John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The most amazing of all treasures cannot be bought with vast sums of money, cannot be brokered by political or business deals, or cannot be acquired by great accomplishments in life. The most valuable of all possessions comes as a gift. The only way to obtain this gift is by faith. It’s not a reward for religious exercises or from long seasons of study, meditation, or religious duties. Salvation is the gift and it has been purchased by the death of God’s only Son. As Jesus said you must be born again. Receiving Christ into your heart is God’s plan of salvation, He is the greatest of all treasures available to man. Here is how Martin Luther describes this gift of faith.
“To whom does God give his beloved Son? God gives him to the world—the lost multitude who never deserved it. They could only expect to remain lost and condemned without him. God gave his Son to the lost so that they might be saved. Then what should you do for this loving God in return? Nothing! Don’t go on pilgrimages. Don’t do this or that good work. Instead, simply believe in Christ alone. Then you will be able to get rid of your old nature and cling to him. Your faith, of course, should be the kind that produces good works. You cannot take hold of this gift—the Son of God—with your hand… He is grasped only with the heart and by faith. When this gift comes into your heart, when you believe in Christ with your whole heart, then you won’t be the same person. Even if you once were a thief, an adulterer, or a murderer, you will become a new person, for you have the Light in your heart.”
Today’s verse is the summation of the entire Bible. The Bible is the story of redemption, the greatest love story of all. Mankind had severed his relationship with God, the ramifications of that rebellion placed man in the most precarious position imaginable. Created in the image of God but separated from Him for eternity because of our sin. God refused to loose His greatest treasure, He became a man Himself to represent our race by His death on the cross. He didn’t have to but He did. Today, this free gift is available for all of us. If you have never given your heart to Jesus, today would be a good day to do it. Ask Him for forgiveness for your sins and ask Him to come into your life. This will be the greatest moment of your life.