Another aspect of receiving a gift ties to whether or not we value the gift. The person I love the most in the world could offer me a beautiful young healthy skunk with stink glands intact, and I would not receive it. I do not value, in any way, having a beautiful young healthy skunk.
While I’m on the subject of the value of gifts, I’d like to present a question I have about the English language.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, worth means “monetary value; the equivalent of a specified amount or figure” and price means “the amount of money given or set as consideration for the sale of a specified thing”.
So why does worthless mean “useless or valueless” but priceless means “having a value beyond any price”? I imagine there is some reason, but it seems “delightfully amusing, odd, or absurd” to me (which is also a definition of priceless). Thank you for allowing me that diversion.
God’s desire is for us to receive His priceless gift of salvation and the Bible tells us the great value in His gift. God’s purposes are for our eternal good and His eternal glory. What we believe as truth from God’s word impacts how we receive from Him. Receive God’s word as truth and reflect that truth to others.
1 Timothy 2:3-6
3This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.
God’s word to us and salvation are valuable beyond compare. God’s truth is given in the Bible and we receive His truth through salvation in Jesus.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Jesus paid the high price and He is the only way to eternal life and relationship with God.
In John 8, Jesus was teaching in the temple. As He taught, many believed in Him and Jesus told them the great value of listening and following the truth of scripture.
John 8:31-32
So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
Freedom is a priceless gift. In salvation and discipleship, we not only learn the truth but also experience freedom. In our world of slavery to addiction, approval, work, money, stress, busyness, illness and health, we should highly value freedom.
John emphasizes, in third John, that as we receive God’s word as truth, we also can share His gift with others.
3 John 1:3-6
For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
When we have freedom, we want to share the gift with others. As we share in love, we encourage others to receive God’s priceless and beautiful gift of salvation.