I have noticed that gifts usually have three characteristics that identify them as out of the ordinary. First, they are worth something. Second, there was an intentional investment made in giving it to me. And third, I had a particular need for the gift. Worth, investment, and need are the keys to giving good gifts. I want to explore further what it means to have victory in Jesus using the acronym W-I-N.
The gift of Jesus Christ is worth more to mankind than anything else on the planet. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Think about it, according to God, the consequence of our sin is death. How many times do you have to lie to be a liar? How many times do you have to steal to be a thief? How many times do you have to commit sexual acts outside of marriage to be sexual immoral? How many times do you have to get drunk to be a drunkard? How many times do you have to use profanity to be impure? Guess what, the answer to all these questions is the same. ONE!!! Your one sin is worthy of eternal death according to God's righteous standard. Only when you understand this point can you appreciate what Jesus did for you. Sin is so serious to God, it required the ultimate sacrifice, the life of His son, to pay the penalty of it and remove it from our lives.
Remember, without Jesus we are sinners, unrighteous and found guilty of breaking His law. One of the principles that the Old Testament teaches us is that a blood sacrifice is required for the forgiveness of sins. Hebrews 9:22 says, “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Our prison for breaking the law is hell. Would you go down to prison and offer the life of your Mom, Dad, child or best friend for the release of a criminal? Of course not! Nothing is more valuable to me than my sons. What if one of my sons had to die for the release of a prisoner? Sorry, that prisoner is going to die. However, by sending Jesus to the cross, God did the opposite for you and me. Hebrews 9:15 says, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.”
When it comes to your salvation, I hope you are not like this person who failed to cash in on a sure winner. January 31, 2005, was the last chance for someone to cash in their Illinois lottery ticket entitling the lucky number holder to $14 million. No one came forward.
A gas station mini-mart in Frankfort, Illinois, verified the ticket had been sold at their location 12 months earlier, but the winner failed to claim the windfall. Despite an aggressive local and national television campaign to find the person with the winning numbers, it was all for naught. "It's really unfortunate because when our players play the game, we really want them to take advantage of the winnings," Illinois Lottery Supt. Carolyn Adams said.
As state law dictates, the money will be given to the State Common School Fund, which supports public education programs.
In much the same way, millions fail to cash in on the priceless gift of eternal salvation offered freely in Christ's death on the cross. Stay tuned for part two.
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