And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”     Acts 2:38

During this holiday season, many of us received gifts. For most of us, there were probably gifts we loved and gifts that were so-so if we are being honest. But there were probably also gifts that we would prefer to return. They may be the wrong size. They may be the wrong color. Or, they may simply be something we never see ourselves using.

The biggest question is what you will do with the most important gift you can ever receive? What will you do with the gift of salvation offered by God through His Son, Jesus Christ? Just as with any gift we opened this Christmas season, we have a choice with the gift of salvation. We can receive it, or we can reject it or return it.

Maybe you are considering this. Maybe you have already decided. Sometimes we get excited about salvation. We may even make a public profession of faith and be baptized, but then it seems like too much work. It seems as though we are giving up too much. And then we make a devastating choice to let it go. To just return to our old sinful ways. It feels more comfortable there. Our sin can become like a well-worn shoe or like that favorite blanket or old sweatshirt.

I just ask you to consider one thing before you return this gift. Consider the fact that our life here on earth is temporary. The comfort of the sin you enjoy now is short-lived. Before you know it, you will be faced with your eternal destiny. Where do you want that to be? See, our sin leads us to an eternal destiny in hell. We are told that there is moaning and gnashing of the teeth there. It is described as the lake of fire. The worst part about this place, though, is that God won’t be there. It will be eternally too late to receive His free gift of salvation once we get there.

If you want to spend eternity in heaven, you have to prepare for that now. You must accept Christ as your Savior. You must be willing to surrender your life to Him, the good and the bad. And you must understand that there will be suffering along the way. There may be times when you want to give up, as you will experience times of testing, but you must be strong. Fortunately, you can rely on God’s strength. He will be there with you all the way. He will strengthen you so you can do all things through Him (Philippians 4:13).

Most of us would reject a gift if we knew it would cause suffering. But the gift God offers allows us to suffer for a little while, but to spend eternity in the glory of heaven with God the Father.

So, as you think about returning some of your gifts, I strongly encourage you to keep the gift of salvation. I promise you, you won’t regret it.

Have a great day!