March 18, 2004

THE INDESCRIBABLE GIFT

"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:15, NIV).

What a title for our wonderful Redeemer! Indeed, He is a gift beyond words!

It is always delightful to receive gifts and special tokens from loved ones. But no gift can be compared with God's gift of His beloved Son. No pen or tongue or artist's brush can ever fully describe the dimension of God's amazing gift to us in Jesus. He is that gift that outstrips all estimates and defies artistic description. Poets cannot express Him; theologians cannot explain Him; orators cannot portray Him. The gift is too marvelous to be adequately described and too priceless to be assessed.

The gospel is God's indescribable gift to humanity. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" (John 3:16). And Jesus so loved that he "gave himself" for us (Galatians 2:20, NIV). With this indescribable gift, comes the salvation package of amazing grace, genuine forgiveness, transforming power, and eternal life.

This indescribable gift cannot be obtained by human performance or effort. It cannot be secured by monetary payments. Christ is a gift to be received and appropriated (see Colossians 2:6). In practical terms, a gift is not efficacious until it is accepted. God's indescribable gift is available to all who will receive Him. "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12, NKJV).

Think of this: "It is through the gift of Christ that we receive every blessing. Through that gift there comes to us day by day the unfailing flow of Jehovah's goodness... Everything is supplied to man through the one unspeakable Gift, the only begotten Son of God."--God's Amazing Grace, p. 178.

My Prayer Today: Lord, with Paul I pray today, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" Amen.