"Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God." Matthew 5:9
Earlier in the week Molly Geralds reminded me of a blog I posted on December 14 called Every Good and Perfect Gift. Since peace is a "gift" of the Holy Spirit, we both thought it appropriate to post it again because it goes so well with this week's verse. Peace is something God gives us; it is not something to be worked for or bought. It is a gift from God. Consider "blessed are the peacemakers" when you think about peace being a gift you give away.
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“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17
With Christmas only eleven days away, I thought James 1:17 would be an appropriate verse to meditate on this week, since James uses the word gift. And if you’re like me, what gift to give someone is on your mind right now. And if you’re not like me, you’ve probably already made that decision, wrapped it and put it under the tree. :)
Anyway, James tells us not only does God give us gifts, He gives us good and perfect gifts which is the only part of the verse I want us to meditate on this week; please feel free to meditate on the rest.
First, let’s look at the verse in four different translations.
Young’s Literal Translation--
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
Complete Jewish Bible—
Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above,
New American Standard Bible—
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above,
New King James Version—
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above,
Do you see a pattern of words here that is not carried over into the New International Version, which is the one I most frequently use? Clearly these four versions show a difference between a “good and perfect” gift and “every good gift and every perfect gift.” Young’s literal translation, which obviously is a LITERAL translation and the New American Standard Bible, which is the most literal translation today, both say “Every good thing given and every perfect gift,” which, as I have read today, are the most accurate translations.
“Every good thing given” is different from “every perfect gift” in that “every good thing given” emphasizes the “giver” while “every perfect gift” emphasizes the “gift.” I never knew this before STUDYING this verse today. And I love this new insight. Whereas before, I had only seen this passage with respect to every good and perfect gift, I now see it as two gifts. That God is giving the gifts to me, is as great a gift as the gift itself.
I literally thank God every day for "every good and perfect gift" he gives me. Yet, even as I thank him, I wonder what "every good and perfect gift" really means. Today, I think I more fully understand.
If we look back in James at James 1:5 James tells us “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” NKJ So, from James, himself, we see that one of the “good gifts” God gives us is wisdom. Here are more—many more.
Matt. 13:11-12 The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. Did you ever think of these words in the context of knowledge? And did you ever think of knowledge as being a gift?
Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!
John 3:27 To this John replied, A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
Acts 5:31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 11:30 Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience.
Romans 12:6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve….
Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, though faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Ephesians 4:8 This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captive in his train and gave gifts to men.
Ephesians 4:11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers….
Titus 3:5 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
1 John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Knowledge. Wisdom. Holy Spirit. Forgiveness. Eternal life. Mercy. Spiritual gifts. Grace. Kindness. Salvation. Mercy. His Son. Atoning sacrifice. Life. And love, love, and more love.
Only God can give these gifts--perfect gifts; we cannot. How pitiful we are, if he has all these perfect gifts He wants to GIVE us, yet can’t, because no one wants to receive them. We must receive them first, but when we receive them we must give them away, lest they become a possession. A gift that is only received but never given away becomes a possession. And we do not possess these gifts -- any of these gifts—God does. A gift is only a gift when it is given away. I, literally, looked up the word possess or possession today to see if I possessed anything and what I thought was substantiated. Every time the word possession was used, other than in terms of demon possession, it was used as something to be given away – not kept. Therefore, that which I receive from God I do not possess; He gives it to me to be given away. And I give it to you and you give it to her, so she, too, can receive His gifts, that are to be given away again.
A few years ago I gave my dad a shirt and tie for Christmas. The next Christmas I went into “the junk room” and found his gift still folded neatly, in the same box I had wrapped the year before. I was saddened that he didn’t appreciate my gift enough to wear it -- like God must feel if I don't desire his gifts, i.e., to wear his name and clothe myself with Christ.
Here we are with all these gifts, perfect gifts, given to us by the Creator, the one true and living God who’s qualified to give the gifts—the ONLY one qualified. And yet we want other gifts. We want the other “worldy” gifts we fix our eyes on that are temporal. How do others know about the “gift” of eternal life, the “gift” of mercy, the “gift” of Jesus Christ, etc. unless we share our gifts with them?
Have we, like my dad, put God in a box, along with his gifts and never shared them with others? Have we ever experienced the gifts he so lavishes upon us?
This holiday season please remember that God gives “every good thing given” and “every perfect gift.” Remember to give them to others, lest they just become a possession -- not a gift at all.
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