Psalm 69:30

I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

 

Today, remember first and foremost to exalt and glorify God, and how is it that we do this?  By being THANKFUL in everything that God has done for us.  Let us not just focus on what we have on the earth because sometimes those things vanish away.  We need to focus on the eternal and spiritual things that he has freely given to us by his grace.  Remembering our spiritual blessings in the heavens in Christ, our forgiveness of sins, our justification, our sanctification, and our glorification, we should be thankful.  There are so many things that God has given us because of his Son’s complete work on the cross for us that we need to just give THANKS.

Colossians 2:7

Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

 

Thinking about things to be thankful for there is something that a lot of us may not even think about.  That is our edification, our understanding and spiritual growth in the scriptures.  We all have the Holy Spirit as our teacher and with the word of God we are perfected in Christ.  But what the scriptures do for us, and especially the doctrine given to the Apostle Paul by revelation of Jesus Christ, is that we are rooted or made stable by the doctrine.  We are built up or edified in Christ by our knowledge in our identity in Christ.  We are stablished or grounded in the faith which is the doctrine of truth given to us by Paul as he mentions “as ye have been taught” and that was by him.  Because of all this we have an over abundance of thanksgiving for all that we have in Christ by God’s grace.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Romans 1:24

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

 

I thought we would contrast those that are thankful for all that God has done for them with those who are not thankful.  In times past the Gentiles thought instead of rejoicing and being thankful for all that God has done for them that they would rather not be thankful.  They no longer glorified God as the creator but instead they put him in the same position as the creatures that He had created.  Man decided that God was no longer higher than creation or even man himself and decided not to give glory to God that he deserved.  But instead man decided to complain and groan about what is going on in life and this is the ultimate manifestation of unthankful ness.  The result of them being unthankful is that God gave them up and over to a reprobate mind.  I know that sometimes it is hard for us to be thankful but we need to remember that in everything we need to give thanks for this is the will of God for us.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

2 Corinthians 6:10

As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

 

As we enter this week of “Thanksgiving” we want to look at things that we can be thankful for.  In 2 Corinthians chapter 6 Paul is talking about the things that he has suffered through and endured in his ministry.  We see his mindset as he continues to look on spiritual things and not physical circumstances.  The things going on in his life, he could feel sorry for himself and ask the question “why me?” but instead he is rejoicing.  What is he rejoicing in, is it the sufferings that he is enduring?  No, Paul is rejoicing in who and what he has in Christ, not thinking of physical things but spiritual.  Then Paul tells us that he is poor not having anything, we know this because he had to work and make tents for a living.  Paul was not in the ministry for money but for helping others as he tells us when he says that he is making many rich.  This is not physically but spiritually by edifying one another so that he can present them perfect in Christ Jesus.  Paul doesn’t have any earthly things but still he possesses all things, how is this?  Because the things that he is possessing are again the things that he has in the Lord Jesus Christ as an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richeofgrace.com

Ephesians 1:3

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

 

When you talk to people you will hear people ask for God to bless them.   I hear the folks pray all of the time and ask for God to bless them.  What they are looking for are physical blessings.  People believe that God is working in their lives the way He did in times past.  Under the law, if the nation of Israel would keep ALL of His commandments then God would bless them.  If the nation did not keep ALL of His commandments then God would curse them.  Now people try to live their life today following God’s commandments, so that they can receive “earthly” blessings.  The problem is, if you want the blessing then you should get the curses also for NOT keeping the commandments.  Well it is nice to know that God does NOT curse us today.   We are part of the body of Christ and He does not curse His son’s body.  This is great news that means all we will get is His earthly blessings if we obey God.  According to the above verse we are ALREADY blessed with ALL blessings.  There is nothing that we are lacking, nothing that we need God to do for us.  He has done everything for us already, by his GRACE.   These aren’t physical things but “spiritual blessings”.  So don’t look for God to give you earthly things, instead be thankful for the spiritual blessings that He has already given in heavenly place in Christ.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

