The Value of Knowing the Gift of God John 4:7–10
Long ago, a Persian king left his palace to sit with a poor man in a dark cellar—and the man’s greatest joy was not a gift, but the king himself. That picture is a faint shadow of what Jesus has done for you and me: the King of glory gave Himself, and Scripture calls Him “the unspeakable gift.” In John 4, Jesus told a broken Samaritan woman, “If you knew the gift of God…”—because her transformation would begin with recognizing what was available to her. This episode shows why knowing the gift of God is not optional, why ignorance keeps people spiritually impoverished, and how knowledge of what belongs to you in Christ unlocks grace, peace, and inheritance. The Value of Knowing the Gift of God is our focus on this week’s Light on Life.
This week: If you knew what God has freely given you in Jesus, you would stop living spiritually impoverished and start taking advantage of your inheritance in Christ.
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About Emery
Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 42 years ago. He has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 38 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.
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Podcast Notes:
If You Knew the Gift of God
John 4:7–10 (ESV) — 7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”
What is the Gift of God?
What is the ‘gift of God’ that Jesus refers to in this conversation with this Samaritan women?
It is, of course, the gift of Jesus referred to in John three.
John 3:16 (ESV) — 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God so loved the world that He gave.
Gave means that Jesus is the gift of God to you and me.
The gift of God that is the gift of Jesus leads you to the new birth of John three.
John 3:3–4,6–7 (ESV) — 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Shouldn’t We Know that the Gift of God Belongs to Us?
Shouldn’t we know about the gift of God that belongs to us?
And, with that thought here’s the definition of the day.
The word ‘gift’ in the Greek means something acquired or given without compensation in return.
You can add the word ‘free’ in front of the word, and it would not do the word ‘gift’ an injustice.
Jesus told this Samaritan woman, ‘If you knew what was available to you, you would ask, that is, you would take advantage of it.
Isn’t this thought the truth in our day?
Shouldn’t we take pains to know what belongs to us in Christ?
And, if we knew the gift of God, wouldn’t we take advantage of it?
Any intelligent person would, that’s right I said intelligent person because only the fool has said in his heart there is no God.
Shouldn’t we walk in the light of the gift of God especially since it’s free?
And, with that thought, here’s the illustration of the day.
Spurgeon’s Encounter with a Women Who Didn’t Know What Belonged to Her
Charles Spurgeon was a big-hearted man.
Because he loved to interest himself in poor people, he had alms-houses connected with his tabernacle, and he would make pastoral visits in these apartments where the old people lived.
A Piece of Paper that Changed A Life
One old lady had brought all the belongings that were so sentimentally valuable to her but not to anyone else, such as an old faded photograph, a couple of China dogs on the mantelpiece, and the clock that would go.
Mr. Spurgeon would go around the room inspecting treasures.
In this old lady’s apartment, he saw on the wall a piece of paper with some writing.
Mr. Spurgeon asked the old lady, “what is this that you have framed?”
She said, “Sir, that reminds me of an old man that I nursed years ago.
He was a patient old man, and when he was dying he said, ‘what can I give you to show my appreciation of all that you’ve done for me?’ and, sir, he wrote his name on that piece of paper and that’s why I put it in the frame; it reminds me of the old man.”
Mr. Spurgeon said, “Could I borrow this?
I will take very great care if it.”
She said, “Oh, but that’s very dear to me; I would not like to lose that slip of paper with the old man’s name on it.”
But finally, he persuaded her to let him have it.
The Framed Check of Fortune
He removed it from the frame and took it to the bank.
Maybe you have already guessed that this dear old lady had framed a check.
Charles Spurgeon said to the bank manager, “Do you know anything about this money?”
The bank manager said, “It has been lying here for a long time, and nobody has ever claimed it.”
Spurgeon said, “I have come to claim it for an old lady who lives in the almshouses connected with the tabernacle.”
He went back to the old lady and asked, “why you’re living in poverty here?”
She said, “I have no money, sir.”
He said, “lady, you are mistaken; you are ignorant of what you possess; you have been worth money – hundreds of pounds – for a long time.
That piece of paper is a check assigning you a lot of money.”
So, Spurgeon set her up in a comfortable little home of her own with her own money.
Do You Know the Gift of God Belongs to You?
Do you get the valuable lesson of this true story?
For spiritual things to have value in your life, you have to know that they belong to you?
Many people frame the Bible in a beautiful cover, and they are proud to carry it around.
But, while they have it under their armpits, they have a clue about what’s in it.
The result of this kind of ignorance is that you will live impoverished of the things of God.
Blessings that you could enjoy, that you could be swimming in, good measure pressed down shaking together and running over, you will not experience.
Hebrews 2:3 (ESV) — 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard,
Now, God loves just as much as the person who takes advantage of the gift of God.
Now when I say ‘gift of God’ know that coming to Jesus is just the first part of the gift.
There is way more to walking with God after you come through the door that is Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 6:9 (KJV) — 9 But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
Always remember, if choose ignorance, if we won’t cash the check that the Lord Jesus signed over to us in His death, burial, and resurrection, His legacy will go into extinction.
Knowledge is King
The Bible emphasizes knowledge, that is on knowing what belongs to you.
2 Peter 1:2–7 (ESV) — 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
Grace and peace come through knowledge, not ignorance.
His divine power is divided out via knowledge.
That is why the Spirit of God said through the Apostle Paul not to be ignorant of things pertaining to the Holy Ghost; that’s in 1 Corinthians twelve.
So, what are some of these things that accompany the gift of God?
