| His Incarnation Explained: His Gift to Us |
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Reflections: Have you ever received a Christmas gift that you knew you didn’t deserve? When we were kids, we were always told that, if we weren’t good boys and girls, Santa would leave a lump of coal in our stocking. How many of us actually received that coal? Most of us received good gifts even though we weren’t always good girls and boys. That’s because gifts are freely given. They are not earned. They are not deserved. They are given out of love to someone who really doesn’t deserve them. That was never more true than when you consider the gift that God has given us. In verses 8-9 of this passage, the Apostle Paul writes, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” We are saved by grace through faith. There is absolutely nothing we can do to earn God’s grace. We can never be good enough to win his favor. He loves us and forgives us based solely on his grace. It is a completely undeserved gift that we receive. That really is the message of Christmas, isn’t it? We needed a Savior and God provided. Jesus came to pay the price for our sin. Fully. Completely. And yes, undeservedly. |
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