Gratitude

Ethan Riffle

The Humility of the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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If we correctly understand God’s purposes for everything that He has done in Jesus Christ, and if we correctly understand what our value to God is, what should be our natural response to this? It’s simple; to be grateful! This concept is extremely simple, but one of the most powerful things that happens as a result of the Gospel.

This concept is all over the the Scriptures, and often it is contained in words we tend to skip over in verses that we see. Gratitude, or thankfulness, or thanksgiving, or whatever you want to call it is one of the most foundational things that the New Testament talks about.

I. Gratitude is an Important Concept in the NT

In life and in worship do everything thankfully.

A. In Paul’s writings, there are only 3/13 letters that do not have a “thanksgiving” section.

B. Colossians is a great example of the importance of gratitude.

1. Explicit (not to mention implicit) mentions of thankfulness occur 7 times in a 4 chapter book.

i. 1:3, 1:12, 2:7, 3:15, 3:16, 3:17, 4:2

2. Going through Colossians demonstrates, as a representation for the New Testament, the importance of gratitude toward God and how it can work in a Christian’s life.

2. Going through Colossians demonstrates, as a representation for the New Testament, the importance of gratitude toward God and how it can work in someones life.

1:3 - Paul gives thanks for the demonstration of their gratitude expressed in love

What they are doing is in response to the hope they learned they have when they understood the Gospel

1:12- We are to give thanks to God who has allowed us to share in the inheritance of the saints

It seems Paul is saying their “pleasing Him” (“bearing fruit”, “increasing in knowledge”, etc.) is equivalent to their “giving thanks to the Father”

Their good works spring from their gratitude

Much of the remainder of ch. 1 is qualifying why what He did is so valuable and why there should be so much thanks given

2:7- Rooted and built up and being thankful

Again is seems that Paul is saying their being rooted and built up is rooted in their gratitude

3:15,16,17- Thanksgiving is in every part of what they are supposed to do.

Their teaching each other in song is to be based in thankfulness

Everything we do, is to be based on our gratitude to God through Jesus

4:2- Prayer is to be saturated with a purposeful attitude of thanksgiving!

Gratitude is a Basis for Good Works

I. Response to God’s grace seems to be one of the chief reasons for good works in the New Testament

II. It is an important concept to make clear; that good works are a reaction

A. Good works are to be a reaction and/or response to God ()

B. Good works come from our gratitude for God’s workings ()

We show our trust and true thankfulness in God’s promises by our works ()

C. Much like we do not get more fruit of the Spirit to walk in the Spirit, we do not do more works to be more grateful, it is an outcome.

Being thankful to God for what has been done in Christ

My prayer is much of that which Paul says in , that as we realize more what He has done for us and we become more grateful for it, He will be glorified all the more.