We began the service reading from James 1 verse 17. Let me read it again. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

This time of year, I know I think of both giving and receiving. And probably like these hymns we just sang, those thoughts shouldn't be limited to just the month of December.

These hymns we sang this evening, just listen to some of these words. Come and behold Him. Come and behold Him. Glory to God. Glory in the highest. Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. God was made a man, made flesh, dwelt among us. Come, come let us adore Him.

David and Kerry played that prelude to begin to the service. Listen, silent night, holy night, son of God, loves pure light, radiant beams from thy holy face with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus, Lord at thy birth, Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

I pick out songs, I'm the one guilty of this, but we could just, couldn't we just sing those year round? Just at any time.

But back to my original point here, this thing of gifts, that's been on my mind, but turn to 2 Thessalonians 2. 2 Thessalonians. chapter two. I pray the Lord would enable us to see some of these gifts to his people. The title of the message comes from there in James, but our text will be here in 2 Thessalonians, but the title is this. Every gift, every good and perfect gift cometh from above.

Let's look at a few of these gifts here, beginning with verse 13. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. We're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord. Beloved of the Lord. Here's the first gift, the believer. The child of God is beloved. Beloved of the Lord. Someone who's beloved is the object of love. One who is loved, and in this case, loved of the Lord.

Back in Psalm 8, just listen to his words here, David said, Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest steal the enemy and the avenger.

And David says this, he said, when I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, the stars, that which thou hast ordained. I don't know if we have a clear night tonight or not, but you ever just look up into the sky and look at the moon and the stars, that which God spoke into existence?

David said, when I look at these things, He said, what is man? What is man that thou art mindful of him? What is man that you would even take notice of him? That you would remember him? That God would remember us? That he would even call us to mind? What is man that thou art mindful of him and the son of man that thou visitest him?

The Lord doesn't only take notice of his people. He loves them. We're beloved of the Lord. Isn't that truly a gift?

Scripture says this, God so loved the world that He gave. He gave His only begotten Son. In another scripture we read, greater love hath no man than this, that He would lay down His life, that He would give His life for His friends.

You that believe, consider this gift. you're loved of the Lord. And this love is an everlasting love. That's what back there in Jeremiah 31 we read, the Lord hath appeared to me of old saying, yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee It's an infinite, an infinite love. Our Lord, speaking to the Father, speaking to His Heavenly Father, He said this, He said, you've loved them as you have loved me. We can't even, we can't even enter in. Think about how you love your own children. is as imperfect as we are in our love for our own, what must God's love be for His Son? And He says, the Lord Jesus Christ says, He says, you've loved them as you've loved me. It's an undeserved love. In 1 John 4, 10 we read, herein is love. Not that we loved God, but that he loved us. And he sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins. An unsought love, a love that can only be found in one place, in one person. his son, his only begotten son. Beloved of the Lord.

Well, let's read on. Again, back in our text, if you still have it, 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13. Here's the second one. He chose you. He chose you. Read in, it says, we're bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth. He chose you. You ever get to pick something out? You get three or four things put in front of you and you have to choose. And I guarantee you, we would choose probably the most valuable thing in front of us, wouldn't we? The Lord chose you. I hear men talking about making a decision. about deciding, making a decision, deciding to follow Jesus. He says this, you've not chosen me, but I have chosen you. God has from the beginning chosen you. You that love God, Where did that love, where did that love begin? It didn't begin with us, did it? By nature, we hate God. The carnal mind is enmity against God. And yet he chose us. He set his love upon us. called us and redeemed us to himself. We love him. Why? Because he first loved us. We seek him. Why? Because he first sought us. We call upon him. How is that? Because he makes his people willing in the day of his power.

Paul writing to the Ephesians, just listen, he said, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which were at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus, grace be to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. according as He has chosen us in Him from before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. He chose us in Christ from before the foundation of the world Why would he do that? The reason he does all things according to the good pleasure of his will. He loved us. He chose us. Third, he called us. He called us. Look at verse 14, again, 2 Thessalonians 2. He called you by our gospel to the obtain of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. The only way, the only way a person, a sinner can ever come to believe the truth is by the effectual, irresistible call of the Holy Spirit. That call comes to those that He has chosen, those that He has redeemed, to sinners, through the preaching of the Gospel, through the preaching of the Word. He said that, whereunto He called you by our Gospel, called from sin to faith, in the Lord Jesus Christ, called from darkness to light. An effectual call, an irresistible call.

Back there in the Old Testament we read that when Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, you know what he did? He went. He went. He obeyed. not knowing where he was going. God called Abraham out of Ur and the Chaldees, an idolater, in a land of idolatry. But we read Abraham believed God. And he went to a land that he'd never seen, that he knew nothing about. the irresistible call of God's grace. And after 15 years, God changed his name to Abraham. And he led his people in ways not...

