In the beginning, God created mankind "in His own image" with wonderful bodies and minds; He also created everything else on earth for man's benefit (Genesis 1:26-30).

Then He gave the most precious thing He had: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

And Christ was willing to sacrifice His life. "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us" (1 John 3:16).

Because of Christ's sacrifice, we can receive God's amazing grace, which includes the forgiveness of all our sins. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

And what gift does God give then? It is His "gift of the Holy Spirit," which one receives immediately after baptism when his or her sins are forgiven (Acts 2:38).

Just think: God is offering to implant His very own nature and power within you! What an astonishing offer! And then that gift results in the wonderful "fruit of the Spirit" and "gifts" of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:4).

And finally, it is God's Spirit dwelling in you that makes possible the ultimate gift—"the gift of God is eternal life" (Romans 6:23), sharing God's nature and divine glory in His Kingdom forever (2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:10; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 1:4; 5:10).

Our response to God's grace and generosity should be overflowing gratitude and heartfelt submission to His will!

God's master plan for mankind and how you can become a part of it are explained in our free booklets What Is Your Destiny? and Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.

Please reflect on the story of the Ethiopian official in Acts 8:26-39 and his eager desire for baptism and the gift of God's Spirit. He earnestly asked, "What hinders me from being baptized?" (verse 36).

What hinders you?