Give Thanks to God

12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

In this context, we are told in vs 12 to “put on”:

- bowels of mercy - “a deep sensitivity to the needs and sorrows of others”

- kindness

- humbleness of mind

- meekness

- longsuffering

N. T. Wright, Colossians and Philemon: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1986), 12:146.

Then in vs 13 we are to forebear and forgive.

Verse 14 says, “above all these put on love” which here is called “the bond of perfectness”

Paul said this in Ephesians 5:2

Ephesians 5:2 KJV 1900

2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Jesus gave us the great example of walking in love. It is an “offering”, “a sacrifice to God”, when we trust Him to work out a situation and choose to live in peace.

We understand that the thanksgiving he is talking about here is not just individual thanksgiving but it is corporate thanksgiving.

This is

Giving Thanks to God Together

Back to Colossians 3:12-17,

Colossians 3:12–17 KJV 1900

It says in vs 15 “let the peace of God rule in your hearts”, thus is plural.

It says “ye are called in one body”, here ye being many.

In vs 16 it says “teaching and admonishing one another” which is a group social activity and “singing with grace in your hearts” which is plural, more than one!

So, being “thankful” in this context is not simply an individual activity. This is people together giving thanks to God.

Thanksgiving

The Pilgrim Tradition

We have a rich tradition of thanksgiving that we historically trace back to the first permanent settlement by Europeans in New England.

Pilgrims (separatists from the Church of England) immigrated to the “New World” seeking a more abundant life along with religious freedom.

The Pilgrims and many others that came seeking religious freedom, were subject to the world financial system of their day and in 1619 it was a system where “the slave trade was a global institution”.

This group of about 35 was however, able to negotiate with a London stock company to finance their enterprise but were required to add others to ensure their success so about 100 embarked on the journey. After a grueling 65 day journey their ship, the Mayflower, landed at Cape Cod. This however was outside the territory of the “Virginia Company” and the status of their contract was unclear.

Half of the group died that first winter. It was Native Americans who gave them food during the first winter which allowed some to survive. It was also an Indian that had formerly been a slave that helped negotiate peace with the Native Americans that taught them how to survive in this “New World”.

Over the next year “by the goodness of God” they gathered an abundant harvest. That next fall, they gave thanks and celebrated what we now call Thanksgiving.

This would never have happened if one former Native American slave who had been kidnapped and forced into slavery years earlier had not been willing to help these early settlers after he had escaped his European master.

This also would not have happened if the Pilgrims had prevented their Native American friends from joining them because of cultural or language differences.

Biblical Thanksgiving

The concept of offering Thanks to God, having a heart of thanksgiving, has not always been predominant throughout history.

Thanksgiving in the Early Old Testament

Daniel Doriani in his “Evangelical dictionary of biblical theology”, suggests that

“Early in the Old Testament, both the language and the concept of thanksgiving are conspicuous by their absence …

Neither Adam nor Eve thanked God for his creation,

and … The families of Isaac and Jacob contended over God’s blessing rather than thanking him for it …

(and) after the exodus, Israel grumbled again and again, rather than thanking God for his deliverance and for food that literally fell from heaven”.

Thanksgiving after the Law of Moses

It is only later when the Law is given through Moses that we find Leviticus 7:13 “the sacrifice of thanksgiving” which is part of “peace offerings”.

Leviticus 7:13 KJV 1900

13 Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

When we think about the Law of Moses, we typically think only about the sin offering.

Through the Law of Moses, God revealed His covenant of salvation.

Atonement for sin is only accomplished by the payment of blood. We can read this in Hebrews 9:22

Hebrews 9:22 KJV 1900

22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

God made it clear through Moses that “without shedding of blood is no remission”.

Blood was required for the remission of sin.

Blood was required for man’s flesh to be sanctified.

But God does not stop with this offering for sin.

He instructs and Moses includes “peace offerings”.

These are not required but are accepted by God as freewill offerings.

These are not given to cover the blight of sin, but are given with thanks from a heart of gratitude for God's goodness.

In fact, God says in Psalm 50:13

Psalm 50:13–14 KJV 1900

13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats? 14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the most High:

God does not desire the sin offering except that He desires the relationship that He can only have with a sanctified and righteous living man.

