Attitudes of the Heart - Thankfulness
Thankfulness is hard to come by in a selfish, discontented culture but the same should not be true of the Church of Jesus Christ. Every Christian should exude thankfulness toward God at all times. Although God has commanded that his people be thankful, this attitude should also freely and willingly flow from the heart of those who are forgiven by Christ.
Unthankfulness – A Mark of Unbelievers
2 Timothy 3:1-5 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. In this passage, Paul is warning Timothy of “perilous times” which would come. Paul lists 19 characteristics of “evil men.” Considering all that is mentioned in these verses, what is significant about the fact that “unthankfulness” is also mentioned?[/su_box]
Romans 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. In this passage we find another description of “unrighteous” and “ungodly” men. According to verse 21, what should be the proper response to an acknowledgement that God is the creator of the world?[/su_box]God made everything and is the sovereign of the universe. A recognition of God’s sovereignty should lead mankind to be thankful toward Him. For this reason, anything short of glorifying God through thankfulness is sin. In fact, unthankfulness is a characteristic of the unsaved. Unrighteousness, ungodliness and unthankfulness go hand-in-hand.[su_box title="Think and Apply" style="soft" box_color="#E67600"]In what ways does an unbeliever evidence their unthankfulness toward God?[/su_box]
Ephesians 5:3-4 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What six things should never characterize the Christian?Q. v4. In contrast to the things you listed above, what should characterize the Christian?[/su_box]The unsaved man or woman does not recognize God the Father as the Lord of creation and is therefore, unthankful. This should never be the condition of the Christian. After all, salvation itself is a matter of confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. Salvation then, is in part, a transition from an attitude of unthankfulness toward God to one of continual thankfulness toward Him.
Thankfulness – A Matter of Praise and Worship
Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What is the continual “sacrifice of praise” mentioned here?[/su_box]Throughout the Bible, and especially in the book of Psalms, we see thanksgiving, praise and music linked together.
Psalms 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What did the Psalmist say he would do through thanksgiving?[/su_box]
Psalms 147:7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre!
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What should be the content of our songs of praise?[/su_box]Psalms 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Ephesians 5:18-20 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. How is thanksgiving connected with the Holy Spirit?[/su_box]Jesus said in John 4:23 that the Father is seeking “true worshippers” who will worship him “in spirit and in truth.” As we have seen above, this spirit-filled worship has a prominent thread of thankfulness running through it (cf. Ps 18:49; 30:12; 35:18; 69:30; 79:13; 92:1; 100:4; 106:1,47; 147:7). The Christian life then, is one of praise, worship and song. All of which are to be saturated with thanksgiving. (see also Ezra 3:10-11; Neh 12:46; Ps 92:1-3 for a connection between thanksgiving and song).
1 Corinthians 14:16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say "Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying?
Although Paul had to correct much of what went on in the Corinthian church, we see from this passage that they understood that “thanksgiving” should play an important role in the worship service. How might a church incorporate times of thanksgiving into its worship?
Thankfulness for God’s Mercies
Read the following:
1 Chronicles 16:34 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!1 Chronicles 16:41 With them were Heman and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and expressly named to give thanks to the LORD, for his steadfast love endures forever.2 Chronicles 5:13 and it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD), and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever," the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud,Ezra 3:11 And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD, "For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever toward Israel." And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.Psalms 106:1 Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!Psalms 107:1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!Psalms 118:1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!Psalms 118:29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!Psalms 136:1-3 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;Psalms 136:26 Give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. Why should we give thanks to God?[/su_box]There is an unmistakable connection in scripture between thanksgiving and the mercy of God. It is chiefly for His mercies that we thank him.• Charles Hodge has defined mercy this way: Mercy is kindness exercised toward the miserable; it includes pity, compassion, forbearance, and gentleness.• Webster, in his 1828 Dictionary has it thus: Pity; compassion manifested towards a person in distress.These definitions help us to immediately understand why we are in need of God’s mercy and why we should be thankful for it. It is no wonder that Lamentations 3:22 says, It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.Consider the following,
Ephesians 2:1-10 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. v1. What state were we in before salvation?Q. v2-3. How did we live?Q. v1. Were we able to save ourselves?[/su_box][su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Considering the above passage from Ephesians, how do you think the definitions of mercy above apply to us?Q. v5-10. What did God, driven by his mercy, do for us?[/su_box]
Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. According to these verses, how have we benefited from the mercy of God?[/su_box]God’s people have a long history of offering thanksgiving to him in response to his mercy. In fact, under the Old Testament sacrificial system, God provided for this expression of thanksgiving by instituting the thank offering. The thank offering was a freewill offering that the Jews could choose to offer in recognition of the mercies which God had shown them. (Lev 22:29; Lev 7:11-12; 2 Chron 29:31).
