October 21, 2023
“Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also”.1 John 4:20-21 (NRSV)
“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 (NLT)
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord” Ephesians 5:8-10 (NRSW)
In a recent fellowship with my dear friend, Pastor Carol Davis, we were discussing various love-languages. During our conversation, I shared with her that my late husband, Robert, had a love language centered around giving and receiving gifts. He took great pride in surprising me with thoughtful gifts, often without any particular occasion. As an example, he consistently brought fresh flowers every Friday so we could enjoy them throughout the weekend and during Sunday dinners.
As I prepared for this week’s devotion, I was reminded of Dr. Gary Chapman’s book, “The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.” Dr. Chapman introduced the concept of “love-languages,” which was first published in 1992. His theory posits that individuals have different ways of expressing and receiving love, and he identified five primary love-languages.
What is your love-language? Would you say that God, our Savior has a love-language? I believe I can say that God has a love-language. Dr. Chapman’s theory suggests that people have different ways of expressing and receiving love, as he identified five primary love-languages. He also noted that everyone has a dominant love-language, but they may also appreciate and respond to the other love- languages to some extent. He also says understanding your partner’s love-language and communicating in a way that aligns with it can lead to a more fulfilling and harmonious relationship.
I believe God’s dominant love-language is also gift-giving. Yes, I believe that God’s top love-language is Gift-Giving because of His Gift to us. God sent His Son to earth to die for our sins in order that we could be forgiven and share in the gift of eternal life. This is available to all who repent of their sins and accept Him as personal Lord and Savior! The Word of God, the Bible, is very clear and reminds us that:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NRSV)
“Because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.” Romans 10:9-10 (NRSV)
The word “GIFT” is an important word in the Bible, and it is good that we understand its definition and implications. There are several Greek words translated “GIFT” in the New Testament. Some of these words are used in contexts other than God’s Gift of Salvation. However, when it comes to the matter of our salvation, the New Testament writers use different Greek words. They are words that emphasize the gracious and absolutely free quality of the gift. Here are the two words most commonly used for the Gift of Salvation!
1) Dorea, meaning “a free gift.” This word lays particular stress on the gratuitous nature of the gift. It is something given above and beyond what is expected or deserved. Every New Testament occurrence of this word is related to a spiritual gift from God. It is what Jesus offers to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:10 – which we studied in Bible Study Fellowship this week. It is the “unspeakable or indescribable gift” in 2 Corinthians 9:15. This gracious gift is identified as the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38; 8:20; and 11:17.
The adverb form of this word is Dorean, translated “freely” in Matthew 10:8; 2 Corinthians 11:7; Revelation 21:6;22:17. In Romans 3:24, immediately following God’s pronouncement of our guilt, we have this use of dorean: “Being justified FREELY by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.” The gift of salvation is free, and the motive for the gift is nothing more than the grace of the Giver – God Himself!
2) Charisma, meaning “a gift of grace.” This word is used to define “Salvation” in Romans 5:15-16. Also, in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT (charisma) of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This same word is used in conjunction with the gifts of the Spirit received after salvation in Romans 12:6; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Peter 4:10.
Clearly, if something is a “gift of grace,” it cannot be earned. To work for something is to deserve it, and that would produce an obligation, a gift of debt, so to speak. That is why works destroy grace as confirmed by the Word of God in Romans 4:1-5; 11:5-6.
When presenting “Salvation” , the New Testament writers carefully chose words that emphasize grace and freedom. As a result, the Bible could not be more clear, salvation is absolutely free, the true gift of God in Christ, and our only responsibility is to receive the gift by faith conformed in John 1:12; 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GIFTS GOD GIVES TO US?
The greatest gift God gave us was his Son. Through the gift of God’s Son, Jesus, he also gives us the gift of eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. “Thank God for his Son-a gift too wonderful for words!” 2 Corinthians 9:15
God gives us special spiritual blessings when we belong to Christ. He has identified us as his own by placing the Holy Spirit in our hearts as the first installment of everything he will give us. 2 Corinthians 1:22. Peter replied, “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38. “If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” Luke 11:13 “Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is the same.” 1 Corinthians 12:4
Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. God gives us his Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts. “ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 1:3.
