The Gift That Changed Everything

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” — 2 Corinthians 9:15 (CSB)

After writing extensively about God’s generosity, could it be that Paul lacked the words to describe what God has ultimately given us? Maybe his words were insufficient for the magnitude of the redemption He gave us through Jesus? The gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is literally indescribable—too vast, too costly, too transformative to capture in human vocabulary.

While we and Paul may lack the words to describe this, let us be thankful for it.  

The Gift We Didn’t Deserve

Taking time to be thankful for salvation starts with understanding what we were saved from. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Romans 6:23 CSB. For all we have done in our life, we earned death. We deserved separation. We turned our backs on God, but God gave life instead.

This isn’t a participation trophy or a good citizenship award. This is rescue when we were drowning. This is pardon when we were guilty. “But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” – Romans 5:8 CSB. He didn’t wait for us to clean ourselves up first. He loved us while we were still a mess.

The Gift That Humbles Us

Salvation was free to receive but infinitely expensive to provide. It cost God everything. The cross wasn’t Plan B—it was the eternal plan of a Father willing to sacrifice His Son so you could become His child.

When we grasp even a fraction of that cost, gratitude becomes our natural response. “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe” – Hebrews 12:28 CSB.

The Gift To Be Thankful For

Thanksgiving for salvation isn’t just a prayer we pray—it’s a life we live. It changes how we treat others because we remember how God treated us. It changes our generosity because we’ve received the ultimate gift. It changes our worship because we know what we’ve been saved from.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship” – Romans 12:1 CSB.

Conclusion

Paul calls it an “indescribable gift” because words will always fall short. But our lives don’t have to. Every day we live for Christ, every moment we choose His ways over ours, every time we extend grace to others—these become our living thank-you notes to the God who gave everything.

You are saved. Forgiven. Redeemed. Adopted. Made new. Be Thankful.