Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:35 pm Post subject: God's Gifts
Returning Gifts
Author Unknown
What do you think of the practice of returning gifts? I’m not talking about not accepting them, but about taking them to the store where they were bought and getting something else. Something you really like. I think this practice should be generally avoided. We ought to, at least, teach our children to be grateful for whatever gifts they receive at Christmas or a birthday (anytime, for that matter). Now as we get older and accumulate more stuff, it gets more difficult to find something that is a “good” gift for someone; and because we are human and don’t know everything or have infinite resources, we sometimes get something that could appropriately be returned. That must be some of the impetus behind the huge gift card frenzy. Let them get what they want.
There is a distinct problem with a Christian who tries to return or not accept God’s gifts. We SAY that we understand that God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we think He should, but we often act otherwise. We will pray for something for a long time; then God answers our prayer and even gives us what we’ve asked for (though perhaps in a form we didn’t initially expect); but we continue to pray as if we’ve not gotten the gift God gave us. It’s as if we say, “No God, I don’t like that gift. Give me a different one.” We must learn to recognize God’s gifts in our lives and accept them as his will for our lives. He does have infinite knowledge and unlimited resources, and He knows what we need best and can supply it however He would like.
These six New Testament gifts of God are listed below in order as we trace them sequentially through the New Testament.
1. The Gift of Christ Himself
"If thou knewest the gift of God,?thou wast have asked of Him ?" (John 4:14).
2. The Gift of the Holy Spirit
And when Simon saw that?the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,?. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money" (Acts 8:18-20).
3. The Gift of Eternal Life
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
4. The Gift of Individual Personal Abilities
"But every man hath his proper gift of God one after this manner, and another after that" (I Corinthians 7:7).
5. The Gift of Salvation through Faith
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:.
6. The Gift of Confident Love
"Wherefore?stir up the gift of God, which is in thee?. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (II Timothy 1:6,7
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Then, after contemplating His great gift and the love that determined it, we can respond only in praise and wonder:
"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (II Corinthians 9:15).
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