John 3:16
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The Giver. “For God…” J
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What do you do when you give a gift? You put a tag on it showing who it’s from. Why? Because you want the person you are giving the gift to, to know who it is from! The giver desires that the recipient be aware of how much he or she cares!
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The Gratitude. “so loved the world…” J
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What is the motivation behind God’s gift of His Son? It’s a love for you and me! The highest form of love was used here, the Greek word Agape!  John presents a distinction between agapaō and phileō throughout his gospel. Agapaō is a great sacrificial love and phileo is a brotherly friendship type of love. God’s motivation for Christmas was you! The Angels made this clear to the Shepherds, the outcast of society of that time, that God loved even them. Luke 2:10-11 “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” The world– even the Gentiles.
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The Gift. “gave his only Son…”
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The greatest gift of all of mankind is Christ! We need Him more than air, because according to Colossians 1:16 is the creator of air, “for by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible…”. We need Him in order to be raised from the dead. According to Ephesians 2:1 which states, “and you were dead in the trespasses and sins.”  We need the Gift for eternal life according to John 3:17 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” 1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” J
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The Getter. “whoever believes in Him…” J
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How is the gift of Jesus Christ received? By faith! Paul makes this clear to the Ephesians and therefore clear to us today. Ephesians 2:8 “for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” J
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I want to define the word believe here in this context. In order to define believe we must look at it in the context of what the Giver did. God, the Giver, acted upon His love by giving His son. It was an action of love. It wasn’t an intellectual acknowledgment or agreement, but rather something very tangible. I could tell my wife while we were dating that I love her and can’t live without her, but if I never take action to marry her, it’s just an acknowledgment. The word believe here is like that! I surrender my full life into the trust and care of Jesus Christ. My finances, my friendships, my future (both temporal and eternal), my family, my food, my fun all hinge on the sovereignty of God as a result of my trust in Him! I’ve given Him everything. That is a Getter! An acknowledgment without action is how the demons are described in James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” What will God tell many who never surrendered everything? It’s stated in Matthew 7:22-23 “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
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3 Ways People Deal With The Gift
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  1. Rejection (Unbelief)
  2. Recognition (Acknowledgment, but no trust)
  3. Reliance (Total trust that leads to a transformed life)
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What is the requirement to become a Christian? Is it wealth, status, or family lineage? No, it’s faith! I want to point out again that the birth of the Savior was first announced to a group of outcast, the Shepherds! Many have this idea that you have to get all cleaned up and righteous to come to God. God is the only one who can do the cleaning! Come to Him, rely upon the Savior to transform you.
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The Greatness of the Gift. “should not perish but have eternal life.”
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The greatness of God’s gift of Jesus Christ is that we have a relationship with Him. We are made righteous through our relationship. It’s not what you know it’s who you know! We are saved from Hell, the wrath of God, and given everlasting life! Matthew states this plainly, Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
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Have you received God’s Gift? God’s Present is Christ’s Presence!