Thanks Belongs to God

We praise (Heb. 13:15-16) - Through him then let us continually offer up ta sacrifice of praise to God, that is, uthe fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and vto share what you have, for such wsacrifices are pleasing to God.

We preach (Rom. 8:28) And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,1 for those who are called according to his purpose.

We pray - (1 Tim. 2:1) First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

All because of God’s great giving and goodness. He is the  giver of every good and perfect gift ( Jam. 1:17). For all His goodness we are eternally thankful! What are some of the great blessings and benefits given to us by God for which we should

always be thankful?

1.     Thank God for His goodness ( Rom. 2:4). - Or do you presume on hthe riches of his kindness and iforbearance and jpatience, knot knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

 God’s goodness is indented to cause man to repent. Oh how good God has been to us when we had no goodness demanding His mercy. Cf.:

 2 Cor. 7:9-11 - As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but wbecause you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.

10 For xgodly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas yworldly grief produces death. 11 For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, but also what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, zwhat zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves innocent in the matter.

 Acts 17:30-31 - The times of ignorance jGod overlooked, but know he lcommands all people everywhere to repent,31 because he has fixed ma day on which nhe will judge the world oin righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and pof this he has given assurance to all qby raising him from the dead.”.

2.     Thank God for His love (John 3:16) - For hGod so loved ithe world,1 jthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 has long been celebrated as a powerful and succinct declaration of the gospel. Of the 31,373 verses in the Bible, it may be the most popular single verse used in evangelism.

3.     Thank God for His gift (2 Cor. 9:15). - Thanks be to God for his INDESCRIBABLE gift! If we really understand and appreciate the  "indescribable gift” God has given us, our lives will be saturated with gratitude; we will praise and proclaim His excellences (1 Pet. 2:9-10). - But you are za chosen race, aa royal bpriesthood, ca holy nation, da people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you eout of darkness into fhis marvelous light.10 gOnce you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

4.     Thank God for His blessings (Eph. 1:3) - Blessed be fthe God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing gin the heavenly places,Paul called for a blessing upon

the Father (in the sense of recognizing His glory, honor and goodness), because the Father has already blessed the Christian with every spiritual blessing. For physical and spiritual blessings, Christians should be thankful.

5.     Thank God for His grace & mercy (Titus 2:11-12). - For hthe grace of God ihas appeared, bringing salvation jfor all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and kworldly passions, and lto live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in mthe present age,

 The ancient Greek word for teaching has in mind what a parent does for a child. It speaks of the entire training process: teaching, encouragement, correction, and discipline.

Grace is a teacher in this sense and a powerful teacher it is.

6.     Thank God for His promises (2 Peter 1:4) - by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may becomegpartakers of the divine nature, hhaving escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

God’s promises are both exceedingly great (in the sense of being large and imposing), and they are precious, in the sense of being valuable. We might break a promise, but not God!

7.     Thank God for His word (2 Tim. 3:16) - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

With great spiritual power beyond our intellect…

·        The Bible gives us eternal life (1 Peter 1:23). - since you have been born again, enot of perishable seed but of imperishable, through fthe living and abiding word of God;

·        The Bible spiritually cleanses us (Ephesians 5:26). - that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by ithe washing of water jwith the word,

·        The Bible gives us power against demonic powers (Ephesians 6:17). - and take sthe helmet of salvation, and xthe sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,

·        The Bible brings us spiritual strength (Psalm 119:28). - My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!

·        The Bible builds faith in us (Rom. 10:17). So zfaith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

CONCLUSION: Praise God from whom all blessings flow!