THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE
(Preached at Bible Baptist Church, Martin, TN, 2007, by James Melton)
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (John 10:28-29)
In our text, the Lord Jesus said that eternal life is something that He gives to people. It isn’t something that one earns, nor is it something for which God awaits a repayment. Eternal life in Jesus Christ is a gift of God to all who will receive it.
John chapter ten is not the only passage that speaks of eternal life as a gift. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:18 says, “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” In Ephesians 2:8, we find the familiar words, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Then, in II Corinthians 9:15, Paul says, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” Of course, there are others.
So, one thing is crystal clear in the Bible: salvation is a gift. It is not a reward or a continuing process, as the cults teach. Salvation is a gift to men from God, plain and simple. Having established that basic fact with Scripture, let’s consider a few points about how salvation is like a gift.
I. IT’S A SPECIAL OCCASION WHEN YOU RECEIVE A GIFT
Every married lady you know can well remember the moment that she was given her engagement ring. That was a very special occasion. Of all the ladies in the world that this man could have taken an interest in, he chose her. That was special, a very special occasion, and she’ll never forget it. The day before might not have been a bad day, and the day after was probably a good one, now that she was engaged, but none can compare to that day, not until the wedding day.
So it is with Christ and His bride. One day he asked you to be His bride, and you said, “Yes.” Then, instead of sealing the agreement with a ring on your finger, He made a more certain claim by sealing His spirit in your heart until the day of the wedding (Eph. 4:30; II Cor. 1:22).
It’s a special occasion when you receive a gift, be it an engagement, a wedding, an anniversary, a birthday, Christmas, or something else. So, it’s a special occasion when a sinner receives the gift of eternal life. Even the angels of heaven rejoice over it (Luke 15:10).
I’m very skeptical about people who say things like, “My wife is the best thing that’s ever happened to me” or “The day my child was born was the greatest day of my life.” For some reason, they never speak of their spiritual birthday as being special! There’s something strange about that!
I received an e-mail this past week from Brother Knox. He said that he had just celebrated his thirtieth spiritual birthday. Amen to that! Every Christian ought to think that way. If not for your spiritual birthday, you’d be living a wasted life and on your way to hell. Thank God for that special day on which you received His gift of eternal life. It was unlike any other day you’ll ever have.
II. YOU DON’T FULLY COMPREHEND AND APPRECIATE A GIFT UNTIL YOU OPEN IT
Sure, it’s nice to be handed a pretty present all wrapped up just for you, but are you really going to like the contents?
I hate receiving gifts from people that don’t know me very well because I know I’m not going to like it. It’s not that I covet a gift of any kind. It’s just that I hate having to act all nice and pretend that I like something stupid, like a book by Billy Graham or Rick Warren. People think that anything religious will be just perfect for me, and most of that stuff is just junk, yet I have to pretend that I like it. I hate doing that! Someone once gave me a book by that Schuller guy out in California. Man, it was just terrible! Yet, I had to act all thankful and excited about it. I hate those awkward moments!
But you don’t have to worry about the Lord doing that to you. He knows you better than you know yourself! His gift for you is a perfect gift! His robe of righteousness is a perfect fit, and you’re going to love wearing it!
But, if you’ve never received His gift, then you don’t know that. You’re still having your doubts, wondering if this is the best thing for you or not. Friend, why would a good and holy God give you anything less?
You know, kids learn who gives the best gifts at Christmas and at birthdays. They know that grandma Myrtle always gives something corny and way out of style. They know that grandpa Fred always reaches into his wallet and gives out cash, which they always enjoy. The gifts from mom and dad are usually pretty good as well, but the main attraction is when wealthy grandpa John arrives. Now, he knows how to give a gift! It might be a trip to Disney World or the Super Bowl, or maybe even a new four wheeler or a new truck, but it is never a disappointment. Grandpa John knows how to give a gift!
Friend, God knows how to give a gift! He’s never out of touch or out of step with the times. God knows exactly what you need! You can’t fully comprehend and appreciate the gift of eternal life through Christ until you receive it and open it, but you can trust that God the Father knows how to give the best gift and will do so.
III. IT’S AN INSULT TO REJECT A GIFT
Imagine someone going through the effort of shopping and purchasing a gift just for you. They bring it home and wrap it, thinking the whole time of how you’re going to like the gift. Then when they present it to you, you reject it and hand it back to them! That would be an insult to the giver!
Well, that’s what people do with God’s gift every day. There isn’t a day that goes by when someone isn’t convicted by the Holy Ghost of their sinful condition and their need for Christ, yet they push Him away and continue on in their trespasses.
And don’t you know that God went through far more trouble to bring the gift of eternal life to you than you ever go through to purchase any gift. When I grow tired of shopping, I quit and go home, yet God never quits.
In Genesis 3:15, God made the original promise of a redeemer for you and I when He promised that the seed of the woman would defeat the seed of the serpent. That was a promise of the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the Old Testament Satan tried to destroy that promise, but he never succeeded . . .
By Genesis chapter 6, all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. All but Noah’s family, that is. God preserved the seed up until then, then He preserved it through the great flood.
Then Satan used Ham in an effort to destroy that promised seed, but God was faithful and kept His promise.
Don’t you know that Satan had high hopes in seeing the seed destroyed when God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering on Mount Moriah! Yet, God was faithful in providing Himself a sacrifice so that Isaac, the carrier of the promised seed, might go on living.
Satan tried destroying the seed in Egypt, in the wilderness wanderings, with David and Bathsheba, and in the idolatrous practices of apostate Israel and Judah, yet God remained faithful and preserved the seed of the woman.
Then, at last, the Lord Jesus was born. Did Satan give up? No, he commanded that all children under two years old be killed. The seed of the woman had appeared, and Satan wanted Him dead. God saw to it that the plan failed and the child grew.
When Satan tempted Jesus, one of the temptations was for Him to cast Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple, an obvious attempt to kill Him, yet Jesus was all-wise and didn’t fall for the scheme.
The efforts to kill Jesus continue right on up until Calvary, when, finally, He chooses to GIVE His life. He said, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:18) Ah, how marvelous! The only way that the life of Jesus Christ could come to an end was under the condition that He be able to raise Himself back up again—before His flesh could see any corruption. “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Psa. 16:10) The whole thing was planned and carried out by God so that He might offer to YOU the gift of eternal life, the perfect gift that only God can give!
Yet, after all that effort, after God’s incredible labour of love, you look at Jesus Christ, the Son that is GIVEN unto us (Isa. 9:6), then you push Him away and reject Him. You know, that just might cause God to withdraw Himself and never offer salvation to you again. Proverbs 1:24-26 says, “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.”
Friend, don’t be a fool and reject Jesus Christ. Don’t insult your Creator Who had done all that He could possibly do to save you from eternal damnation. Be humble, be thankful, and receive His gift with great gladness.
