When you think about Christmas, what’s the most memorable Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Over my lifetime I’ve received so many gifts I cannot remember them all. But to this day I still remember the pinball machine my parents gave me when I was only seven years old. Yet, when I think about the most memorable Christmas gift I’ve ever received, the curious thing is that it wasn’t something I wanted. However, it was what I most needed. And, to this day, it remains the most important and valuable gift I’ve ever received. So important that my life depends on it, and so valuable that there’s not enough money in the world to replace it. That’s why the older I get the more and more I come to appreciate it. 

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT

No other gift has influenced me more than salvation; it has radically impacted every area of my life. I sometimes wonder why it is that so many people reject the gift of salvation. The problem is that many people don’t feel that they need a savior. But every time we look in the mirror, we’re looking at a person in desperate need of salvation. Not only eternal salvation but daily salvation as well. Some people need salvation from addictions, destructive behaviors, depression, or from a bad marriage. Now think about it, if you can’t save yourself from yourself, what makes you think that you can attain eternal salvation on your own? 

Christmas is a reminder that our Heavenly Father sent Jesus into the world to offer everyone the gift of salvation. Not only eternal salvation but daily salvation too. And, when you get to the place, even as a believer, where you realize that you need a savior, the amazing news is that everything you place at Jesus’ feet he’ll save. You can bring him your addictions, your lack of self-control, your bad marriage, your finances, and everything and anything and he will rescue you. But more importantly, you can bring him your entire life, your heart, and your soul and he will save you eternally. If and when you fully embrace the fullness of the gift, you too like me will say that salvation is not only the most memorable gift but also the best gift ever.