Thankfulness in Christ
Ephesians 5:20,
Here in chapter 5 Paul talks about thanksgiving three times, his own thanksgiving at the very front end, then he tells them that they should be thankful, and then here at the back end, he again tells them to give thanks. I think you could argue that one of the greatest disciplines of the Christian life is prayer and thanksgiving, we are to pray with thanksgiving.
In the Sunday school hour, Pastor Bernard gave us a very helpful introduction to the epistle of Ephesians. He mentioned that it starts off with grace and peace and that it ends on grace and peace. I think that's true of all the prison epistles. They start on grace and peace, and then they conclude like bookends. He doesn't want us to forget peace and grace when it comes to living the Christian life. And don't forget, when he wrote these four letters, these prison letters or epistles, that's why they're called prison epistles, because he was sitting in a jail cell.
And don't forget, the first time we see the apostle Paul in a jail cell is in Acts chapter 16. Remember, he has been taken captive, him and Silas, and they are now sitting in a jail. They've been beaten and they are now in fetters or chains. And what are they doing? How do they respond? Remember, they're praising God, they're giving praises and singing to the Lord.
And we all know this when we come into trials and difficulties, it's far easier to complain and murmur than give thanks, and we often fall into self-pity as well. But as we grow in grace, hopefully, hopefully, thanksgiving will come from our lips with greater fervency and with greater joy. Remember the same apostle Paul could say to the Philippians, “Rejoice always, I say rejoice.” And I think a key or a major reason, why the apostle Paul was a thankful man and a joyful man was because he understood who he was in Christ. Again, just read through any of his epistles.
But even the first chapter, the very first chapter of Ephesians, eleven times he talks about being in Christ. Verse 3 of chapter 1, Verse 10, verse 12, verse 20, “In Him,” referring again to his union with Christ; verse 4, verse 7, verse 9, verse 11, verse 13, “In the beloved,” verse 6, “In whom,” verse 14. And Spurgeon said this, I know some people are going to have a problem with it, but I think he's right on, but I wonder how many have experienced this,
"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here in chapter 5 Paul talks about thanksgiving three times, his own thanksgiving at the very front end, then he tells them that they should be thankful, and then here at the back end, he again tells them to give thanks. I think you could argue that one of the greatest disciplines of the Christian life is prayer and thanksgiving, we are to pray with thanksgiving.
In the Sunday school hour, Pastor Bernard gave us a very helpful introduction to the epistle of Ephesians. He mentioned that it starts off with grace and peace and that it ends on grace and peace. I think that's true of all the prison epistles. They start on grace and peace, and then they conclude like bookends. He doesn't want us to forget peace and grace when it comes to living the Christian life. And don't forget, when he wrote these four letters, these prison letters or epistles, that's why they're called prison epistles, because he was sitting in a jail cell.
And don't forget, the first time we see the apostle Paul in a jail cell is in Acts chapter 16. Remember, he has been taken captive, him and Silas, and they are now sitting in a jail. They've been beaten and they are now in fetters or chains. And what are they doing? How do they respond? Remember, they're praising God, they're giving praises and singing to the Lord.
And we all know this when we come into trials and difficulties, it's far easier to complain and murmur than give thanks, and we often fall into self-pity as well. But as we grow in grace, hopefully, hopefully, thanksgiving will come from our lips with greater fervency and with greater joy. Remember the same apostle Paul could say to the Philippians, “Rejoice always, I say rejoice.” And I think a key or a major reason, why the apostle Paul was a thankful man and a joyful man was because he understood who he was in Christ. Again, just read through any of his epistles.
But even the first chapter, the very first chapter of Ephesians, eleven times he talks about being in Christ. Verse 3 of chapter 1, Verse 10, verse 12, verse 20, “In Him,” referring again to his union with Christ; verse 4, verse 7, verse 9, verse 11, verse 13, “In the beloved,” verse 6, “In whom,” verse 14. And Spurgeon said this, I know some people are going to have a problem with it, but I think he's right on, but I wonder how many have experienced this,
"There is no joy in this world like union with Christ. The more we feel it, the happier we will be."
Sinclair Ferguson says,
"Union with Christ is the central truth of the Christian life."
The central truth of the Christian life. And I hope as we go through this great epistle in the Sunday school hour that our union with Christ will be increasingly precious to us.
John Piper, listen to what he says,
John Piper, listen to what he says,
"Being in Christ Jesus is a stupendous reality. It is breathtaking. It is breathtaking as to what it means to be in Christ, united to Christ, bound in Christ."
Here's what it means and he runs through about twenty texts of scripture,
I think that explains the Apostle Paul, his joy and his thanksgiving. He knew who he was. He knew who he was in Jesus Christ, he knew his identity. And I trust as we grow in grace, we will become more sure of who we are and what we have in Christ. And as a result, we will be more joyful and more thankful. Let’s pray that we would grow in Christ and realize how privileged we are in Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 1:4: In Christ, you are chosen by God before creation. "God chose us in Christ, before the foundation of the world.”
- Romans 8:38-39: In Christ, you are loved by God with an inseparable or an invincible love. “Neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will separate us from the love of God in Christ our Lord.”
- Ephesians 1:7: “In Christ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:12, In Christ you are justified. "In Him we become the righteousness of God."
- 2 Corinthians 5:17: In Christ you have become a new creation. "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
- Galatians 3:26: “In Christ you are the sons of God through faith.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:20: "In Christ all the promises of God find their Amen."
- Philippians 4:7: In Christ, everything you really need will be supplied, according to Philippians 4. He said, “My God will supply every need of yours to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ”, and, “in Christ, the peace of God will guard your heart and mind."
- Romans 6:23: “In Christ you have eternal life for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
- 1 Corinthians 15:22: And here's the last one, in Christ you will be raised from the dead at the coming of the Lord, "for as in Adam we die, so also in Christ shall we be made alive."
I think that explains the Apostle Paul, his joy and his thanksgiving. He knew who he was. He knew who he was in Jesus Christ, he knew his identity. And I trust as we grow in grace, we will become more sure of who we are and what we have in Christ. And as a result, we will be more joyful and more thankful. Let’s pray that we would grow in Christ and realize how privileged we are in Jesus Christ.
Posted in Pastor Devotional