Thank You

Aug 02, 2009 By: Pastor Joseph LoSardo Series: Ephesians II Scripture: Ephesians 1:16
Man by nature is an ungrateful creature (Rom 1:21), and we live in particularly ungrateful times (2 Tim 3:2). Many Christians have been affected by the ungrateful atmosphere which surrounds them and are deprived of gratitude by the spirit of age. “Thank you,” has become a word for the weak, as it admits that apart from the help of another, you could not have accomplished the task at hand. Non-Christians are unthankful because they do not know of salvation by grace alone – if they believe in eternal life at all, they usually think of it as something for which they are working for or somehow merit. One who believes that he has earned or merited something does not count it as a gift, but as what is due him, so he is unthankful. But Christians know better; we understand that anything we receive is from God as a consequence of His grace. When a Christian fails to be thankful, it is only because he has not lifted his eyes to the throne of grace, from which all blessings flow. But as he does so, gratitude will take its primary place in the true prayer of the true Christian. How well you understand grace is reflected in how thankful a person you are. You cannot simply excuse thanklessness as a property of your personality or upbringing. To be ungrateful is sin, and it must be repented of. If you find that you do not often give thanks to God for other Christians, then ask God to enlarge your heart so that you might understand the magnitude of His grace; for only as you realize this, will you become a thankful person.