Chapter 5
1Thess 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
What can we say about “thankfulness”? We can probably say that it is possibly the ultimate key to a bountiful Christian life.
I believe some form of “thank” appears around 139 times in the Bible.
Look at some of these OT verses:
1Ch 16:34
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 105:1
Psa 105:1
O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.
Psa 106:1
Psa 106:1
Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 107:1
Psa 107:1
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 118:1, 29
Psa 118:1, 29
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever. ...
O give thanks unto the LORD; for [he is] good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Psa 136:1
Psa 136:1
O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Obviously, God, nor they, were concerned about repetition, or repeating themselves. The Lord God is good and we should be thankful; God is merciful for ever and we should be thankful – we should give thanks just because he is good and merciful – I think we will see that carry over in the NT.
The verse says “In every thing”, “In”, it does not mean “for” everything (like getting hit in the head with a hammer, or the car driving off the cliff, or the insurance company dropping me), no, those circumstances happen, and we do not enjoy them, and it would be hard to be thankful for a hammer embedded in my skull. However, in each one of those situations, I can be thankful that I am still in the grace of God, that I am still a child of God, that all the promises to me are still in there, that he has given me enough grace and faith to get through my situation, etc.
Let us look at some of the “thank*” verses Paul wrote:
Here are some from Romans:
Rom 1:8
Obviously, God, nor they, were concerned about repetition, or repeating themselves. The Lord God is good and we should be thankful; God is merciful for ever and we should be thankful – we should give thanks just because he is good and merciful – I think we will see that carry over in the NT.
The verse says “In every thing”, “In”, it does not mean “for” everything (like getting hit in the head with a hammer, or the car driving off the cliff, or the insurance company dropping me), no, those circumstances happen, and we do not enjoy them, and it would be hard to be thankful for a hammer embedded in my skull. However, in each one of those situations, I can be thankful that I am still in the grace of God, that I am still a child of God, that all the promises to me are still in there, that he has given me enough grace and faith to get through my situation, etc.
Let us look at some of the “thank*” verses Paul wrote:
Here are some from Romans:
Rom 1:8
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.
(Thankfulness for the believer’s faith, and it’s impact.)
Rom 6:17
(Thankfulness for the believer’s faith, and it’s impact.)
Rom 6:17
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
(Thankfulness that someone changed the wrong path they were on, believed the word, and got saved, and are on a path with God, to do right.)
Rom 7:25
(Thankfulness that someone changed the wrong path they were on, believed the word, and got saved, and are on a path with God, to do right.)
Rom 7:25
I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.
(Thankfulness that the flesh, and the things I do in the flesh, my mistakes, are not defining my eternal destination; thankfulness that we can have the mind of Christ, and we can keep trying, and working on our mind even if the flesh keeps messing us up.)
Rom 14:6
(Thankfulness that the flesh, and the things I do in the flesh, my mistakes, are not defining my eternal destination; thankfulness that we can have the mind of Christ, and we can keep trying, and working on our mind even if the flesh keeps messing us up.)
Rom 14:6
He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
(Thankfulness we can give God thanks regardless of what state we are in or what level we are understanding, whether we have full understanding of the doctrine, or are on the way of understanding the doctrine.)
Rom 16:4
(Thankfulness we can give God thanks regardless of what state we are in or what level we are understanding, whether we have full understanding of the doctrine, or are on the way of understanding the doctrine.)
Rom 16:4
Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
(Thankfulness for the brothers and sisters in Christ that are helping to advance the gospel of Christ, despite the adverse conditions that present themselves.)
From First and Second Corinthians:
1Cor 1:4
(Thankfulness for the brothers and sisters in Christ that are helping to advance the gospel of Christ, despite the adverse conditions that present themselves.)
From First and Second Corinthians:
1Cor 1:4
I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
(Thankfulness for the believers, and the grace of God that they made the choice to be a part of.)
1Cor 15:57
(Thankfulness for the believers, and the grace of God that they made the choice to be a part of.)
1Cor 15:57
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Thankful for our current, ternal, present victory in Jesus Christ, looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and our rapture.)
2Cor 1:11
(Thankful for our current, ternal, present victory in Jesus Christ, looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and our rapture.)
2Cor 1:11
Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
(Thankfulness to the brethren doing what is asked and thanks resulting to God.)
2Cor 2:14
(Thankfulness to the brethren doing what is asked and thanks resulting to God.)
2Cor 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
(Thankfulness to God for the victories in Christ.)
2Cor 4:15
(Thankfulness to God for the victories in Christ.)
2Cor 4:15
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.
(knowing the thankfulness that will be directed to God at the result of the saints work.)
2Cor 8:16
(knowing the thankfulness that will be directed to God at the result of the saints work.)
2Cor 8:16
But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.
(Thankfulness to God for working in the inner man of the saints.)
2Cor 9:11-12, 15
(Thankfulness to God for working in the inner man of the saints.)
2Cor 9:11-12, 15
Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; ...
Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
(Again, thankfulness that will be directed towards God for their obedience and the result of their efforts.)
And the list goes on through . We can look all through the Bible, in the OT, in the Gospels, in the Psalms, in the Prophets, in the rest of the NT, there is no shortage of thankfulness, and giving thanks to God! And most of these people who wrote these thankful words were not living the cushy high life at the time, not like the easy life that we experience now. Just something to thank about. We have tons and tons of things to be thankful for, we just need to do it.
He follows up the statement with “…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
We have already hit part of the “will of God” in chapter 4:
1Thess 4:3-4
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
So we should know how to be set apart, holy, sanctified for God AND…
“In every thing give thanks”. (Remember 1Thess 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”)
THIS IS SO CLEAR AND SIMPLE IN FINDING THE WILL OF GOD IN OUR LIVES, and it was in our face in plain words the whole time!
And I will even add the two previous short bursts in there as well: “rejoice evermore” and “pray without ceasing”
If we could do these as if it was second nature, part of our regular habit and behavior, just think what an impact we could have on those in direct contact with us? Around us? Seeing us from afar? Seeing us from near? Family? Friends? Person at Walmart?
Some things to consider.
(Again, thankfulness that will be directed towards God for their obedience and the result of their efforts.)
And the list goes on through . We can look all through the Bible, in the OT, in the Gospels, in the Psalms, in the Prophets, in the rest of the NT, there is no shortage of thankfulness, and giving thanks to God! And most of these people who wrote these thankful words were not living the cushy high life at the time, not like the easy life that we experience now. Just something to thank about. We have tons and tons of things to be thankful for, we just need to do it.
He follows up the statement with “…for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”
We have already hit part of the “will of God” in chapter 4:
1Thess 4:3-4
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;
So we should know how to be set apart, holy, sanctified for God AND…
“In every thing give thanks”. (Remember 1Thess 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.”)
THIS IS SO CLEAR AND SIMPLE IN FINDING THE WILL OF GOD IN OUR LIVES, and it was in our face in plain words the whole time!
And I will even add the two previous short bursts in there as well: “rejoice evermore” and “pray without ceasing”
If we could do these as if it was second nature, part of our regular habit and behavior, just think what an impact we could have on those in direct contact with us? Around us? Seeing us from afar? Seeing us from near? Family? Friends? Person at Walmart?
Some things to consider.
Grace and Peace James
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