 

Romans 6:20-21

20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

 

Before we were saved we were servants of sin, doing the things that we desired to do and we fulfilled the lust of our flesh.  Living righteous was not something that we had to do or even worried about.  I always find it interesting when Christians want sinners to quit sinning– it is just impossible.  As servants of sin, the things that we did in the past we enjoyed doing and we didn’t care if anyone knew.  Now those things that we did, we should be ashamed of and they are not to be a part of our lives today.  As a sinner the end result was death and even though it is appointed unto man to die this death, it is the second death in the lake of fire.  As saints we need NOT to continue being servants of sin but instead be the servants of righteousness that we are in Christ Jesus.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

1 Corinthians 6:20

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

The moment that we trust Christ we are redeemed, which means that we are set free by the payment of a price.  Since there was a payment to set us free then we were bought and the price that bought us was the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.  So now that we are saved and members of the body of Christ living in the dispensation of grace that must mean we can live anyway that we want?  NO!! This is not what grace teaches us, but instead we are to deny ungodliness and live righteously.  So our body is not our own body to do with as we please but it is God’s purchased possession.  We are to glorify God in our body and spirit because it no longer belongs to us this is the issue of sanctification.  So as we live our Christian life let’s not live it to please ourselves but we should live to please Him who died for us and rose again.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Hebrews 9:27

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

 

I heard a man say once “that there are two things that man can’t escape in this world and that is death and taxes.”  We are not going to talk about taxes but we are going to talk about death.  The moment we were born we were destined to die.  This isn’t because God doesn’t like us but we are born sinners because we all come from Adam.  In the garden, Adam was told not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he would surely die.  But Adam chose to disobey God and the result was both a spiritual and physical death and now death has passed upon all men because all have sinned.  The wages of sin is death so physical death is unfortunately the result of being born.  But we don’t just die and that is it, there is a judgment and this judgment is total separation from God for eternity and this is called the second death.  We don’t know when we will die physically but we can be sure that we don’t suffer the judgment of God by simply trusting that Jesus Christ died for our sins was buried and rose again the third day.   If you don’t know for sure that you have eternal life, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Titus 3:10

A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject;

 

When teaching the word of God, unfortunately there are two things that are being taught, and that is truth or error.  When people teach doctrines that are not according to the word of God then they are teaching heresy.  The heresy or error that is being taught brings forth division and therefore brings disunity among the body of Christ and especially the saints at a local church.  As a person starts to teach these erroneous doctrines, brothers in Christ are to go to this person to show them the untruths that they are teaching.  If the person will not listen, then Paul is very clear that after the first or second time that you warn the person of their error and they choose not to listen, then we are to reject them.  It is very important as we continue to preach the word that we preach it with conviction and without error but if there is someone doctrine contrary to what Paul is teaching then we are to bring it to their attention.  If we do this and they still will not adhere to the truth then we ought to avoid that person.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

2 Timothy 2:16

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

 

There are those who will teach things of no profit and these are people we need to avoid.  As I listen to Christian radio and some of the radio preachers I think of this verse.  I have listened to men preach for thirty minutes on the radio and they will read one verse and then talk for twenty eight minutes telling stories that make you laugh or cry.  Either way they never read another scripture and the reason this is important is that 2 Timothy 2:16 tells us to “study” by “rightly dividing the word of truth”.  We cannot study a man’s story but only the word of God but yet so many teach their own personal experiences rather than the word of God.  When it comes to what God is doing today we have two ways to go– we can listen, believe and follow man or we can by faith follow the word of God.  I choose to follow the scriptures and avoid wicked and empty instructions so that I will not be involved in ungodliness but that I may live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Ephesians 4:15

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

 

