Isa 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2 Cor 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
As we remember the birth of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ, we cannot overlook the fact that God gave us his very best! The month of December is a special time where we celebrate Christmas, and many people take this time to fellowship, give gifts, and spend time with family. As we celebrate we must not overlook the significance of what God did for us by giving us his very best as a sacrifice for the sins of the world.
The Bible says in in Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, a son is given.” John confirms it in John 3:16, by saying, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” When we read these scriptures it is a reminder that God gave us his very best! When we think about it, God is the greatest giver that ever existed. Everything that we have in earth and everything that we have achieved came from God! The Bible says in James 1 :17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”
The scriptures are clear that God gave us his very best. Now if this is the character of God, and we have born of his spirit, then it is sufficient to say that we should have the same grace and spirit of giving as our Father in heaven. This is important to remember because the spirit of the world can be selfishness, self righteousness, and selfies. We live in a time where most people are concerned about me, myself, and I. This is not the spirit of Christ. It is a worldly spirit that comes from below.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church said the following in 2 Cor 8:7, “Therefore, as you abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that you abound in this grace also. What grace was Paul speaking about? The grace of giving. (Read 2 Cor 8:1-15)
So what does the spirit of grace and giving mean for each of us? It means that we believe the scripture that says, freely you have received, freely give. (Matt 10:8) It means that we should give of our time, talents and treasure without compulsion or coercion. It means encouraging, edifying and building one another up in love. It means following the example of Jesus Christ who gave sacrificiously, and willingly of himself. This is the grace and spirit of giving that every believer in Christ should practice, not only at Christmas time but every opportunity we get in Jesus Name! Be Blessed! Pastor Quinn