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THE PERFECT GIFT Are You Looking for that PERFECT GIFT? CONGRATULATIONS! You just found it! Every year hundreds of millions of people around the world shop for countless hours in hopes of finding the perfect Christmas gifts for their loved ones, but seldom are such gifts found. Most people will grow tired of their presents in a very short time, and many presents will even be returned to the retailers for exchanges or refunds. Many children will have their new toys broken before New Year’s Day, and many parents will also have broken bank accounts. Although much can be said for the good cheer and warm-heartedness of the holiday season, it is far from perfect. In fact, many people hate to see it come and will be glad when it’s gone. Then there are others who never worry themselves over the stressful holidays because they’ve already found the perfect gift. They know that the Bible says in James 1:17, “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.” The perfect gift cannot be purchased at any retail outlet or on any web site because the perfect gift comes from God only. In John 3:16, the Bible says, “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.” Can you think of a more perfect gift than to freely receive everlasting life—to live forever without sin, pain, sickness or danger? Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Year after year people give to one another material gifts that will only last for a limited period of time, but God offers to everyone an eternal gift, the gift of salvation from sin, death, and hell through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. God’s gift lasts forever. We all inherited our fallen sin nature from our original ancestor, the first man, Adam. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” Romans 3:23 states, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” It wasn’t your fault that you inherited a sin nature, and God knows that, so He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to redeem you from your fallen condition. Just as a good doctor would cure some physical sickness that you might have, God is the Great Physician who has the cure for your sin problem. As someone has so rightly said, Life is short;Death is sure.Sin is the curse;Christ is the cure. Jesus Christ, the virgin-born Son of God, lived a sinless life and then shed His sinless blood and laid down that life as a payment for your sins. He died, was buried, and then He rose again on the third day so that you could have a living Saviour offering to you eternal life, an everlasting cure for your sin disease. If you were presently dying of a terminal disease and then someone cured you of your illness, would you not count this Christmas your greatest one ever? Would you not count your gift of life to be the greatest gift anyone could have given you? Well, friend, you are terminally ill. You are sick with sin, and only Jesus Christ can heal you. Jesus Himself once said, “They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2:17) God wants you to repent of (turn from) your sins and receive His free gift of salvation. John 1:12 says, “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.” You see, Jesus Christ is a GIFT to you from God the Father. You must receive Him just as you would receive any other gift. You cannot earn salvation because it is a gift, and a gift is to be received, not earned. Many today think they will escape the damnation of Hell simply because they have been baptized, are faithful church members or are doing certain works to merit their salvation, but such people are sadly mistaken. Nobody can do a better work than Jesus Christ has already done, so our salvation rests in fully trusting Christ, not in doing religious things. Friend, have you received the Lord Jesus as your Saviour? You cannot save yourself because you are a sinner who will die. Jesus Christ conquered sin and death, so only Jesus Christ can save you. Why not call upon Him right now? Confess that you are a lost and hopeless sinner in desperate need of His saving grace. God’s word has a precious promise for you in Romans 10:9-10. Here the Bible says, “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Don’t insult God by rejecting His free gift. After all, God’s gift is the most perfect gift anyone has ever offered to you. Receive that gift! Repent and receive Christ as your Lord and Saviour today and make this your best Christmas present.