How often does that happen? When God leads people in ways known only to him. We don't know where we're going, do we? God leads his people.

The Lord Jesus Christ was walking by the Sea of Galilee one day, and he saw two brothers, Simon and Peter. They were fishing. They were casting a net into the sea. And he spoke two words to them, follow me. They didn't ask why. They didn't say, where are we going? Follow me and I'll make you fishers of men. What's a fisher of men? What'd they do? They straightway left their nets and they followed him.

Levi, he was sitting at the receipt of custom. And the Lord said unto him, same thing, Follow me. And Levi, he left all. And he followed the Lord.

Whom he did predestinate, them he also called. Whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified. and those that he is pleased in his mercy and grace to call to himself, they hear and they follow.

Our Lord in John 10, 27, he said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.

Let's read on in our text. Again, 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you've been taught by word and epistle.

Here's the fourth point. Here's the fourth gift. The believer will stand fast in that which he's been taught.

John 6, 45, it's written in the prophets, they shall all be taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me. Stand fast in the things you've been taught, taught of God, taught by the Spirit of God, through the Word of God. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, taught through the preaching of His Word.

God gave some apostles, He gave some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the unity of faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto a measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

Taught about our need of Christ, our need of Him. Taught of our sin, our depravity. And listen, Not only are we taught, he makes us teachable.

Remember when the Lord sent Philip to that eunuch? That eunuch was back in Acts 8. Isn't that an amazing thought, that the Lord would send a messenger? to one of His sheep. And He sent him with a message. And He gave that eunuch a teachable spirit, a desire to hear the Word, a desire to be taught.

That eunuch was coming back from Jerusalem and he was sitting in that chariot and he was reading Isaiah the prophet. And the spirit said to Philip, go near. Go near and join thyself to that chariot. And I love this. Philip didn't drag his feet. He didn't moan and groan about everything he had to do. It's just Philip ran. The Lord laid it on his heart to go and he went. And he heard that eunuch reading from the book of Isaiah. And he said, do you understand what you're reading? And the eunuch said, how can I? How can I understand this except some man should guide me? except some man should teach me." And he desired Philip. He didn't say, won't you come back at a more convenient time. He desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. And we read that Philip began at the same scripture and he preached. Christ. He preached the Lord Jesus Christ to him.

We know, we know that the Son of God has come and has given us what? An understanding. Stand fast. Stand firm. Persevere in the things that we've been taught. We don't want to let those things slip away from us.

2 Thessalonians 2 verse 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father which hath loved us and given us an everlasting consolation, and a good hope through grace. Here's another gift. He's given us an everlasting consolation. He's given us a good hope. Hope towards God. Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ who is the believer's hope. Can we say that He's all my hope? Paul writing to Timothy, he spoke of the Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope. He's the author. Not only is He the author of good hope, the hope of salvation, the hope of eternal life, His righteousness and sacrifice, that's a means of good hope, isn't it? His promise is the foundation of good hope. But Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, He Himself is our hope, a living hope, a blessed hope, a sure hope, a good hope through grace.

Is that a gift? What's it say there? He's given us an everlasting consolation and a good hope through grace. Well, last, look at verse 17. Comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. He's established you. What's? Strengthened. confirmed, secure people through faith, through his covenant, through his promise.

Turn with me to a passage of scripture here. Turn to Philippians, Philippians chapter 1. His people are established. Look at verse six. Being confident. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, he will perform it. He'll finish it. He'll complete it. the day of Jesus Christ. A good work. He's regenerated us. He's converted us. He's saved us. We have Christ in us. That's certainly a good work, isn't it? Christ in you, the hope of glory. And he says here, it's begun. It's begun. Listen, we're saved, but we're also being saved. And one day, one day we will finally be saved when we awake, when we awake with His likeness, conformed to the image of His Son. He says it's a work in you. Christ's done a work for us, He's done a work in us. We're sanctified, we're set apart, we're made a new creation. Who does that work? This is how we're established. This is how we can be settled. Who does that work? Scripture says He's the author and He's the finisher. of our faith from start to finish. It's all of Him. Salvation is of the Lord. It's the gift of God.

Well, I want to go back. James 1.17. I want to read this scripture we started with. James 1.17. While you're turning, you just listen to these gifts. The believer, beloved of the Lord. The believer chosen, called to stand fast, to stand fast in the things that you've been taught. The believer is established, settled, salvations of the Lord. Do you have James 1, 17? Don't let there be any doubt. Every good gift. Every perfect gift, it's from above. It's from above. And cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Every good gift, every perfect gift is from above.

All right, ready to come lead us in a closing hymn.