Ephesians 5:15-20: Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to focus on the last verse in this passage, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible contains copious references to thanksgiving. Here is a minute selection.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4 NIV)
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (I Thessalonians 5:18 NIV)
But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:57 NIV)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (II Corinthians 2:14 NIV)
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (II Corinthians 9:15)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Philippians 4:6 NIV)
We enter into the gates of his presence through thanksgiving. We thank God for his many blessings. Thanksgiving is part of the process of bringing our petitions before God. Thanksgiving is the will of God for every believer in Christ Jesus.
In Luke 17:11-19, the story is told of Jesus traveling to Jerusalem along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. The lepers stood at a distance and they called out to Jesus in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us."
Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests. He required an act of faith. They did not yet appear healed, but a priest was required to certify that a leper had been cleansed. As they acted in obedience to the command of Jesus, they were cleansed.
One of the men, when he realized that he was healed, came back to Jesus. He praised God in a loud voice, and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. This one leper was a Samaritan, not even a child of the covenant.
Jesus then asked the question, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Jesus is in effect rebuking the other nine for not returning with thanksgiving and praise. In his rebuke of the other nine lepers, Jesus is highlighting the depth of their ingratitude.
In Bible days, lepers were rejected. They were segregated because they were considered unclean. They lived away from the rest of the community. Some considered leprosy as the judgment of God upon that person. To be healed of leprosy was a great blessing.
Imagine a single mother with several children, who had always struggled financially. She has difficulty providing the proper food for her children. At times the power has been turned off, and the furniture is beaten up. Her children are dressed in the worst of clothes.
But, then one day there is a knock at the door. A church group decides to help her buy a house. They furnish it for her. They provide an abundance of food and clothing for the family. They provide help with the children, so the mom can return to school and finish her degree, so that she can provide for her family.
Do you think she would be thankful? I think this mom and her family would be filled with gratitude to God and to his representatives, who provided this generous blessing to her.
Jesus healed all ten lepers. He delivered them from one of the greatest problems of their day, yet nine of them did not even bother to return and to say "thank you."
A mindset of ingratitude is repulsive in the sight of God.
We should be thankful for all the blessings of life. I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for daily bread. I am thankful for clothes to wear. I am thankful for shelter. I have never spent a night under a bridge, because I had no other place to stay. I am thankful that I was born in the latter half of the 20th century, so that I could enjoy indoor plumbing, air conditioning, television, the internet, and all the other marvels of modern technology. My list of thanksgiving, like your list, could go on and on and on.
And then there is a plethora of spiritual blessings. I have listed 25 Biblical truths for which we can thank God. Over the next three weeks, I want to briefly examine these 25 truths. I encourage you to begin to thank God even more for that which he has has provided for you through the blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Be thankful...It is the will of God in Christ Jesus.
- He chose us.
- He blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.
- He predestined us to be adopted as sons.
- He redeemed us through his blood.
- He forgave our sins.
- He lavishes the riches of his grace on us.
- He marked us with the seal of the Holy Spirit.
- He seated us with Christ in heavenly places.
- He is preparing a place for our eternal future.
- He made us his workmanship to do good works.
- He is our peace.
- He is our righteousness.
- He is our provider.
- He is our shepherd.
- He is the author and finisher of our faith.
- He placed us in a great body of believers in which he dwells.
- He shares with us the treasures of his wisdom and knowledge
- He gave ministry gifts to perfect us in him.
- He provided total victory.
- He provided our healing.
- He freed us from condemnation.
- He gives us all things.
- He never leaves us or forsakes us.
- He is our perpetual hope.
- He chose to live in us.
Wayne L. Williams
wayne@fotwm.org
Wisdom From the Word
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