The Gift of God: A Joint Heir with Jesus
Romans 8:16–17 (NKJV) - 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Paul goes on from discussing the Spirit’s most important role of bearing witness with a believer’s spirit, to what’s on the other side of the new birth.
Paul says if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God.
What does it mean to be an heir of God?
The Greek word ‘heirs,’ 'kleronomeo,' means a receiver of an inheritance, a beneficiary.
If we are children, we are receivers of God’s inheritance.
The inheritance we possess in Christ does not have any basis in works.
It is not what we have done.
Our inheritance does not have a basis in personal morality nor in any other station enjoyed by the human.
The inheritance comes to us strictly by saying ‘Yes’ to Jesus Christ.
Being heirs of God is one part of our inheritance but being a joint-heirs with Christ is yet another.
The Greek word for joint-heirs is the same word as heirs above but with ‘syn’ in front 'kleronomos' which adds to the meaning ‘joint’ or ‘co-receivers’ of inheritance; a joint or co-beneficiary.
What an excellent thought that we have received an inheritance together with Jesus Christ.
The fact we could share anything with Jesus much less put our names in the same sentence as He can altogether be nothing but the grace of God.
How humbling these thoughts are.
The Role of Heirs
Heirs do not have to work to earn their inheritance.
The inheritance or possession has to be created or be in place beforehand.
Someone had to be born; someone had to pay the penalty for sin and become the heir before there could ever be a joint-heir.
The full inheritance Jesus purchased for us has been set aside or reserved for us for a future time.
The Gift of God Is An Earnest
1 Peter 1:3–4 (NKJV) - 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,
Your inheritance, things that accompany the gift of God, is incorruptible, undefiled, doesn’t fade away, and is reserved in heaven for you.
And, all of this that you can experience on planet earth is only a taste of what is to come.
Ephesians 1:11–14 (KJV) — 11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
The Holy Spirit Our First Installment from Heaven
What does that mean?
An earnest is the first installment.
It’s a taste of the coming fullness.
A down payment of future glory is yet another way to say it.
Right now, here in this life, we can enjoy the benefits of healing and wholeness because it’s part of our inheritance.
Here and now we can enjoy peace with God and peace in our lives because it’s part of what belongs to us.
Right now, here and now we can possess a clear, sound and disciplined mind because it’s part of what God has given us (2 Timothy 1:7).
Fear should not rule us because freedom from it is part of the ‘Jesus joint-heirs’ package.
Are you having problems with devils, demons and evil spirits?
Rise and access your inheritance.
Authority over the ‘dark black’ realm is also part of your inheritance.
Don’t wait until you get to heaven to enjoy all which Jesus died for you to obtain here on earth.
But, all of that is just a down payment on what’s coming.
The Eternalness of the Gift of God
Your inheritance, the gift of God to you, is eternal and never fading.
Hebrews 9:15 (NKJV) - 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
The word ‘eternal’ here means everlasting.
It means continuing forever or indefinitely.
Because the gift of God continues forever and ever, that means there is an endless supply.
There’s enough capacity in the gift of God to change every human person ever born on planet earth into a new creation in Christ.
You understand that means every human person no matter how low into the depths of sin that they have sunk.
You could say that the gift of God is the gift that keeps on giving.
What else can we say about the gift of God?
The Fullness of the Gift Belongs to the Over-Comers
The Book of Revelation helps us here as we continue to look at the reality of our endowment.
The fullness of our inheritance of Jesus belongs to the over-comer as a sole possession.
Revelation 21:7 (NKJV) - 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
The emphasis is on the word ‘all.’
What does this word ‘all’ tell us?
It tells us there’s even more to come.
There is more than we are going to be able to walk in and enjoy.
If you think walking with Jesus is good now, you haven’t seen anything yet.
Happy in Jesus are you? Well, you are not as happy as you are going to be.
If your life is full of peace now, there’s way more peace that you will enjoy.
Excuse the vernacular but ‘you ain't seen nothing yet.’
The over-comers inherit all things.
Now, all we need to know is who these people are?
Who Are These Over-Comers?
Is it some particular group?
Are they some super vigilant, highly spiritualized people?
Are they some elite class of spiritual giants.
Who are the over-comers spoken of in Revelation 21:7?
The Bible tells us.
1 John 4:4 (NKJV) - 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
Who are the over-comers:? Those who are of God.
If you are ‘of God’, you are an over-comer.
Over-comer means you.
The word overcome means to win in the face of obstacles.
It means to overcome or vanquish someone.
Who is that someone the scripture speaks of here?
Well, it’s Satan and all His hosts.
You have overcome devils, demons and evil spirits.
You are of God.
The overcomer is the one who inherits all things.
He is the one who enjoys all the benefits and privileges which Jesus made available, and that’s the reason why he overcomes.
Your future is wonderfully out of this world.
The Word of God Is Your Direct Link to Your Inheritance
Acts 20:32 (NKJV) - 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
It’s the Word of God which gives you your inheritance in Christ.
The Bible contains information about what your inheritance includes.
But at the same time that you see what belongs to you, the Word can impart the faith you need to embrace it.
Faith generated by the Word accesses the various parts of your inheritance which are available right now.
The force of patience comes alongside your faith to help keep you steady.
Hebrews 6:12 (NKJV) - 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
🎧 Suggested Episode
If you found this teaching on knowing the gift of God helpful, check out “Just Who Is Jesus to You?” — it challenges you to examine your personal understanding of who Jesus truly is and what that means for your faith.
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