Gifts of God!! - Part 2

The joy of receiving a gift, unwrapping it and seeing something that was far more than you could have imagined, is one of those highlights of the holiday season. I can recall a Christmas when I was in my early teens when it seemed that “Christmas” was all over. We had unwrapped all of our gifts and while I felt a little short-changed, I was still happy. Then, out of the blue, I was informed that there may be something else under the couch. I found a box there and lo and behold a brand new Winchester 12 gauge pump shotgun. Needless to say it was an awesome Christmas!!

God often does far more for us than we could imagine and so it is with our second gift - the gift of forgiveness. As we saw yesterday, repentance is an incredible gift - one that should never be undervalued even if it comes wrapped in sorrow and tears. The same verse that describes repentance as a gift from God, also mentions another fact.

“Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 5:31)

Moving forward from the brasen altar in the Tabernacle, there was found a laver which had an important function in man’s approach to God. It was a place of cleansing. Filled with water, all who entered the house of God were required to pass by here and be washed and cleansed.

Repentance, the first command of John the Baptist, Jesus Himself, the disciples sent by the Lord before His death and Peter on the Day of Pentecost, has a natural follow-up. It is called forgiveness. By this wonderful gift, God removes from our record the penalty and memory of repented sins.

“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7)

Man can experience no greater joy than knowing that his sins have been forgiven and blotted out by the one he offended - God Almighty. Without this gift, man’s sinful condition remains constant before his Creator. With it, man can approach God with a conscience void of all fear and condemnation.

Unlike some of the other gifts from God, this one is one we have to choose to receive.

“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:43)

Forgiveness, and remission of sins, are gifts that have to be received by faith by the one to whom it has been given. It is not enough for someone to be granted forgiveness, they must receive the gift. Too many Christians are hobbled in their walk with the Lord, not because God not granted them forgiveness, but because they have refused to receive it.

Take a great step forward in your faith, and receive what God has offered to you! If God has forgiven you, then receive that forgiveness in Jesus name!!

Gifts of God!! - Part 1

The wrapping can sometimes be deceiving. One can even be discouraged by the size of the package that it is placed into your hands. It is only when you unwrap the gift that you can actually know if you will be filled with gratefulness at the sight of what you desperately wanted or whether you will silently sigh as the “same old same old” stares blankly back at you.

God, our heavenly Father, sometimes gives us gifts that are cleverly packaged to disguise their value to the uniformed. It is only as you move past the exterior that you begin to appreciate that the gift is far more than you could have ever asked for. Even when God manifested Himself in the flesh, He came as a common man, having “no form nor comeliness” and when we saw Him, there was “no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2).

In the Old Testament, God gave to Israel, and ultimately the whole world, a cleverly wrapped package called “The Tabernacle”. When one moved past the wrapping, God had placed inside of the Tabernacle seven wonderful gifts to humanity. These gifts, and even their packaging, teach us incredible messages about God, His manifestation in the flesh through Jesus Christ, and even the full plan of salvation. Yet above everything else, these gifts guide God’s people into His presence, the greatest present of all.

In these days leading up to the festive season, we shall look at seven gifts contained in this auspicious temporary structure and discover that, as with all gifts, they are a reflection of the heart of the Giver. Time will not permit us to examine neither all of the gifts contained inside this subtle packaging nor all of the details that each contains. Yet, as with all gifts, we can appreciate the grandeur without knowing all of the inner workings. One can marvel at the complexities of a fine watch, and yet fail to understand how the wheels and gears make it all happen.

Upon entering the Tabernacle, and passing through the gates, one will encounter the first “gift” - an altar made of brass. This altar was where the Israelite and the “stranger” could offer their sacrifices unto the Lord. It was a place of death and sacrifice, all because of man’s sin. The shortcomings of humanity and the curse of Adam first meet the holiness of God at this sacred site.

While it may seem that it was man offering a gift to God at this place of bloodshed, it was in reality a place where man received a gift from God - the gift of repentance. For it was here that God gave to man a place where he could freely confess his sins and show his contrition to his Creator.

The Scripture tells us:

Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31)

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; (2 Timothy 2:25)

We see that repentance is something that God “gives” to us - a gift!! While we may not appreciate the personalized packaging that it often comes in - tears of sorrow and the cries of regret - it is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind.
How can it be said that something that requires confession of past wrongs is a positive experience? Once again, the gift is often a reflection of the heart of the giver. In this case, we are reminded:

“... the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

It truly is a good God, who graciously gives to his people this gift called repentance. Today, I thank the Lord for such a gift!!