The Greatest Gift

by Greg Quinn

November 17th, 2025

It won't be long before Christmas is here again. Christmas is celebrated all over the world as a time of peace, joy, family, good food, and the exchanging of gifts. Of course, for us Christians, it is the celebration of the birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Jesus, who came to earth from Heaven, took the form of a human, born humbly in a manger in a stable, lived a sinless life, died as a sacrifice for our sins, and rose again victorious over death to provide salvation and eternal life as a free gift to any who simply believe. This is the greatest gift!

Your "unmerited favor" (grace) is a free gift of God. The faith in which you believe to receive this gift is a free gift of God. And a gift must be received to be of any value. If someone gives you a gift at Christmas, if you refuse to accept the gift, then it has no value to you. If you accept the gift but leave the gift unopened, then it has no value to you. If you receive the gift then offer something in exchange, then it is something you earn not something you freely receive. If you can earn it, you are getting a wage for your earnings, not a gift. If you can win it, it's a prize, not a gift. If you can qualify for it, it's a reward, not a gift.

So the greatest gift ever given, forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Jesus' payment for our sins on the cross, is nothing we earn. It is given by grace (unmerited favor) alone. We get the grace as a gift. We receive this grace through faith, which is a gift also. Therefore, there is nothing we can do to earn salvation, forgiveness of sins, divine prosperity or health, eternal life; nothing we do on our part but receive. We believe what Jesus did for us and simply receive it as a gift. Like you will do this Christmas.

In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul puts it this way.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

This passage tells us that we receive grace (unmerited favor) of God through our faith, simply believing and accepting as a free gift. The grace is free. And even the faith is a free gift ("and that not of yourselves"). Both are the "gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast". 

Again, if we could earn it or do something to obtain this salvation, then it is not a gift but a wage. There is nothing we can do to earn this gift but simply receive it. Jesus did the earning for us; we only receive what has been provided for us.

The movie "A Christmas Story" had much meaning to me and my late brother Jeff because we lived the story in many ways. One year at Christmas, Dad did just what Ralphie's Dad did in the movie. Jeff and I had opened the few gifts we had (some candy and of course socks), but what we really wanted was not there. We both wanted a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Mom said we were too young. Dad said we couldn't afford it. But Jeff and I asked Santa and had hope that he would come through. Well, when all the present opening was finished and Jeff and I sat there disappointed for what was probably only a few minutes but seemed like hours, Dad said something like, "Let's see, I could have sworn that Santa had a few more presents that are not here under the tree. What is that over there?" Then stuck behind a cabinet on the other side of the room were a couple of long skinny boxes. Jeff and I ran over and got them, one said "To Greg from Santa" and one said "To Jeff from Santa". We rapidly tore into them believing what it was. And yes, both of us got one of the greatest gifts our young ages had received, a Red Ryder lever-action BB gun.

We had not done anything to earn this great gift. We didn't work for it. It wasn't a prize that we had won. It was a gift from our Mom and Dad (mostly Dad as Mom thought we were too young and, as in the movie, that we would "shoot our eye out").

Had we not opened the gift it would have had no value to us. If we would have expected to receive it due to something we did to earn it, we would not have received it at all because we were not that good of boys. It for sure wasn't a prize for good behavior. It was a free gift. Given in love. Whether we deserved it or not.

What God has done for us in our salvation is like unto this. It was offered as a free gift to us, but one very costly to God. 

We are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God". "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When man sinned, the penalty for sin was death. Someone had to die to pay for sin. But we didn't have to; God sent Jesus Christ His Son in our place.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

This is one of the most known passages in the Bible, for good reason. It is a very simple explanation of God's grace and love toward us in that He sent his son Jesus to die for our sins so that salvation and eternal life could become ours simply by believing. 

Sin came into the world due to Adam's sin. Salvation came into the world due to Jesus' sacrifice as payment for our sins. By one man, Adam, sin was placed upon mankind, and the punishment for this sin is death. By one man, Jesus, this sin was atoned for 
(paid for in full); Jesus died where we do not have to. And it comes as a free gift.

Romans 5:16-18
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
18 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.

This gift, this free salvation, is so remarkable and so amazing and such an expression of God's love toward us undeserving humans that Paul calls it an "unspeakable gift". The phrase "greatest gift" doesn't even qualify as words cannot express what God has done for us all through sending Jesus to save us from our sins.

2 Corinthians 9:15
15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

One of Jesus' disciples, Peter, admonished those of us who have received this gift to help one another. Once we have received the greatest gift, we should share this gift with others so that they too could experience the joys of salvation and living a life of peace and joy and health and prosperity and freedom from the guilt of sin. 

1 Peter 4:10
10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Andrew Womack puts it nicely when he says that "faith is simply obtaining what has already been provided by grace". As stated again in Ephesians 2:8-9, grace is a gift and nothing we can earn, and we receive this grace through our faith, simply believing and receiving.

Jesus died for our sins, past, present and future. His sacrifice paid for what we have done in the past. Jesus' forgiveness takes care of all our past sins, so there is no more need for guilt and shame. Jesus' sacrifice covers our current sins; things we do every day that "miss the mark". We may not commit the "big 10" (fail the 10 Commandments) such as murder and stealing and such, what we call the "big sins", but in God's eyes any sin is wrong and punishable by death. We only need to accept Jesus' forgiveness for these sins we commit today. And Jesus' payment for our sins and complete forgiveness includes the sins we may commit in the future. Amazing! But how can Jesus forgive sins we haven't even yet committed? Well, since he died for our sins over 2000 years ago, we were forgiven of any sins even before we were born. Jesus' forgiveness covers all our sins and failures, past, present and future. So Jesus' free gift through his grace to any that believe and receive this grace through faith covers what you have done wrong in the past, what you do wrong today, and what you will do wrong in the future. This is the greatest gift!

How do we receive this gift? We simply ask and believe.

Romans 10:9-10
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

What about you today? You cannot earn this salvation. It is a free gift. All you have to do is receive it. Will you do so today?

You can pray something very simple, right where you are, right now.

"Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe you are the Son of God who came to die for my sins and rose from the dead. I accept right now your free gift of grace and forgiveness. I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I accept you as my Savior and Lord. Thank you for saving me, Jesus."

If you prayed a simple prayer like this, you have the confirmation of the Scriptures that you are eternally saved. You can start today to enjoy a new life. Thanks to the greatest gift.

Get a Bible and read it. Start with the book of John and learn about Jesus, then read the book of Romans. Get in a Bible-believing church and learn from others who are on the same path as you. Pray for help from the Holy Spirit in learning more daily, and living better daily, through the power that is now in you.

You can start today with a brand-new life by receiving this free gift from Jesus. I pray that you have done so today. If you are already a Jesus follower then I challenge you to refresh your mind today as to what Jesus did for you more than 2000 years ago, and appreciate anew the benefits of this grace, this free gift, that you have received. And share this gift with others.

Soon we will be in the "gift giving season". Why not take this opportunity to share with others the greatest gift that has ever been given, the salvation and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord?

God bless you.

Greg Quinn