The Unspeakable Gift

I preached this sermon December 4, 2011

Text: 2 Corinthians 9:15

Introduction: This time of year we are reminded that God gave the greatest gift of all. God the Son became man, we call it the incarnation. Our text tells us that it is God’s unspeakable gift, the word meaning indescribable, in the sense that all that could be said about God’s gift has yet to be said. It is kind of like counting your blessings, you just can’t number them all. God’s good gifts are higher than the mind can conceive and higher than words can express. But today I’ll make an attempt. True, I can’t describe every gift that God has given us. James 1:17 states Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

In fact, this one verse is Paul breaking out in praise to God, overwhelmed by His goodness and His gifts. So I will not try to talk about every gift that God has given, such as spiritual gifts, I will look at some very important gifts that should cause us to express praise and gratitude such as Paul. If these gifts don’t lift your heart, if they don’t move you the way Paul was moved then I don’t know what will. What is God’s unspeakable Gift?

The Gift of God’s Son

Gal 4:4-6 ⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Romans 5:6-11,-18 ⁶For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

⁷For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

⁸But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

¹⁰For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

¹¹And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

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.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world…

– There is a secular Christmas – it is about Santa and reindeer, about decorations and presents, about parties and snacks, about children and family. And there is nothing wrong with any of those things, I enjoy those things as much as anybody. But we must remember there is a real Christmas – a time that we remember the greatest gift ever given, the Son of God. You may choose to celebrate the secular Christmas, but don’t do so at the expense of acknowledging the greatest gift of all. This Christmas, take some time to reflect on the birth of Christ, read the Christmas story as recorded in Luke and Matthew, sing or listen to some of the beautiful Christmas hymns, and remind others in a warm sort of way what Christmas is about

The Gift of God’s Grace & Salvation

2 Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Eph 2:4-9 ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Rom 10:9-10 ⁹That 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.

¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

– Grace is truly amazing. It is so much ingrained within the human heart to earn God’s favor, to earn heaven. But we never can. We want others to earn our favor, and God’s favor.

-show grace to someone this season. Do something nice for someone who in no way deserves it, give something to someone who didn’t earn it. That is grace, we can learn more about grace the more we show grace.

The Gift of Life

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 John 5:11-12 ¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

¹²He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

– The devil would steal your gift. God is offering, he can’t steal it, but he is doing everything to convince you that you don’t need it. But there is no other way to have life.

Good works won’t save you, science may extend your life a few years, but you are still going to die. You must be born again and have the abundant life of Christ.

The Gift of Christian Fellowship

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

We already saw in Galatians 4:4-6 and vs 7 says ⁴But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

⁵To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

⁶And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

⁷Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

joint heirs with Christ Romans 8:14-17 ¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

¹⁷And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

distinctions erased – Gal 3:26-28 ²⁶For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

– a part of the family of God – you will find no greater bond on this earth. You can meet another Christian for the first time and immediately you can have a tight bond of fellowship!

-Romans 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?