Christmas morning brings excitement as we exchange gifts with family and loved ones. We eagerly unwrap presents, discovering the joy waiting inside. But here’s the truth: a gift left unopened does us no good. It could sit at our feet for years, but if we never unwrap it, we miss out on all its benefits and joy.

God has given every person the gift of salvation. Sadly, many people never open it. Others set it aside and forget about the joy it brings. Today, let’s explore this incredible gift and how we truly receive it.

Why We All Want to Be Right

Everyone wants to be right, especially when making big life decisions. Whether choosing a house, a spouse, or even what to eat for lunch, we desire to make the right choice. But when it comes to being right with God, the stakes become eternal.

The Pride Problem

We’ve all been in arguments where it becomes crystal clear who’s right and who’s wrong. Yet even when proven wrong, people often refuse to admit it. Why? Because swallowing our pride is difficult. This same pride affects how we approach God.

Two Prescriptions for the Sin Problem

Jesus told a parable in Luke 18:9-14 about two men who went to the temple to pray: a Pharisee and a tax collector. This story reveals two different approaches to dealing with our sin problem.

Prescription 1: Self-Righteousness (The Placebo)

The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank you that I’m not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give tithes of all I possess.”

Self-righteousness is like taking a placebo—it makes you feel better mentally but has no actual healing power. It’s a sugar pill when you need real medicine for a terminal illness.

Symptoms of Self-Righteousness

Righteousness by Comparison: When we compare ourselves to others to look better, we’re experiencing the placebo effect. We think, “At least I’m not as bad as them” or “I’m good because everyone else is messed up.”

This relative righteousness is dangerous because:

 

  • It’s an ever-moving scale
  • It separates us from hurting people
  • It makes us rejoice in others’ failures rather than their restoration

 

 

Works-Based Righteousness: The Pharisee listed his good deeds—fasting and tithing. While these are biblical practices Jesus endorsed, they cannot earn righteousness. Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Prescription 2: Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness (The Real Cure)

The tax collector “standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!'”

This man’s approach was completely different:

 

  • He owned his sin without blaming others
  • He came in humility, not pride
  • He asked for mercy, not recognition
  • His prayer was simple but sincere

 

 

What Does It Mean to Be Justified?

Jesus said the tax collector “went down to his house justified rather than the other.” The Greek word “dikaio” means to be made right, freed, made righteous, put in right standing, and declared innocent.

This is what God wants for everyone—to be made right through Jesus Christ.

The Reality Check: Are We Right With God?

Let’s test ourselves using the Ten Commandments:

 

  • Don’t covet: Ever wanted someone else’s car, house, or ice cream? Guilty.
  • Don’t lie: Check your driver’s license weight or streaming account usage. Guilty.
  • Don’t steal: That includes using someone else’s Netflix password. Guilty.
  • Don’t commit adultery: Jesus said even lustful thoughts count. Guilty.
  • Don’t murder: Jesus said anger and calling someone a fool qualifies. Guilty.
  • Honor your parents: Ever talked back? Guilty.

 

 

Romans 3 declares: “There is none righteous, no, not one.”

How to Receive the Gift

The Great Exchange

At the cross, Jesus made an incredible exchange. He became sin for us so we could become the righteousness of God in Him. When Jesus hung on that cross:

 

  • He took all our sin upon Himself
  • He was beaten, mocked, and disfigured beyond recognition
  • He paid the price with His blood
  • He offered us His perfect righteousness in return

 

 

The Simple Gospel

Romans 10:9 provides the key: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

It’s that simple:

 

  • Confess Jesus as Lord of your life
  • Believe He died for your sins and rose again
  • Receive His righteousness as a gift

 

 

The Transformation That Follows

When you truly receive this gift, it changes everything. Real salvation produces:

 

  • Different speech patterns
  • Changed desires
  • New lifestyle choices
  • Freedom from old habits
  • A heart that loves what God loves

 

 

This isn’t about following rules—it’s about transformation. When Jesus changes your heart, you no longer desire the things that once enslaved you.

Life Application

This week, examine your heart honestly. Are you trying to earn God’s approval through good works and comparing yourself to others? Or have you humbly received His gift of righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ?

The church has often complicated the gospel, but it remains beautifully simple. Like the thief on the cross who simply said “remember me” and received Jesus’ promise of paradise, salvation is available to anyone who comes in humility and faith.

Questions for Reflection:

 

  • Am I trying to be righteous through my own efforts, or have I received Christ’s righteousness as a gift?
  • Do I find myself comparing my spiritual life to others to feel better about myself?
  • Have I truly confessed Jesus as Lord and believed in His death and resurrection for my sins?
  • If I’ve received salvation, is the transformation evident in my daily life and desires?

 

 

The gift is available. The question is: will you open it?