THE UNOPENED GIFT

Several years ago, a woman in our congregation made me the most amazing white chocolate cheesecake. She used the finest ingredients. She put white chocolate shavings all over the outside. It was beautifully and lovingly prepared. It must have taken hours to create. She brought it to the church in a beautiful box, gave it to one of our staff, and said, “This is for Pastor Adam.” I was not in the office that day, so the staff member placed it in the refrigerator in the sacristy of our church. She planned to tell me about it but forgot. Six weeks later, the woman wrote me a note and said, “Did you like the cheesecake? I never heard back from you and just wanted to make sure it was okay.” I had no idea what she was talking about. Later, we found the cheesecake in the sacristy refrigerator, with the bow still wrapped around the unopened box!

Christ offers us the gift of salvation -- a word that is full of life and deep meaning. The gift came at a great cost to Him. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 NLT)  The gift was for you and for everyone you know. I would ask: Have you opened the gift? Have you accepted God’s grace? “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NLT)  And, knowing that Christ has asked you to share the gift with others, have you told them about it? Don’t wait until it’s too late to share the story of God’s amazing grace. 

-- Adapted from “Revival: Faith as Wesley Lived It” by Adam Hamilton

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