As ambassadors of Christ we are spokes persons for a head of state.  Christ being King of kings, we are His ambassadors to speak in his stead.  As we wonder what it is we are to speak, it is the truth of God that we are to speak. Where do we find the truth?  It is in the word of God otherwise known as the word of truth.  But we are not just to preach the truth of God but we are to speak it in love.  As we speak about the truth of God we are to do it not for our own gratification but to help those understand what God is doing today.  The purpose for speaking the truth is so that the person can grow up and understand their completeness in Christ.  So as we understand our identity in Christ and continue to grow in grace, we need to share the word so that others can know their identity in Christ.  Remember as we speak to others about the doctrine of grace we want to teach them in a spirit of grace and love.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Galatians 1:4

Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

 

The Lord Jesus Christ gave himself for us, not only did he leave his throne in glory but He also gave up his life.  Why?  For our sins, because of our imperfection, the Lord died for us.  Why?  The purpose is because He is going to deliver us.  From what will we be delivered?  This present EVIL WORLD.  What does this mean, first we know that we will be delivered from the world, which will be happen in the rapture.  We will not go through the tribulation, but will be delivered out of here.  The other is the idea of being delivered from THIS PRESENT evil world is to know in Christ we don’t have to live like the world, but we can live like saints.  We don’t have to live ungodly but we have the power to live Godly through Christ.  The power of sin does NOT have dominion over us.  Why? Because this is the will of God.  It is His desire that we don’t live like the world, it is His desire that we don’t go through the tribulation, and it is His desire that His Son died for our sins.  Isn’t it wonderful to know some of the desires of the Creator for us, and this should help motivate us to live Godly.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

2 Timothy 2:17-18

17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;

18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

 

In the ministry and in churches there are always those who try to deceive. Paul tells us in Acts 20 that these come in as wolves in sheep’s clothing and are among us.  Timothy is having this exact issue with a couple of people in his church.  Paul calls these men and their teaching a cancer that will affect the whole assembly.  What these men were teaching was that the resurrection, or as some may call the rapture, had already happened.  This doctrine is heresy because it is not the truth that Paul had been teaching to Timothy and that Timothy had been teaching to the saints.  This type of teaching was making some of the saints doubt or become confused in their faith in the truth that was being taught to them.  Why was it such a big deal to teach that the rapture has already happened?  Because it is this doctrine that would teach that the mystery and dispensation of grace is now over and that we are in the prophetic program.  When we teach this then we will no longer be living in grace but back under the law.  So let’s continue to study and preach the word of God rightly divided as it is the truth of God.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

Eph 1:7

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Philippians 1:22

But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

 

We have spent a few days talking about either living in the flesh or living in the spirit.  We see here that if we live in the flesh (in the context of this verse) there is a desire to depart and be with Christ.  There is no life in sin and as saints if you are completely engulfed in sin, then there seems to way out.  The fruit of the works of unrighteousness is death, which is a functional inactivity of your spiritual life.  We see also that there is a battle going on between the spirit and the flesh and Paul chooses to do what is right.  So if we see the apostle Paul struggle with the flesh we know that we also can struggle with the flesh.  We need to live according to the word of God in grace and obey from the heart the doctrine that we have learned.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

1 Corinthians 3:1

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

 

As believers we are a different people, actually Titus 2:14 says that we are peculiar people, so what does this mean?  We are not to live in the flesh but instead we are to be sanctified and set apart from the world.  Paul is trying to teach the saints at Corinth some doctrine but he tells them that they are not spiritual.  So the opposite of being spiritual is being carnal which means they are fleshly or living in the flesh.  We are not to live in the flesh like the world but we are to live and walk in the Spirit.  The apostle Paul sees those in the flesh as those who are babes in Christ, not a mature saint.  The only way that we can “grow up” spiritually is to read and study the word of God.  Going to church one day a week just is not going to cut it.  So try to spend at least 5 minutes in God’s word on a daily basis and you will no longer be a carnal babe but a spiritual saint.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Matt 3:1-2

1  In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,

2  And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

 

