Thanks for Grace

As I look toward tomorrow I am reminded of the many things that a fellow has to be thankful for. We can quickly compile a list far longer than our arms. In fact, we will spend eternity in praise and adoration of our great God - giving thanks - ans we will certainly never deplete the well of gratitude and thanks that is rightly His.

As I thank God for family and friends (like you); health and comforts; possessions and provisions I soon realize the danger of being attracted to the gifts while forgetting the Giver. This morning I want to be sure to keep the attention upon the Giver of every good and perfect gift - May that always be true in our lives.

This past Lord's day I had the opportunity to preach on Romans 6:17-18 - a few thoughts from that message - not the whole thing!

Notice that thanks is God ward - The Apostle writes "But God be thanked". Not that we should ever fail to express our gratitude and appreciation toward people. We are to declare our thankfulness and grateful to people and the things they do. However, it is imperative that we recall that it is from the hand of All Mighty God that these blessing flow and thus thanks belongs to Him. It is of particular interest to me that here in this section concerning salvation the Apostle is extremely careful to note that thanks belongs to God. Not to the Apostle Paul for taking the message across the Roman empire, not to the individual who may have led them to Christ, but to God who is the Author and Finisher of our Salvation.

I also noted how the word thanks ("charis" in the Greek) is most often translated "grace". Indeed thanksgiving is related to grace. It is grace that prompts thanksgiving. Grace deserves the giving of great thanks. It should not surprise us to find a wicked world without much in the way of expressing thanks and gratitude. It should shock us to find it so very scarce in the professing Christian community.

Paul then turns to the reasons for giving thanks and they are three fold. First, we notice that he speaks of the past condition of the believers in Rome. We read "ye were the servants of sin." I really like the KJV at points like this as we see the plural ye and know immediately that he is not addressing an individual but the group - they (the Roman Christians) were at a time in the past servants (slaves) of sin. Praise God for the blessed past tense "were". Second, we observe the note of their conversion as the Apostle writes "but ye obeyed from the heart...." Again, the plural is used - every one of the believers in Rome fell under that descriptive phrase - they had all been converted - there is no such thing as a Christian who has not been converted. The third thing of interest is verse 18 where the present life of the believers is highlighted. We read "Being then made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness." Once more the plural "ye" is selected as the great truth of their present commitment is communicated. The text reminds me of John 10:27 where the Lord Jesus said "My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me." Romans 6:18 is the decription of sheep following the Great Shepherd.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful

For the fact that the Past is Past – I am no longer the servants of sin
For the reality of Conversion - Thanks Be to God for deliverance by and to the Truth
For the Assurance of Salvation- Praise God for the blessing of changed loyalty



May your Thanksgiving be filled with Thanks Giving to the Lord of Glory.