There is a shift in the Old Testament as we found in Psalm 50:14 “Offer unto God thanksgiving; And pay thy vows unto the most High”

Also in Psalm 107:21-22

Psalm 107:21–22 KJV 1900

21 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare his works with rejoicing.

The Psalmist gives God’s lament over the heart of man.

The shift we observe after the introduction of the Law of Moses permeates, not just the lives of individuals, but the whole of their corporate worship 2 Chronicles 31:2

2 Chronicles 31:2 KJV 1900

2 And Hezekiah appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites after their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister, and to give thanks, and to praise in the gates of the tents of the Lord.

Now we find thanksgiving as part of corporate worship.

Men have understood not only the creation of God, but His plan of sanctification by the shedding of blood to pay the price for our sin.

God is not punitive. God is not holding back anything.

In fact, God’s delight is in restoring our relationship because His very character and nature is to love us.

Thanksgiving was Fulfilled Through Jesus Christ

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ fulfills the plan of salvation.

He is the final sacrifice, and the power of sin and death is broken in Mark 15:38

Mark 15:38 KJV 1900

38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

We now have complete access to the very throne of God because “the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom”

We can now come into God’s presence as Adam and Eve did in the garden, in Hebrews 4:16

Hebrews 4:16 KJV 1900

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

But our access is not just that we can know who God is.

Our access is “to obtain mercy” and to “find grace to help”!

God has also given us His Holy Spirit in Ephesians 1:13

Ephesians 1:13 KJV 1900

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,

We are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

We are His until Jesus Christ returns.

In Romans 8:15

Romans 8:15 KJV 1900

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

God is our Father.

He is there for us and desires good for us.

Thanksgiving Comes from Bountifulness

Lets look at 2 Corinthians 9:11

2 Corinthians 9:11 KJV 1900

11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

Being enriched, bounty, causes (well, should cause) thanksgiving to God.

Lets read the verses just before and after this for clarity. 2 Corinthians 9:8-10 is just before:

2 Corinthians 9:8–10 KJV 1900

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)

The bountifulness being talked about here is our ability to give to the poor.

This is having enough to meet your own needs and also to meet the needs of those around you.

This we find in the verses just after in 2 Corinthians 9:12-15 where God sets you apart. Lets read the response.

2 Corinthians 9:12–15 KJV 1900

12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; 13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Your gift, “your liberal distribution unto them” causes “their prayer for you” as they “long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you”.

But this isn’t your doing, this is the result of “his unspeakable gift”.

A Thankful Heart

In our natural state we were cut-off from God with a stony heart that was unthankful.

But God gave us the gift of life through Jesus Christ.

He has given us a new heart as in Ezekiel 36:26

Ezekiel 36:26 KJV 1900

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

We are no longer unthankful.

There is now a knowledge of God as in Psalm 100

Psalm 100:title–5 KJV 1900

A Psalm of praise. 1 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness: Come before his presence with singing. 3 Know ye that the Lord he is God: It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise: Be thankful unto him, and bless his name. 5 For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; And his truth endureth to all generations.

A Nation That Gives Thanks to God

These early European settlers sowed the seeds for a new nation, “one nation under God”.

What was called the “Mayflower Compact” was the foundation of the new colony’s government where they agreed to join together in a “civil body politic.”

This was the first document to establish self-government in the New World and it established that:

the colonists would create and enact “laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices…” for the good of the colony, and abide by those laws

the colonists would create one society and work together to further it

the colonists would live in accordance with the Christian faith

From these seeds, the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution arose.

This later prompted the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to write “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’ ”

This transformation to thankfulness is what the Born Again experience produces.

When one accepts Christ they receive new life, freedom from sin and happiness from within - the gift of eternal life.

While we are looking for the final fulfillment of God’s promise, the return of Jesus Christ, we are encouraged to remember the covenant we have in Hebrews 4:14

Hebrews 4:14 KJV 1900

14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

As we enter this Thanksgiving season, let us be Thankful as in Hebrews 13:15

Hebrews 13:15 KJV 1900

15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.