God satisfies our every need. ”Nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things.” Acts 17:25.
God gives us many good things. The Lord God is our light and protector. He gives us grace and glory. No good thing will the Lord withhold from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11.
God gives us whatever is good and perfect. He does not give us bad things. Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. James 1:17.
And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but we have the free gift of being accepted by God, even though we are guilty of many sins. The sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over us, but all who receive God’s wonderful, gracious gift of righteousness will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. When the others heard this, all their objections were answered, and they began praising God. They said, “God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life.” Acts 11:18. What a difference between our sin and God’s generous gift of forgiveness. For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin. But this other man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s bountiful gift, Romans 5:15-17
God gives us the privileges of repentance and being born again, his forgiveness and his righteousness, and eternal life with him. These are gifts of subtraction-taking away our sin and guilt and condemnation-and also gifts of addition-forgiveness and righteousness and eternal life. All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me.” John 10:28.
HEART CHALLENGE: God Expects Us To Use The Gifts He Has Given Us For HIS GLORY.
As a Believer In Christ God has given us at least one gift – maybe you have been given more gifts based on His sovereign discretion. He has also equipped us with excellent resources to exercise the gift(s) He has given us to build and expand HIS kingdom for HIS glory and no credit to us. Jesus expects us to use our gifts so that they multiply, and the kingdom grows. He asks each of us to account for what we do with HIS GIFTS. While awaiting the coming of the kingdom of God in glory, we must be about doing HIS work.
The challenge comes when the church endorses, tolerates, and promotes giftedness or human talents to become popularized, making many, often leaders popular, becoming celebrities and on the border of worshiping them when God has called each to be SERVANTS – nothing more and nothing less. Being respected and honored for the office/position served is one thing, however, being lifted up and reverenced as more than God’s SERVANTS is in biblical error!
A CONVERTED 
HEART: WHAT ARE SOME GIFTS WE CAN GIVE TO EACH OTHER?
- We can give one another love. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
- We can give each other the gift of forgiveness. This merely reflects God’s greater gift of forgiveness to us. If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. Matthew 6:14
- We can give our spouses honor and respect. Isn’t that the gift we appreciate from them? Peter 3:7. In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. If you don’t treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard. Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” Proverbs 31:28-29
- We can be hospitable by giving the gifts of friendship and loving deeds. Dear friend, you are doing a good work for God when you take care of the traveling teachers who are passing through, even though they are strangers to you. 3 John 1:5-6. They have told the church here of your friendship and your loving deeds. You do well to send them on their way in a manner that pleases God.
- We can give with our finances and with our service. As the Scriptures say, “Godly people give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will never be forgotten.” 2 Corinthians 9:9
- We can meet others’ needs. In helping others with their needs, we give them gifts they cannot get themselves. “How much food do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.” They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.” They all ate as much as they wanted, and they picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. Five thousand men had eaten from those five loaves! Mark 6:38, 42-44. If you are really eager to give, it isn’t important how much you are able to give. God wants you to give what you have, not what you don’t have. Of course, I don’t mean you should give so much that you suffer from having too little. I only mean that there should be some equality. Right now, you have plenty and can help them. Then at some other time they can share with you when you need it. In this way, everyone’s needs will be met. 2 Corinthians 8:12-14
- We can spiritually bless one another; we can encourage one another to grow stronger in the Lord. This is the gift of spiritual blessing. I long to visit you so I can share a spiritual blessing with you that will help you grow strong in the Lord. Romans 1:11
FATHER GOD: Thank You for Your Word that gives us clear instructions on how to live and know more about You and Your LOVE for us. Thank You Father for Your precious and eternal gift of salvation and being one of Your children. Thank You for “The GIFT” that we did not earn, deserve, and could not afford. Please continue to show us how to live a radiant and real love-relationship with you Father, in the Precious, Powerful, and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen!