Episode Transcript
[00:00:12] Speaker A: Hello and welcome to another episode of worldwide Wonderful Women. I am your host, Paula Harris, and this podcast is for women who are all about learning how to live in God's divine power. It is produced on behalf of transformed worldwide ministries. Thank you so much for being here.
[00:00:39] Speaker B: Hello. This is episode number 357, and the title is, all I want for Christmas is you.
Mariah Carey has a song that is entitled all I want for Christmas is you. Now, you would have to be locked away for a century to not have heard this song or to have at least be aware of it. The songs of this season bring great joy and delight as we sing them. And though this one is not a religious song, it is a very popular one. What if I were to put you on the spot and had you make a decision on one gift for Christmas?
This gift is all that you want. And what if this would be the last gift that you would ever receive? Imagine it is your last chance to pick one last gift in your life. Now sit for a moment and think, what would that one gift be? In other words, all I want for Christmas is... I know we're using our imagination right now, but how would you complete that sentence in light of being the last gift that you would ever receive? Please just play along with me for a moment. Think about it. What would your answer be?
Okay, what was your answer? What did you come up with? No doubt someone would probably answer and say, paula, I don't want anything. I have everything I need and I am blessed and very content with what God has already given me. Believe me, I understand. I feel I'm in the same place, but just play along with me for a moment. What if you had to make a choice? What would your answer be? No doubt this Christmas you may give or receive gifts and express in your appreciation and love. This is a normal practice, especially around this time of year. Some gifts may last a few years before wearing out and having to be replaced or even trashed. Depending on the child, a Christmas gift may only last that day. Now I've seen that happen too. Scripturally, there is a one time gift that will last eternally beyond this life. The scriptures refer to this gift as eternal life. Now, when's the last time you reflected on eternal life as a gift from God our father? This gift from Almighty God is available to everyone, regardless of their size, age, preferences, color choices, or personal distinctions. You know details you may need to be concerned about when purchasing some other gift.
This gift never wears out or ceases to exist. No one can steal it. It doesn't lose its value over time. It really is a gift that is like no other. Have you ever stopped long enough to meditate on the scriptures that let us know that eternal life itself is a true gift from God?
Let's look at a few of these scriptures. In Romans, chapter six, verse 23, the ESV, it says, for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Then John, chapter ten, verse 28, the ESV, it says, I give them eternal life and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. Now, did you get that? I give them eternal life. When you give someone something, it's a gift. A gift is something that you don't work for and you don't pay for it. It's given to you. And so here the scriptures say, I give them eternal life. Now look at Ephesians, chapter two, verse eight and nine. In the ESV, it says, for by grace you have been saved. Now, saved is in reference to having eternal life. So by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing. It is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one can boast. One John, chapter five, verse eleven, says, and this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son. Now, let's dig a little deeper regarding this gift of eternal life. Now, we just read in one John, chapter five, verse eleven, and this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life. And this life, talking about eternal life, is in his son.
Now, look at John, chapter 17, verse three. In the new living translation, it says, and this is the way to have eternal life. Okay, Paula, that's great. You're telling me that eternal life is a free gift. Well, how do you have it? How do you get this gift? Well, John, chapter 17, verse three, is letting us know. It says, and this is the way to have eternal life. And what is it to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth? Whoa. Okay, so now I just found out. The way to have eternal life is to know God and his son, Jesus Christ, that he sent to earth in one John, chapter one, verse two. In the new living translation, it says, this one who is life itself. Now, did you get that? The one talking about Jesus, who is life itself.
Jesus is eternal life itself. All right. Was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the father and then he was revealed to us. So do you get that? Look at that.
Eternal life is a free gift that comes from God. But Jesus Christ himself is that free gift. He is that eternal life. To be a gift, it has to be received again. If you pay for it or work for it, it's not a gift. Jesus himself paid the price for this gift. You see, all of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God, and so our sin separated us from God. God did not want us to be separated from him. So Jesus came and fulfilled all the requirements that were necessary to bring us back into a relationship with God and not have us separated from him eternally. And how did Jesus do that? He did that by dying in our place, paying our sin debt, and then doing everything that was required so that our sins would be forgiven and removed from us as far as the east is from the west. The thing now is that we have to believe that Jesus did die on our behalf, that he was crucified on the cross, died, buried, but rose again. And now he is sitting on the right hand of God interceding on our behalf. And if we believe that and repent and have a change of mind and heart from continuing in our sin, but wanting to receive Jesus as our Lord and savior and receive the free gift of eternal life that he provides for us through his death, burial and resurrection, then we are able to receive the free gift of eternal life and have the abundant life that Jesus died for us to have. So it's through prayer that we invite Jesus to come in and to forgive us of our sin and to ask him to be our Lord and savior. So you might want to say just a simple prayer like this today. Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I have sinned, and I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I believe that you died in my place and paid my sin debt and took the penalty for my sin. And so therefore, by putting my faith and trust in you, my sins are forgiven. And I want you now to be the Lord of my life and come into my heart and rule in my life that I may live for you. Thank you for reconciling me back to God the Father. I give you praise in Jesus name. Amen. Now, it doesn't have to be long like that, but that's just to give you an example of what you might pray so that you can receive Jesus as your Lord and savior. And in receiving him, you have this free gift of eternal life. So to receive Jesus as your savior is to receive this free gift again of eternal life. John chapter three, verse 36 in the ESV says, whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever does not obey the son of God shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
So if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that he died in your place, and that he paid your sin debt, and you receive him as your Lord and savior, you are no longer under the wrath of God and will be eternally separated. But instead you have eternal life where you will be able to live eternally with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Now, after all that I shared, I trust that you will say, along with all believers, that all I want for Christmas is you and that you is the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you need more explanation and understanding, please reach out to us at our website. We'd be glad to make this more clear for you and help you to have a better understanding. So if we take each word from the title of the song, it would be something like this. Beginning with the first word all Jesus is all that you need. The next two words I want let your desires, your wants, center around Jesus alone for Christmas. The next two words, not just for Christmas, but always wanting him. His incarnation, his coming to the earth, made it possible for us today and every day to walk with him. And then the next word in the title of the song is, he is the alpha and Omega. He was, he is and always will be. And then the last word in that title, you, you, only pertains to Jesus Christ because he is the only one that can provide God's free gift of eternal life, beginning here on earth and then throughout all eternity. So all I want for Christmas is you.
John chapter 20, verse 31 says, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. And what type of life? Eternal life. That free gift that we were talking about. Well, praises to the king of king and Lord of lords. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah indeed. Well plan to join us next month and have a blessed Christmas and a happy new year. And this is the perfect podcast to share during this Christmas season. I hope that you will do so with others that you care about. And don't forget to smile. Jesus loves you.
[00:13:52] Speaker A: Thank you for listening. To make sure you do not miss any future episodes, please subscribe to our podcast. We want all to be able to live in God's divine power. Also sign up for our monthly newsletter on our website, twm forjesus.org please do share our podcast with others and Lord willing, we'll be together next month.
