The Best Present of All

Isn't it exciting to receive presents? It wouldn't be surprising if
birthdays and Christmas-time are your favorite times of the year!
But did you know that there is a present that is better than any
toy, book, or game?

The best present of all is the one that Jesus offers to you. It is
called the gift of salvation. You may wonder, why do I need to be
saved? You may think that you are not in trouble or in need of
anything. But the Bible, God's Word, tells us that every person is
a sinner ("For all have sinned..." Romans 3:23). That means that
we all do, think, and say wrong things that do not please God.
Our sin makes God sad and angry. The Bible also tells us that we
deserve to be punished for our sin: "The wages of sin is death"
(Romans 6:23).

But I have something to tell you that is both sad and exciting.
Many, many years ago, God sent His Son Jesus to earth as a
man. One day something very sad happened -- people who did
not believe in Jesus nailed Him to a cross and He died. He did not
deserve to die, for He never did anything wrong. But this is the
exciting part -- Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our
sin! He loved us so much that He died so that we would not have
to be punished and so that we can go to heaven!

The Bible tells us that if you believe in Jesus and the fact that He
died for your sins, you can be saved. "If you confess with your
mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9)." That is the
best present of all! Jesus is holding out to you the gift of
salvation, and all you must do is take it. Salvation is free -- there is
nothing you can do to deserve it. Romans 6:23 says, "...the free
gift of God is eternal life..." Believe and you will be saved from
your sin! Ask God to forgive your sins and help you to obey the
Bible! Read your Bible to learn more about Jesus. Pray that God
will help you see that you need to ask forgiveness for your sins
and believe in Jesus, God's Son.

Written for you by Charissa Reuther Khan

"The Best Present of All"