Dear Friend,

While some Christians do not observe Christmas, others enjoy giving and receiving Christmas gifts. But theirs are only imitations.

The real, original gifts came from above, and the whole Trinity was involved: the Father gave the Son, the Son gave the Spirit, and the Spirit gave the gifts. These heavenly gifts can't be wrapped and spread out under earthly Christmas trees. Why?

They are far too expensive - they cost Jesus His blood! They are far too expansive - they have spread around the world to every people. And they are far too extraordinary - they are completely different from any of our Christmas gifts. How so?

Our gifts are given from this world; God's come from above. We pay to obtain our gifts; God's are given freely by His grace. Our gifts express our human love for our small circle of family and friends; God's are tokens of His amazing divine love for all people.

Additionally, we choose which gifts we give (and often those we are given); God alone chooses which of His gifts we each receive. Our gifts may be returned and exchanged for another; God's are given "without repentance" (Romans 11:29), or they "can never be withdrawn" (NLT).

Furthermore, we are not accountable for how we use our gifts; we use them as we will without answering to anyone. We will be judged, however, for how we use God's gifts; Christ will examine us to see how (in pride, selfishness, or love) and how often we use them, and grant or deny us rewards accordingly.

There are more differences between God's original Christmas gifts and ours. The Father's, Son's, and Spirit's gifts are truly unique. They cannot be imitated. Let's ponder them.

The Father's monumental Gift cost Him everything: "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" so that "whosoever believeth" in Him will live, not perish, forever (John 3:16). This monumental Gift makes momentous changes in us: we receive a new nature, a new life, a new destiny, a new hope, all by way of a new birth. "Marvel not," said Jesus, "Ye must be born again," not born of human desire, or blood and water, but "born of the Spirit" (3:7-8).

No human can give another such a monumental gift. Nor can our gifts make such momentous changes. Only God's Gift does this. This stirred Paul to write, "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15), or indescribable gift" (NIV), that is "too wonderful for words!" (NLT).

The Son's gift is indescribably precious - the Holy Spirit! He offered a woman this Gift at Jacob's well. "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water" (John 4:10). Thus, if we "know" Jesus by spiritual rebirth, and subsequently ask Him to baptize us with the fullness of His Holy Spirit, He will do so. Once in us, His Spirit is a constantly flowing artesian well of living water, "a well of water springing up into everlasting life" (4:14), a "fresh, bubbling spring within" (NLT), or "gushing fountains of endless life" (MSG).

We may drill wells or buy bottled water, but no human can give another this well of supernatural water Jesus offers. It, rather He, won't fit in a stocking or on a mantle.

Finally, the Holy Spirit Himself gives us priceless "gifts," or multifaceted operations of the Spirit. According to 1 Corinthians 12, they are:

 * The word of wisdom, or wise, decision-making counsel given by the Spirit
 * The word of knowledge, or needed information about people or situations given intuitively by the Spirit's impression rather than intellectually through human observation, research, and reason
 * Faith - or Spirit-given ability to trust God extraordinarily, for miracles, long trials, or other exceptional tests of faith
 * Gifts of healing - not medical or other healing arts, but a touch of the Holy Spirit's supernatural power releasing a gradual restoration to full health
 * Working of miracles - the Holy Spirit's release of a sudden, supernatural, divine intervention to heal, deliver, or in rare cases, execute judgments (Acts 5:1-11; 13:6-12)
 * Prophecy - the ability to speak or write perfectly timed messages under the Holy Spirit's direct inspiration to encourage, deliver, guide, correct, or warn believers
 * Discerning of spirits - the Spirit-given ability to detect the presence and / or working of demonic spirits, so they may be foiled or expelled
 * Tongues - not our private prayer languages, but special Spirit-inspired utterances in unknown languages spoken in Christian gatherings and translated by Spirit-gifted interpreters to encourage, deliver, guide, correct, or warn those present
 * Interpretation of tongues - the Spirit-given ability to interpret the gift of tongues in Christian gatherings
 * And other gifts (administrations, helps, mercies, and so forth)

No human can give another these, the Spirit's amazing operations. Nor His other priceless gifts to the church: our Scriptures and ministers! These cannot be giftwrapped by our hands. Only God's hand - the mighty Holy Spirit - "gives them to each one, just as He determines" (1 Corinthians 12:11, NIV).

These, my friend, are the real Christmas gifts - given from above, given by grace, given to all who believe, given as tokens of Christ's love for us, given without retraction yet with accountability, and given to you! They create a circle of blessing.

That circle works like this. The Father gives us Jesus in the new birth. The Son gives us the Spirit in His Baptism. The Spirit gives us His gifts, or special operations, to bless us. Richly blessed, we then bless Father, Son, and Spirit with heartfelt, sustained thanksgiving, praise, and worship. Thus, God's gifts, and their blessings, return to Him who gave them, completing the circle of blessing.

If you give and receive Christmas gifts this year, while doing so look up, remember God's "indescribable" Gift and His gifts, and worship Him with all your heart for the real Christmas gifts.

Worshiping now,

Greg Hinnant
Greg Hinnant Ministries