Bridge to LifeSample

The Ultimate Gift It’s been said that every religion outside of Christianity is essentially man’s attempts at reaching God through a series of good works. Christianity is God’s plan to reach into our lives and restore the union that was broken way back in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve’s sin. You and I have nothing in the form of good works that we can offer a holy God. Only a holy and perfect sacrifice will be sufficient to pay for our sin. God has provided a gift beyond measure through Jesus, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT) There are three possible responses when someone is offered an extravagant gift. They can (1) receive it gladly, (2) try paying for it, or (3) reject it. Can you imagine buying an expensive Christmas gift for someone only to have them try paying for it or refusing to receive it? What an insult! In the same way, any man-made attempts to pay for our eternal salvation are an insult to Jesus. When people outright reject God’s means of salvation through Jesus, they are choosing to pay for their sin. Since our sin is against an eternally holy and perfect God, the just penalty is eternal punishment in Hell. Nothing else will satisfy the wrath of a holy God outside the precious blood of His perfect and spotless Son. “For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT) This is an offer we would be utter fools to refuse. A chance to go from eternal rags to riches. Prayer: "Father, what a gift we have been given! None of us could ever boast in Your presence. None of us could ever bring anything of value as a means of payment. Fill us with a desire to bless others as a result of the blessing You have lavished upon us. Thank you for this extravagant grace You have shown us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen."