The Greatest Gift.
The greatest gift that we can receive at Christmas is eternal life. In this legacy blog from former president Arnot McIntee, he explains how.
A Child’s Christmas Gift
Soon it will be Christmas Day. It hardly seems possible the year has passed so quickly and once again it is time to enjoy that precious and special time of the year. The children are ready. In fact, they have been looking forward to it for 364 days. For weeks now, Mom has been shopping, cooking, wrapping and she is about ready to collapse.
Do you ever stop to think of the gifts that you, as a child, received and all the excitement they brought to you? I do. I recall with delight the year I desperately wanted a piece of sports equipment. Unknown to my Dad, I saw him sneaking it into the house a few days before December 25th. Of course, I had to show my surprise at receiving it when the gifts were distributed that Christmas morning. On another occasion, I so clearly recall having asked for an electric train and then hearing my Dad play with it on Christmas eve.
Undeserved Gifts
Many of the Christmas gifts I received I did not deserve, but they were given by loving parents who sought to please their family of 4 children.
Will you think with me today of a gift none of us deserve yet it is available for the taking? It is a gift of inestimable value and like any gift is absolutely free. Let’s read about it in the Bible, the Word of God. We do so in Romans 6 and verse 23:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Turning to 2 Corinthians 9 and verse 15 we read,
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
How wonderful to know that God has a special gift for you at this wonderful season of the year! It is a gift, I repeat, none of us deserve. It is the gift of eternal life. This gift will last throughout time and eternity. Sadly, this gift, and the Giver, are often ignored, unnoticed and unclaimed by many.
A Tragic Evening
Some years ago the parents of an infant son held a party in his honour. As the guests arrived they saw the child laying on the bed on which they were to place their coats. Tragically, during that enjoyable evening, coats were accidentally placed on the sleeping child and when the guests were about to leave they discovered the lifeless form of the tot. There they found the lifeless form of the one they had come to honour. Is it possible we suffocate and lose the true meaning of Christmas because of all the commercial trappings and tinsel of the season? Thus the true meaning of Christmas is buried beneath the rubble.
The Gift of Eternal Life
God’s gift for you is eternal life. Let’s think about it for the next few minutes. As I go back to my gifts they were gifts that were known. I knew I was going to receive them. God’s great gift for you and me He made known more than 6,000 years ago. Listen to the words recorded in Genesis 49:10,
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. Genesis 49:10 (NKJV)
God promised, in ages past, that Shiloh, the peace bringer, would come, and He did. He was born as a babe in Bethlehem to live among men, and eventually die on a cross. There He made possible everlasting salvation and peace between God and man.
Take God’s Gift of Eternal Life This Christmas
As you prepare for Christmas, are you willing to take God’s free gift of eternal life? Recently, I watched a television program in which a man was sincerely seeking peace with himself and God. Sadly, he was being led by teachers of religion representing ancient philosophies and mysticism which can never give peace to the troubled soul or enlightenment to the mind.
As he was sold his bill of goods I felt so sorry for him and wished I could have his time and attention to explain the simple and appealing plan of God’s eternal salvation. As he continued his quest he went from one unsatisfying experience and philosophy to another only to add to his disillusionment and frustration. O my dear friend, don’t be deceived by the peddlers of ancient unfulfilling philosophies or even modern Christless religion when all the time the gift of God, which is everlasting life, is available for the taking.
As you impatiently wait for the arrival of Christmas Day, don’t carelessly forget the greatest of all gifts. It is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christmas at a Cost
As I again return to those gifts of past Christmases, I realize now that they came to me at a cost. My parents had to pay the price that I might enjoy them. That cost however, was nothing compared to the great cost of the gift of eternal life God has for you. As the apostle Paul thought of it he said,
“The Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
To make possible your salvation, or to make available the gift of eternal life, it was necessary for the Son of God to love and give Himself for you and me on a cross outside Jerusalem. You and I don’t deserve such a gift, and yet Jesus, God’s Son was born of a poor Jewish peasant girl and eventually He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. God’s gift cost Him His all. It cost Him His nearest and dearest. It cost Him His Son. Imagine, if you can, the feeling of a loving devoted Father when He sacrificially gave His Son to the death of Calvary’s awful cross!
