By Jackie Houchin

#Bloganuary is a month of blog prompts that WordPress uses to get us bloggers off to a good start in the new year.

4. What is the greatest gift someone could give you?

This one is easy for a Christian. I have ALREADY been given that great gift.  2 Corinthians 9:15 in the Bible says that JESUS is God’s indescribable gift to us; to me.

In probably the most well know verse in the Bible, John 3:16, Jesus told a Jewish leader who had come to Him at night with some perturbing questions, “God so LOVED the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish (die the second death, perish eternally in hell), but have eternal LIFE.”  Jesus is the gift. Jesus is life to me.

Romans 6:23 in the Bible says, “The wages (payment) for sin is death, but the FREE GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Ephesians 2:4-5 and 8 in the Bible says, “But God, being rich in mercy becaue of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.”  “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the GIFT of God.”

So, how did the coming of Jesus assure that we have the gift of eternal life?  Well, it’s about sin. OUR sin (He didn’t have any.). Since the time of Adam and Eve, all their prodgeny have inherited their sin-gene. It’s in our DNA.  But God is Holy. He cannot abide sin. So we must all die in His presence one day. (Hebrews 9:27 in the Bible says, “It is given for mankind ONCE to die and after that the judgement.) unless something can be done.

God loved His creation. He wants us to live forever with Him. So a payment for sin (death) must be made, and made by someone who has no sin in themselves.  Enter the righteous and holy second person of the trinity, God born as a man – Jesus.  After 33 years proving Himself obedient and sinless, He died on a Roman cross as punishment for the sin for ANYONE who will believe – put their trust – in Him.

Isaiah 53:5, 6 and 10 in the Bible says ” He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities, upon Him was the chastisement that prought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.”  And that God “laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” and “It was the will of the Lord to crush Him; He has put Him to giref; when His soul makes an offering for (our) guilt.”

(Who killed Jesus? God did. He sacrificed His Son so we could live.)

2 Corinthians 5:21 in the Bible says, “He (God) made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (The wonderful and gracious exchange.)

And when God raised Jesus from the dead, it was a sign that He was satisfied with Jesus’ work of salvation. (1John 4:7-8)

“Believe on (put your trust in the finished work of) the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.  For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jesus) will be saved.

Jesus, the GIFT of God, brought me eternal life, which also is a GIFT of God. This is the GREATEST GIFT.(s) I could ever be given!