Giving of Thanks to God

Happy Thanksgiving to all! In light of this festive day, I wanted to share my giving of thanks by revisiting the preeminent doctrine of all Christendom: the gospel.

It is: “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” Romans 1:16. How is the gospel administered? “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God…whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” Romans 10:17, 13. James says of the gospel that “of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth,” James 1:18. Peter adds, “you have purified your souls in obeying the truth…having been born again…through the word of God which lives and abides forever,” 1 Peter 1:22, 23. Paul adds, “But God be thanked, that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered,” Romans 6:17.

 

Upon receiving the gospel through faith in its divine object, Christ, we have been, “justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1. Formerly at enmity with God being dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1), now peace has been made through our representative, Jesus Christ our Lord. More than that, through prayer to the Father we freely receive, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, [and] will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:7.

 

But what IS the gospel? Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, explains. “I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you…by which also you are saved…for I delivered to you first of all that which I also received:

 

#1 that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures

 

#2 and that He was buried

 

#3 and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

 

and that he was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve,” 1 Corinthians 15:1-5.

 

In the gospel we have assurance of salvation, 1 John 5:13. What humankind cannot do, God’s Son did, having come in the likeness of sinful flesh, He became sin for us so that He, our representative high priest, might taste death for everyone, Romans 8:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 2:9. Is it really this simple? For us as fallen humanity, yes. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,” Ephesians 2:8. “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,” Titus 3:5.

 

As I said, simple on our part, for humanity has nothing to contribute to our salvation. It is the work of God. All we may do is, on God’s terms, come to Him in faith and receive the free gift of salvation the Father gives in Jesus Christ His Son, Romans 5:15, 16, 18. Jesus, incarnated as a man, became our high priest, ministering to God on our behalf. Like the priests of the Old Covenant that went into the Holy of Holies with the lamb’s blood to pour upon the mercy seat, Christ, being sinless and perfect, the last Adam and the second man (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47) did likewise. Only He did not bring the blood of another to make atonement. By His death on the cross he became sin for us, the curse of sin that God passed on Adam when he rebelled in Eden. As all die because Adam is our representative (1 Corinthians 15:49, Romans 5:18, 19) so now Christ, by the offering of Himself on our behalf and for sin (Hebrews 10:12, 14) satisfied the demands of God’s justice. That is why Paul can confidently say, “we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe,” 1 Timothy 4:10.

 

While the payment for sin has been made through Jesus Christ, only its effectual application brings one out of death and into life, Ephesians 1:13, 14. So the issue now is not necessarily sin, which has been paid for by the Savior, but our willingness to come to the only One that has life. Through Christ God received full payment of sin so that, through faith in Him, we have pardon and reconciliation, John 19:30, 1 John 2:2, 4:10, Romans 3:25.

 

Jesus informed us that when he departed he would send the Holy Spirit in much the same manner the Father sent Him. When the Holy Spirit came, He would convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He said specifically of this matter “He (the Holy Spirit) will convict the world of sin…because they do not believe in Me,” John 16:8, 9. Our Lord stands and calls out for anyone who thirsts to drink of the water of life freely. His offer is universal in scope, because the gospel in its beautiful simplicity is impartial to the person of men. We are, one and all, sinners that have offended our Creator God by choice and by nature. But God in His mercy and love condescended to become a man, and through Jesus Christ annul the curse that has stigmatized our race since Adam. His desire is that no one should perish, but that every single person who ever has been or ever will be should come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9.

 

To that end, our Lord paid the penalty on our behalf. Now He is the cure for what ails us, the vaccine to the epidemic of death that has reigned since Adam. But the cure can and only will be administered by means of God’s choosing. It is through the narrow door of Christ that we must come, Matthew 7:13, 14, John 10:9. Jesus warns us that few find life because it is difficult. It is difficult to come to terms with being a hopeless sinner in desperate need of God’s grace. We like to think that we are “good enough” people. But we do not meet the standard God demands for righteousness, Romans 3:23. We like to lean on religion because such systems permit us to cooperate in our salvation. It salvages our pride. But we need to surrender our pride and submit to God’s word. Religion is man’s creation, meant to replace God. In essence, it is a false god offering the unattainable. We like to pretend that modern philosophy and science have “disproven God” and sit smugly above the hopeless throng clinging to their antiquated beliefs. But we all know in our hearts that God is, and no genuine knowledge can upend daily reality, Romans 1:19, 20, 1 Timothy 6:20, 21.

 

I give thanks, and I praise the God that chose to save me at so terrible a cost. I said earlier that it was simple for us. Not so for Him. The infinite paying the infinite price sin demanded: separation. Christ anguished on the cross when the darkness came and the Father turned away from Him. He took that for us! He died in our place, so that we might live for Him! Small wonder why hymns like Amazing Grace fell so easily from the pens of many a ransomed soul. It is a beautiful, awesome thing to be saved FROM what we deserve and saved TO what we do not. Honest seekers, I pray that you hear Him now, and are saved by faith in Jesus. Then we both will have many reasons to offer thanksgiving. God be with you.