The Bible says, "For God so loved the world, that he GAVE..." (John 3:16).

And throughout Scripture we see what the preeminent gift of God is: salvation through Jesus Christ!

"For God so loved the world, that he gave HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Because God gave to mankind, His gift created the opportunity for Him to have more than an "only begotten Son." You see, Jesus used to be referred to as the only begotten Son of God. But now the Scripture describes Jesus as "...the FIRSTBORN among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29).

The word "begotten" means born of. Because I received Jesus as my Savior, I'm born of God - I'm a son of God. And you're a son of God, too, if you are born again. You are as much a son of God as Jesus the Anointed One is. The Bible describes Jesus as being your Elder Brother.

In fact, the Bible even calls us, the Church, Jesus, because it says that Jesus is the Head of the Church, which is His Body (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22,23; 5:23). The Church is the Body of Christ. And Jesus is the Head of His Body, the Church.

Well, if the head is one place, then the body must be there with the head, because the head can't be in one place and the body in another. Rather, where the head goes, the feet go, the arms go, the nose goes, and everything else goes!

Spiritually speaking, Jesus is the Head, and we're His Body. The Head gives the instructions, and the Body follows.

So God gave the gift of Jesus to us. That gift opened our hearts to God, and it created the opportunity for Him to receive billions of sons. And if we're doing our job of witnessing to the lost, then He's getting more sons every day.

Source: Making Room For Yourself By Keith A. Butler
Excerpt permission granted by Word Of Faith Publishing