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God's gift to us
For many people, the New Year is a time to leave old problems and fears behind and make a bold new start in life. We want to move forward in our lives, but mistakes, sins, and trials seem to have chained us to the past. It is my earnest hope and prayer that you will begin this year with the full assurance of faith that God has forgiven you and made you his beloved child. Think about it! They stand innocent before God. God Himself has intervened to pay your death penalty and crown you with the dignity and honor of a beloved child! Not that you suddenly turn into a flawless person.
God has bestowed upon you His immeasurable grace, an expression of His deep love. In his boundless affection, he did whatever was necessary to save you. Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, who lived like us but without sin, he freed us from the bonds of death and the power of sin in our lives through his death on the cross. The Apostle Paul describes this divine grace as an unspeakable gift (2. Corinthians 9,15).
This gift is Jesus Christ: "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not with him freely give us all things?" (Romans 8,32).
Humanly speaking, it's far too good to be true, but it is true. My confidence is that you will recognize and embrace the wonderful truth of God's gift. It is about allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us to be conformed to the image of Christ. It's about pouring out God's love on one another and on all those God brings into our lives. It is about sharing the wonderful truth of freedom from guilt, sin and death with all those who are willing to hear and believe the good news. Every person is infinitely important. Through the Holy Spirit we all share in one another. We are one in Christ, and what happens to one of us affects us all. Every time you hold your hands outstretched in love to another person, you have helped expand the kingdom of God.
Even though the kingdom in its full glory will not be here until Jesus returns, Jesus already lives powerfully in us through the Holy Spirit. Our work on the gospel in Jesus' name - whether it is a kind word, a helping hand, a listening ear, a sacrificial act of love, a prayer of faith, or the telling of an incident from Jesus - displaces mountains of doubt, tears down walls of hatred, and... Fear and overcome strongholds of rebellion and sin.
God blesses us with abundant spiritual growth as He draws us closer to Himself. Our Savior has given us such grace and love. As he helps us heal the wounds of our painful past, he teaches us how to show his grace and love to one another, to other Christians, and to our non-Christian family, friends, and neighbors.
by Joseph Tkach
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