The Good and Perfect Gift!

James 1:16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Contrary to the previous verse where James warns against making the statement that God tempts us, or entices us to evil, he tells the believers to not be deceived. In fact, it is quite the opposite. God never wills evil. Instead God is the source of every perfect and good gift from above. It is perfect in the sense of fitting for what we really need. It is good because it comes from God who is good. He cannot not but give good gifts.

God's gifts will always be good and perfect because his nature and character never change. When we take time to think about the really good and perfect gifts in our lives, it is easy to see why they come from God. Like our birth, our parents and family, our friends, and the gifts he gives us to serve Him and others. And they are all from him.

Of course the greatest gift He has given us is Himself in the person of Jesus. Jesus shows how good and perfect God is. He never fails to do good in all of his dealings with us when he came to earth. His gifts are perfect in the sense of they they are he right thing, at the right time, for the right reason. He gave us the gift of forgiveness and a reconciled relationship with God, it is exactly what we needed. The time had come to fulfill God's plan for all time. Jesus was the perfect man and the perfect plan for all humankind.

When we are tempted to blame God for what goes on around us, we must remember God is good and perfect. He can never act or decide against His very nature and character. That is good news for us. The only question is have you received the gift? Have you in faith in the good and perfect gift God has given us in His Son Jesus Christ?

At just the right Jesus died for you and me? He knew exactly what we needed. The only question is will you accept this perfect gift and trust what God has given you? You can do that right now, God is always waiting for you. That will never change. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Acts 22 - Paul Sees the Light

Image
6  “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me.   7  I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me,  ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’  8  “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.  “  ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth,  whom you are persecuting,’  he replied.   9  My companions saw the light,  but they did not understand the voice  of him who was speaking to me.  10  “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “  ‘Get up,’  the Lord said,  ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do. This is the famous story of the apostle Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.  Paul was going there to persecute Jewish Christians and throw them into prison and he meets Jesus is a spectacular way.  Not only is he blinded by a briliant light, but he hears the Lord's voice audibly.  And the Lord asks him, "Lord, Lord why are you persecuting me!"  Paul thought he was serving the Lord, but he was persecuting him b
Read more

Hebrews 6 - Have You Graduated From Elementary School of Faith Yet?

Click Here to Read or Listen to Hebrews 6 6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so. The author once again picks up with the theme of moving on to Christian maturity.  He teaches them to move on from the "elementary" teachings about Christ. What does he mean by that?  He gives clues by citing repentance, faith, cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, and teaching on the judgment and resurrection from the dead. We might call these the basics of the Christian faith. If you read through the Apostle's Creed, which our church confesses in our 8am service, it contains many of these core doctrines.  Click here to see the Apostle's Creed Written Around “When we consider the
Read more

2 Timothy 4 - Fight the Good Fight! Finish the Race!

Click Here to Read or Listen to 2 Timothy 4 4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. Paul gives a closing charge to Timothy. First of all, he is to preach the word. God's Word speaks to all situations and seasons. The Word of God will sometimes correct us. Our lives can get of out alignment with God's will as outlined in
Read more