Indescribable Gifts
Those gifts I received as a boy were readily describable. The gift, however, that God has for you surpasses description. Listen again to the words of 2 Corinthians 9:15,
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
When He gave His Son to make possible a gift for you He could do no more. He could give you no more. God’s gift is unspeakable or indescribable. Included within that great gift is heaven with all its thrills and joys. Wouldn’t you like to know at this Christmas season that you are on your way to heaven. You may know that joy if you are prepared to acknowledge that you are a sinner and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Listen as He says,
Believe on the the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31 KJV)
Assurance of Heaven and Sins Forgiven
By that simple act of believing the truth of God’s Word you may have the assurance you are on your way to Heaven. This gift of unspeakable greatness gives the recipient the thrill of sins being forgiven. Isn’t that exciting? If it were possible for an earthly friend to give you that assurance, I am certain you would take it. Today however, it is the Sovereign God of the universe who offers you this great and precious gift. How can God offer you sins forgiven, did you ask? He can do so because of the atoning work of His dear Son. He makes that fact unmistakably clear when He says in I John 2:12,
I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. (I John 2:12 NIV)
God can assure you your every sin is forgiven for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ who died for you. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to begin this special season of the year with the knowledge your sins are forgiven? This indescribable gift of eternal life not only gives you the joy of sins forgiven and an eternal home in heaven, it gives you the confidence of fellowship with the Lord Jesus. Wouldn’t you like to receive and enjoy such a gift? You may, before this program draws to a close, by placing your faith in the One who died to make possible that wonderful gift.
A Free Gift of a Trip to Ecuador
Some years ago a friend called to say he would like to send my wife and me on a trip to Ecuador. What a thrill it was to receive such an invitation. I can assure you it did not take us long to accept that generous offer. We readily accepted his kind gift and enjoyed the experience immensely. Since then we have enjoyed reliving those days again and again in our thoughts. We were offered an attractive gift. We were required to reject or accept that kind invitation. Today, you too, are offered a gift of even greater magnitude. It is on you can accept or reject.
In Romans 6:23 the results of accepting or rejecting the gift of Eternal Life are clearly stated as it reads,
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The acceptance of the gift of God gives eternal life, while refusing to accept that gift results in eternal death. Friend, God’s indescribable gift bears your name in John 3:16, the One who offers the gift of eternal life said,
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)
Your name is in the word “whoever.” Through that beautiful, all inclusive word, the gift of God is made freely available to you.
Accept God’s Free Gift
May, as our meditation time draws to a close, I invite you again to accept God’s free gift. What better time to accept the Saviour than at this season of giving and receiving. Let me close as I quote again Romans 6:23.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Will you accept God’s wonderful gift of eternal life as we pause to pray?
Have you received the greatest gift of all? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
An FBH Legacy Project
This blog post was originally recorded by Arnot McIntee, former president of FBHInternational. His typed notes, now preserved in pdf format show that it was “Program No. 2200” and was aired on December 19th 1993. Arnot’s handwriting at the foot of the document show a recording time of 13 minutes and 25 seconds.
The typed notes were prepared for HopeStreamRadio blog format with only minor changes. The original recording is now preserved as the lead track in one of our Christmas Playlists. It can also be found in the body of the blog above.
Arnot McIntee
It was under Arnot McIntee’s direction (beginning in 1955) that the ministry of FBHInternational grew to have international impact. Early in his tenure, he began to equip a studio where “Family Bible Hour” programs could be recorded. The first place was the basement of the McIntee home. In the 1970’s, Arnot leased a commercial space on King Street in St. Catharines which moved the ministry along a more professional trajectory. This space provided administrative and financial offices as well as a studio.
Arnot continued to serve until 1995 – completing 40 years of service to the Lord through “Family Bible Hour.” During this time, the gospel was broadcast in more than twenty languages in various parts of the world as opportunities presented themselves. In 1994, Arnot accepted Trans World Radio’s “International Broadcasting Award.” The wording on the award fits him perfectly as he exhibited an “exemplary spirit and commitment to communicating God’s word to the world by radio.” It is not surprising that the names “Arnot McIntee” and “Family Bible Hour” are inseparable in the minds of radio listeners
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More Blogs
In the Fullness of Time – Jesus’ Birth
In the Fullness of Time – The Virgin Mary
Why Did Jesus Say “I Am the Bread of Life
Images courtesy of:
Christmas Gifts – PhotoMix-Company
Christmas Market – chriswanders
Manger Scene – geralt
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