no more let sin and sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground! He comes to make His blessings flow…”That’s the grace part! And we hear it as the song is played: “Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory to the new-born King. Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled…” That is peace.
“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,…”(2 Corinthians 5:18), and in case we still don’t understand, the word continues: “…that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:19).
That is “grace to you and peace multiplied!”(1 Peter 1:2, emphasis mine!)
There is a gift, and there is a Gift! “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!…God is the LORD, And He has given us light;…” (Psalm 118:26). So just as the shepherds who were ‘harkened’ by the angels, after they had ‘seen this thing that the angels had told them about, they went about glorifying and praising God!’ (Luke 2:20).
Today is the day…the light has come into the world. The wise men saw it and ‘rejoiced and were exceedingly glad!’ (Matthew 2:10). Let us receive Him, one time for salvation…
daily for grace and peace! Amen!
Do I hear an Amen?
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