Agonizomai: Romans Chapter 1<br>Paul's Gospel, Paul's Testimony Part 8

Gratitude Toward God (v. 8)

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

Naturally, the first thing we shall come to when we apprehend God’s love for us – His grace in electing and calling us in His dear Son, of His paying the price for what we were and what we did – is an attitude of gratitude. How can we help ourselves? We sing with John Newton, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see!” – or with Horatio Spafford we exult, even in the midst of great personal tragedy, “It is well, it is well with my soul!”

Paul never ceased to give thanks. Thanksgiving is all over His epistles both by example and in exhortation to his hearers. All thanks is due to God. We render honour to whom honour is due etc. {Romans 13:7} – but our lifelong prevailing attitude for the gift of eternal life and all the graces of our sanctification, when we deserved and could not avoid eternal punishment, is thanksgiving towards God. We thank Him in all things and in all circumstances.

Lost a job? Thank God! Diagnosed with cancer? Thank God! Friend or a loved one died? Thank the Lord! Because there is not one thing that can enter the life of a saint that is not for his good, having passed through the all-knowing will of the Father Who loves us with an everlasting love. In His supreme power and all-knowing love He has already determined how to use even the corruption among which we live, and which still hangs on in us, to form us into the image of His Son. We hear the wisdom of God in Solomon saying to us…

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. {Proverbs 3:5-6}

Therefore be thankful in all things, like Paul. Don’t confuse the matter with feelings. It is “natural” to feel down, to be depressed, to know fear or grief. Gratitude has nothing to do with how you feel. Gratitude is the posture of the heart towards God in the midst of all circumstances – whether good or bad. We shall say with Paul…

I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me; you were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I complain of want; for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content. {Philippians 4:10-11}

Active thanksgiving leads to a grateful heart. You may never be grateful if you wait to feel that way. On the other hand, if you express thanks sincerely and humbly towards God in all things you may indeed come to feel grateful. Let us give a sacrifice of praise to God in the bad times, for I am persuaded that it is far more precious to God than our often feeble thanks when things are going well. Remember David, who at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite said, “I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing.” {2Samuel 24:24} Let that be the attitude of our heart, even though we actually have nothing that we did not first receive.

Paul displays a gladness of heart and uncomplicated gratitude towards God that God has been pleased to call some people in Rome. He is thankful that the effectualness of that call is displayed by the character and fruit of their lives of obedience, as told throughout the known world. Does Paul thank the Roman saints themselves? No! He encourages them by thanking God. He sets the example for them by thanking God. He shows none of that false sensitivity that would puff up the minds of the Roman saints by attributing anything of their witness to themselves. It is all of grace and all of Christ.

Do we give opportunity for others to stumble by failing to give the glory to God in all things? Do we subtly flatter others when we should glorify the God of grace at work in them? Why not thank God in their hearing? If they are truly His, will they not acknowledge His hand? Can we not openly say that we thank God that they are so honest, so hardworking, so helpful, so…whatever?

3 Comments:

ndmb said...: This could very well be my favorite post of yours.; 10:44 am
ndmb said...: I forgot to add that for the past year I've really liked these two verses from Ephesians 5:

3 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.

The positive attribute Paul lists as the alternative to all of those negative character traits? Thanksgiving.

Love it.; 10:50 am
agonizomai said...: Nick,

Yeah - it's great when you get the unexpected in Scripture. What you have hit upon is very deep. It is the essence of the gospel of grace. The antidote to sin is never to try harder, but to believe. Believing in what Christ has done (past tense) is what produces the fruit of the obedience of faith in us. And belief is the Siamese twin of gratitude.

And this thanks we give not of ourselves, for we are unprofitable servants. We give it in the Name of Jesus Christ, who died to reconcile us to God, and to impart His life and righteousness to we who were dead in trespasses and sins.

So we ought to be grateful when we are grateful.[/smile]

Blessings,

Tony; 11:37 am