2 Chronicles 29:29-31 When the offering was finished, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped. 30 And Hezekiah the king and the officials commanded the Levites to sing praises to the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed down and worshiped. 31 Then Hezekiah said, "You have now consecrated yourselves to the LORD. Come near; bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD." And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. In this passage we see the beginning of the reign of King Hezekiah. Under his rule, we find spiritual revival in Israel. He cleanses the temple, reinstitutes the feasts and returns to the sacrificial system. According to verse 31, what did Hezekiah tell the people to bring after the burnt sacrifice had been offered?Q. What was the attitude of those who brought the thank offerings?[/su_box]
Our Thank Offering – A Living Sacrifice
In the book of Romans we find an ongoing theme of the mercy of God. In chapters 9-11, Paul teaches the Romans that God is perfectly justified in sovereignly choosing to whom he will, and to whom he will not, show mercy.
Romans 9:15-16 For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." 16 So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. v15. What did God tell Moses?Q. v16. In your own words, how is someone not saved? How are they saved?[/su_box]
Romans 9:22-24 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory-- 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. What does God desire to do “on the vessels of mercy?”Q. v24. To whom has God chosen to show mercy?[/su_box]Paul teaches the gentile church in Rome that Jewish people are temporarily blinded from the gospel because of their rejection of Jesus Christ (Rom 11:25). He goes on to assure the Romans that this does not mean that God has “cast away” his people but that he will, one day, save the Jews as a nation (Rom 11:1-2; 11:11; 11:26-27). He tells them that what appears to be the wholesale Jewish rejection of the messiah does not mean that God has annulled his covenant with Israel. The reasoning? Even those who are ethnic Jews are not necessarily God’s people. Salvation is by faith and not genealogy (Rom 10:12-13; Matt 3:9; Rom 4:12; Gal 3:6-11). God sovereignly chooses those among the Jews and among the Gentiles upon whom he will shed mercy (Rom 3:29-30; Rom 9:23-24).After Paul lays the foundation of the mercy of God in chapters 9-11, we come to Romans 12:1:
Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. Considering that chapters 9-11 dealt largely with the topic of God’s mercy, what do you think is significant about Paul’s use of the word “therefore?”Q. Paul has laid the foundation of the mercies of God in the previous chapters. What did Paul, in response to God’s mercies, ask the Romans to do?[/su_box]Paul’s use of Old Testament terminology in this verse is very clear. He is making a blatant reference to the sacrifices of the Old Testament. Just as the Jews in the Old Testament would offer acceptable sacrifices to God, so should we. Furthermore, just as the Jews in the Old Testament would offer sacrifices in response to God’s mercies, so should we. Paul is telling us that we should consider the mercy which God has shown us and in response, offer our entire lives back to him as an acceptable thank offering.Thankfulness toward God in the life of a Christian is not simply something we whisper in prayer occasionally. It is an all-consuming lifestyle. We live our lives for God, seeking His will and not our own. This is the ultimate thank offering, given in response to the mercies he has shown us in salvation.[su_box title="Think and Apply" style="soft" box_color="#E67600"]How might the way that we live reflect thankfulness toward God? Or not?[/su_box]How do we increase our thankfulness? Meditate on the mercies of God and think about all that God has done for us. He has spared us from hell and he seeks to pour out all the blessings of Heaven upon us. It is no wonder that those who are furthest from God are the most unthankful. They do not spend time in His word, in prayer or meditating upon what God has done for them. The deeper understanding we have of our sinfulness, God’s holiness and all that he has done to reconcile us to himself, the deeper our thankfulness toward him will be (Luke 7:47). This thankfulness will then overflow into praise, worship, song and sacrifice.[su_box title="Think and Apply" style="soft" box_color="#E67600"]In addition to the mercy that God has shown us in salvation, what else should produce a continual attitude of thanksgiving within us?[/su_box]
Thankfulness for God’s Sovereign Provision
1 Chronicles 29:9-16 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the LORD. David the king also rejoiced greatly. 10 Therefore David blessed the LORD in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: "Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. 11 Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. 13 And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name. 14 "But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. 15 For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 16 O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.