Have you ever wondered what John was doing in the wilderness?  He was calling the nation of Israel to repentance, which is simply telling them to change their mind about their actions.  They were a people that were not thankful for what God had done for them and thought that they could do it on their own, sounds familiar doesn’t it.  We, at times, are the same way.  But the purpose of this is not why John was preaching but what he was preaching.  He was not preaching the gospel of the grace of God, he was not telling those that Christ died for their sins.  Instead he was telling them that the kingdom of heaven is at hand.  He was letting Israel know that their King was there to redeem them.  John was in Judea, preaching to the Israel, not the Gentiles.  So when we read the scriptures, we want to know who is talking, to whom they are talking, when they are talking and what the context of the message is.  All of this will help us in understanding God’s word, especially the verses that are NOT written to us as members of the body of Christ in Romans to Philemon.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,
Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Romans 14:13

Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.

 

Have you ever judged someone else or better yet has someone judged you?  I know I have done both and I have to remember that God did not ordain me or anyone to be judge over others.  Actually we are not to judge one another, we have a judge already and it is the Lord Jesus Christ.  What happens when we judge others is that we want them to live under our own standards.  When we do this we can make things a stumbling block for others.  So whether we think we should or should not do something, we shouldn’t judge others for it.  If we feel we have liberty to celebrate or do certain things and say others should do then too, we may cause that person to fall.  So let’s not be a stumbling block to others so that they fall but rather let’s minister to one another and give them support.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

Romans 8:13

For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

 

As saints there are times that we do things that we ought not to do, there are times that we just desire to please the flesh.  Paul says that we are living after the flesh, we fulfill the lust of the flesh, and so what are the consequences? We know that all of our sins are already forgiven because of the shed blood of Christ and His sacrifice for our sins.  Then what does Paul mean when he says that if we live after the flesh we shall die?  Does this mean that God is going to come down and punish us and we will die physically?  I have been told this in the past, I don’t know if it was to scare me into living right or not, but it took the joy away from my Christian life.   Is this death the second death and eternal separation from God in the lake of fire?  Again the answer here would be no because God is not going to kill us or send us to eternal damnation because of our sins.  Why is this; because Christ died for our sins and as Christians we have total forgiveness of sins.  So then what does Paul mean when he says “ye shall die”?  The death that Paul is talking about is our practical spiritual life, it is not functioning and practically no one can see the life of Christ living in us.  So as saints let’s not live after the flesh but live in the Spirit so that others can see the joy and life of Christ.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

2 Timothy 3:17

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

 

As we looked yesterday at scripture is before this one, we saw that the word is God-breathed or that it is out of the mouth of God.  It is not man’s words but when you read the Bible it is as if God was sitting next to you telling you what he wanted you to know.  So what else do we need?   We have the scriptures and the Holy Spirit so do we need to go to a Bible seminary to know what God wants for us?  The answer is no, the Bible has been written so that the man of God may be perfect or complete not lacking anything.  Why is this, so that we would be furnished to do the good works that God would have us to do.  So as we think about the Bible it given so that we can live the life and do the things that God would want us to do to please him.  Remember –a Bible teacher, a preacher, or a college professor, no one is your final authority. The only thing that you need to read, believe and trust in is the Holy Scriptures for us today as English speaking people in the King James Version.

 

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

 

www.richesofgrace.com

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

When I talk to people about the Bible one of the things that they mention is that this book is written by men.  One of the most important things to learn about the Bible is who wrote it and we call the Bible the word of God and it is because of this verse.  When it says that “all scripture is given,” it means everything from Genesis to Revelation is inspired of God.  What this means is that it is God-breathed or out of the mouth of God, the Bible is not man’s words but it is God’s word.  The reason that God wrote the book is to give doctrine or teaching, reproof which is discipline, correction, and instruction in righteousness.  So if you want to know how to live then you need to read the word of God, not as man’s word, but God’s word and we should read it daily to instruct us how to live our daily lives.

Rejoicing in Grace,

Keith

2 Cor 5:14-15

www.richesofgrace.com