“Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin.” Romans 3:24-25 (MSG)
The greatest gift you’ve ever been given wasn’t bought in a store. No cash exchanged hands. It wasn’t even wrapped.
Yet it cost the Giver everything.
The Bible says God sent his Son to earth to give you the greatest gift ever. He came to earth to die and make you right with God. The Message paraphrase says, “Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin” (Romans 3:24-25 MSG).
So why did Jesus have to die? Let’s go back to the basics.
Nobody’s perfect. I’ve never met a single person who has claimed to be perfect. I don’t measure up to my own expectations, much less God’s perfect standard. Neither do you. We’ve all blown it. The Bible says, “All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23 CEV).
God is just. God wants to be fair. When somebody breaks a law, there must be a penalty for it. So when you break humanity’s laws, you pay humanity’s penalties. When you break God’s laws, you pay God’s penalties. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23 NIV).
Jesus paid the price for your sin. The Bible says, “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT). Jesus took on my sin and your sin and all the sin that has ever been committed. That’s the Good News, the gospel. Jesus paid the price you could never pay.
You can accept God’s free gift. God gave us a free gift of salvation when Jesus took our sin upon himself. It’s a gift we must receive. The Bible says, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12 NIV).
Let me ask you again: Will you accept God’s free gift of salvation? It’s one thing to understand the basics of how to have a relationship with Jesus. It’s another to accept the gift.
I pray you will make that all-important decision today.
Outside of salvation, what’s the greatest gift you’ve ever received? What made the gift so special?
What does it mean to you to know Jesus paid a price you could never pay?
Was it hard for you to accept God’s free gift of salvation? Why or why not? (If you haven’t yet accepted that gift, what’s keeping you from accepting it now?)
If you’ve never accepted the greatest gift ever given, I want you to have that opportunity now.
Tell God you trust his promise of salvation through Jesus by praying this prayer:
“Dear Father, you have promised that if I trust in Jesus, I will be saved—not by my works, but by your grace alone. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I confess my sins and ask that you forgive me. And I surrender my life to him.
“Thank you for the assurance that my salvation is not based on my feelings but on your unchanging truth. I trust in your promise, knowing that you cannot lie. I rest in the certainty of your love and the gift of eternal life.
“Today, I commit every part of my life to you. Guide me, lead me, and help me to follow Jesus in faith and obedience. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.