In this passage we find King David encouraging God’s people to give willingly toward the building of the temple. David himself set the example by giving much of his riches to the project. In verse 10 we find David blessing the congregation and praying: Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. In that short paragraph, David does a wonderful job of describing God’s sovereignty. Based upon that verse, what belongs to God? What is He head over?Q. v12. Where do “riches and honour” come from? How about “greatness” and “strength?”Q. v11. What belongs to God?Q. v13. God owns everything, is the source of everything, is exalted as head above all and reigns over the universe. How does David respond to these wonderful truths? (note “therefore”) Q. v14. The thought of God’s sovereignty leads David to praise and thank Him. David then considers how he and his people compare to their sovereign God. How did David understand his ability to make such an offering to God?Q. v14. David felt that he and his people were unworthy to make such an offering to God. What was his reasoning? (also consider v16) The Contentment Connection[/su_box]The Bible teaches not only that God is the sovereign source of all of our possessions, but that he is also the source of our strength to obtain wealth (Deut 8:17-18). Even when we work and earn money to buy possessions, God deserves all of the glory!If the above is true, what does discontentment with our possessions, social class or living standard say about our view of God?The unthankful person is a discontent person. As we learned in our previous lesson, the discontent person is unthankful because they feel they deserve more or better than what they have. At the source of this discontentment is a failure to accept that we have all that God wants us to have. It is a rejection of his sovereign provision. Unthankfulness says to God, “I am unhappy with what you have provided for me.” If we, like David, remember both God’s sovereign provision and our own unworthiness, we will be well on our way to maintaining a continual attitude of thankfulness. The fact is, we deserve nothing (except Hell) and all that we do have has come to us by the grace of God (1 Tim 6:6-8; 1 Cor 4:7). It is no wonder then that we are told in scripture to be thankful for everything (Eph 5:20; Col 3:17; 1 Thess 5:18; Php 4:6).Not only should we be thankful for everything that God has provided for us in the physical realm, but we should also be thankful for the spiritual work that he continues to do on the inside of us by His grace.
Thankfulness for God’s Continuing Grace
It was Paul’s pattern to continually thank God for the work he was doing in him and in the hearts of fellow believers (Col 1:3; Eph 1:16; 1 Thes 1:2, 3:9; Phm 1:4; Phil 1:3). Paul understood that God was to be thanked, not only as the source of all material provision, but also as the source of all spiritual blessings.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. How did the Thessalonians receive the word of God?Q. What does the fact that Paul is thanking God for the Thessalonian’s receptive spirit tell us about God’s role in salvation? (see also 2 Thess 2:13) 2 Thess 1:3.Q. Paul did not stop at thanking God for the salvation of the Thessalonians. What else did he thank God for?[/su_box]
2 Corinthians 8:16 But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. Why was Paul thankful to God for Titus?[/su_box]
1 Timothy 1:12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service,
[su_box title="Question..." style="soft" box_color="#2AA3CE"]Q. Why was Paul thankful to God here?[/su_box]Whenever Paul saw or heard of the spiritual growth of others he thanked God on their behalf (Acts 28:14-15; Rom 1:8, 6:17; 1 Cor 1:4; 2 Cor 8:16). He understood that God was not only the source of all material blessings but that he was also responsible for everything good that happens within us spiritually. Paul thanked God for calling men to salvation, for producing a care in them for the brethren and for enabling them to work in the ministry. God is to be thanked for our salvation and for every spiritual work that he continues to do in the hearts of believers (2 Cor 9:8; Php 2:13; 1 Thes 2:13).The Bible is clear that the Christian is to be thankful at all times, and for all things (Eph 5:20; Col 3:17; 1 Thess 5:18; Php 4:6). And why wouldn’t we be? God has called us to salvation, given us his Spirit, has promised he will never leave us, that he will provide all of our needs and that he has an eternal inheritance awaiting us in Heaven. He did all of this “while we were yet sinners”, “without strength” and his “enemies” (Rom 5:6-10). As Christians, we have every reason to live life in a state of constant thankfulness. After all, even trouble in our lives is meant for our good (James 2:2-4; Rom 8:28).Thankfulness is a choice. By deliberately dwelling on all that God has done for us and by purposefully recognizing God’s grace at work all around us, we can maintain a continual attitude of thankfulness just as he has commanded us (Eph 5:4; Col 3:15; Col 4:2). On the other hand, if we live life swept up in the things of this world; its pride, its materialism and its lust, then it is likely that we will compare ourselves with others and become unthankful and discontent with what God has given us. How then should we respond to God’s blessings? With praise, with worship, with sacrifice and with song. Each of these with thankfulness as its theme.[su_box title="Review!" style="soft" box_color="#FF4D2C"]1. List below some things that you are thankful to God for.Use the list above next time you are praying and thank God for each of them.2. How should dwelling on God’s mercy toward us affect our worship?3. How is thankfulness related to Romans 12:1?4. How are contentment and thankfulness linked?5. Having a right attitude toward our possessions will help us to be thankful. What attitude should we have toward our material things?6. Why should we thank God even for the things we have obtained or accomplished through our own hard work?[/su_box]