OUR GRATITUDE OF LIFE "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 136:1-3
In being a disciple of Christ, we can be thankful for all of the blessings which we are receiving from the Lord our God because He is the source of all blessings. Therefore, we should learn the Lord our God because He will give us all the things which we need in this life and in that life which is to come.
Learn the following truth because your life is precious.
THE MANDATE FOR OUR GRATITUDEI. We should be grateful for our creation because we are made in the image, and after the likeness of God. God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. So God created man in his own image" (of life). Genesis 1:26-27
II. We must be thankful for our redemption because Christ can make us free from the guilt and punishment of sin. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hast made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1-2
III. We should be grateful for the New Testament Church because it is the Spiritual Body of Christ. "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body (the Church); and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15
IV. We must be thankful for God's unspeakable gift because it is the gift of our Lord Jesus Christ. "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." 2 Corinthians 9:15 "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."1 Peter 1:8
V. We ought to be thankful for any good gift which we receive form the Lord our God because He expects us to be thankful for the gifts which we receive from Him. "And it came to pass, as he (Jesus) went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at this feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Where there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." Luke 17:11-19
THE MOTIVATION FOR OUR GRATITUDE I. We can be thankful for the holiness of God because He can make us to be holy. "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." Psalms 30:4 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."1 Peter 1:15-16
II. We should be grateful for the goodness of God because He can help us to do good deeds. "Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 106:1 "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
III. We need to be thankful for the righteousness of God because He can made us to be righteous. "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments." Psalms 119:62 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6
IV. We ought to be grateful for the mercy of God because He can make us to be merciful. "O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever." Psalms 136:26 "Be ye therefore merciful, as you Father also is merciful." Luke 6:36
V. We must be thankful for the all things which we have received in this life because all good things come from God. 'Every good gift (our physical gifts) and ever perfect gift (our Spiritual gifts) is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." James 1:17 "Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20
THE BLESSINGS OF OUR GRATITUDE I. If we are grateful, God will cause us to triumph over the forces of evil. "Now thanks be unto God, who always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place." 2 Corinthians 2:14
II. If we are thankful, God will give us the final victory over the powers of Satan. "O death, where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:55-57
THE CONCLUSION I. We in being a New Testament Christian are thankful for the Spiritual Blessings of God because we have been created and redeemed by three Heavenly Persons (Personalities or Beings) who equally are called God in being the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and who are called Christ in being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so that in this world we can become like Them. Equality signifies that those three Heavenly Persons who equally are called God and Christ in being our Creator and our Redeemer are equal in power, rule and authority in matters of Their Own Individual Being of life because They equally possess the same Divine Personage, Powers, Nature and Attributes of life.
II. The Father and the Son Relationship which exist between God and Christ is the being of a Father-head Figure and an Offspring Status Relationship instead of being two ranked Persons because those three God-Persons, who were called the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit in being our Creator, equally made Themselves to work in the Divine Name of Christ in being called the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so that They could be our Redeemer. Rank means that the Father would be the first Person in power, rule and authority; the Son (Jesus) would be the second Person in power, rule and authority; whereas the Holy Spirit would be the third Person in power, rule and authority.
III. God and Christ are the two Divine Names in which three Heavenly Persons who equally are working in matters of our own creation and redemption of life because we in being a New Testament Christian been created and redeemed by three equal Persons who are called God in being the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and who are called Christ in being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so that in that world which is to come we can become equal (having power, rule and authority) with Them.
A. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Spiritual Persons who equally are called God and Christ in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Spiritual Personage of life which will be a Spiritual Body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit in matters of our own individual nature of life. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5;23 "It is sown a nature body, it is raised a spiritual body, There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:44 "Who (our Lord) shall change our vile body (our fleshly body), that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (His Spiritual Body), according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" Philippians 3:21 "And as we have borne the image of the earthy (the earthy man who possesses a physical body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (the Spiritual Person who has a Spiritual Body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit). 1 Corinthians 15:49 This means that we will be a Spiritual Person who possesses a Spiritual Body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit in our Heavenly Home because these are the Spiritual Characteristics of a Spiritual Person.
B. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called God and Christ in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Divine Powers of life in reference to our own individual being of life. "If we suffer, we shall also reign (rule) with him (the Lord our God). If we deny him, he also will deny us." 2 Timothy 2:12 "To him that overcometh (the forces of evil) will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Revelation 3:21 "And to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father." Revelation 2:26-27 "And they shall reign (rule) for ever and ever" (over the powers of Satan). Revelation 22:5 This means that we will be Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent in our Heavenly Home because these are the Divine Powers of a Divine Person.
C. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called God and Christ in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Divine Nature of life in matters of our own individual nature of life. "It is written in your law, I said, Ye (created men) are gods. If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scriptures can not be broken." John 10:34-35 "God has given unto us many exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:4 "Him that overcometh (the powers of Satan) will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." Revelation 3:12 "Of whom (God) the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Ephesians 3:15 This means that we will be eternal, impartial, self-existing, glorious, accessible, monotheistical, divine, visible, perfect, immutable, spiritual and immortal in our Heavenly Home because these are the Divine Traits of a Divine Person.
D. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called God and Christ in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Divine Attributes of life in reference to our own individual being of life. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48 "Be ye also merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Luke 6:36 "He that overcometh (the powers of sin), the same shall be clothed in white raiment (having his Divine Attributes Perfected): and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angles." Revelation 3:5 "For there shall in no wise enter into it (the Heavenly City) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Revelation 21:27 This means that we will be lovable, holy, merciful, faithful, just, righteous, good, jealous, truthful, longsuffering, unchangeable and gracious in our Heavenly Home because these are the Divine Attributes of a Divine Person.E. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called God and Christ in being our Creator and our Redeemer because we are heirs of God and joint-heirs (equal heirs) with Christ in matters of our own creation and redemption of life. "The Spirit (the Holy Spirit) Himself beareth witness with our spirit (our character: our personality), that we are the children of God (by creation and by regeneration): And If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs (equal heirs) with Christ." Romans 8:16-17 This means that in our Heavenly Home all Divine Persons will be equal in power, rule and authority.
F. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Heavenly Persons who equally are called God and Christ in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Heavenly Immortality of life in reference to our own individual nature of life. "Which in his times he shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords: Who only hath immortality (the Lord in all of His Power and Glory only has immortality, but the Lord has promised to give unto us those same Spiritual Blessings of Immortality), dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." 1 Timothy 6:15-16 "To them (the Christians) who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life." 1 Romans 2:7 This means that we will be a deathless Person in our Heavenly Home because a Heavenly Person can not die in a physical or in a Spiritual Way.1. We in being a New Testament can become all that God will ever be because we can become the fullness of God in our Heavenly Home. Paul prayed that, "Ye (Christians) might be filled with all the fullness (the completeness) of God." Ephesians 3:19
2. We in being a New Testament will become all that God is in the way of Personage, Powers, Nature and Attributes of life because God must become all and in all. Paul said that we will be presented to God in heaven so that "God (the Spiritual Nature of God) may be all (to each Person who has been saved) and in all" (of each Person that is saved). 1 Corinthians 15:28"Of whom (God) the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Ephesians 3:15 Please get others to read this article so that they can learn more about the Divine Blessings of their own immortality of life because their life is precious.
May the Lord bless you and give you wisdom so that you can learn more about the Spiritual Blessings of your own divine nature of life because your life is priceless.
