Faith is Powered by Gratitude
God wants us to recognize His gifts and promises are good
(All scripture quotations are from the BSB unless otherwise noted.)
Natural Gratitude
The more I explore scripture, the more I recognize that an “attitude of gratitude” is what powers faith. I am obviously wanting to emphasize this on this day of Thanksgiving here in the US; but, it has been slowly becoming an awareness. Of course, the quintessential scripture defining Faith leans into this:
Hebrews 11:6 - “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
I have done a deeper study of that verse in the past in my writing, but it strikes me that this verse is how to please God. There is no mention of punishment or any kind of fear based motivation here. There is no mention of even acting “holy” or specific works. There is literally nothing negative here. There is no obligation or coercion. This verse consolidates the gospel or good news.
What is the good news? Well, I have spent thousands of words trying to describe it but here the author of Hebrews distills it: God is a rewarding God not a punishing God. The enemy wants to paint God as cruel and demanding but Christ reveals God as being very different from those ideas. As this very author reports:
Hebrews 1:1-3 “1-On many past occasions and in many different ways, God spoke to our fathers through the prophets.
2-But in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.
3-The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”
The author is emphatic that everything that had been spoken about God by the Old Testament prophets was at best incomplete. This is not to say that Old Testament scripture is not inspired; but, for reasons God only knows, He held some revelation back or even allowed Himself to be misrepresented. Note that Christ is “the exact representation of His (God's) nature”. John gets at this in his gospel:
John 1:16-18 - “16-And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17-For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18-No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” (NKJV)
I used the NKJV because of translates the Greek word “kolpon” better as “bosom”. It is a hard word to describe but it is a complete embrace in the heart region. Essentially, Christ portrays the heart of God. Also, note the contrast between Moses and Christ that both authors emphasize. Legalism has no part of Christ but I digress.
The Heart of the Father
In my last article about there being a “cost” to be a child of God, at the end of the article I portrayed how Christ's parable about the “Prodigal Son” demonstrates the Father’s heart. I somewhat regret putting that at the end as my articles tend to be long and it was possibly missed. I believe it is some important concepts and fits on my arc for this article, so I am going to copy it here.
A Child or a Servant?
Consider these wise words from Paul the Apostle. (emphasis mine):
Acts 17:24-25 - “24-The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands. 25-Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.”
God does not need us to serve Him. He is not interested in us adding up our points by service like the prodigal’s brother. He simply wants us to act like sons and daughters. He wants us to participate in the family business of righteousness. We are fully equipped by Him to do this. We have been gifted His inheritance and all that comes with that. Yet, even then, He is not coercing us. He is not extracting some cost. He simply wants us to love because He loves us. Love is our inheritance.
The Prodigal Sons - Both of Them Needed to Repent.
When you feel you must earn anything from God then your service will not be from love. It cannot be. Both of the sons in the story of the prodigal son have the same problem: they did not trust in their father's love for them. (Luke 15:11-32) They both felt they needed to earn it. One felt inadequate to earn it so he took the lacivious route. One thought he could actually earn it so he stayed home and tried. And they both missed the whole point. Their father's love was freely given as was everything else he owned.
In the end, there was more hope for the lacivious one. He hit rock bottom and returned to the father wanting to serve him. Wanting to make amends. But, the father wouldn't even listen to his apologies and threw him a party! He never wanted a servant, he wanted a son. He did not want apologies, he wanted his son to act like a son. A son who trusted his love and enjoyed status in the family. The father's kindness brought repentance for that son. (Romans 2:4) The father never even acknowledged his apology; he simply wrapped him in his love.
Those who are loved much forgive much.
I'm not so sure about the repentance of the religiously zealous son who served. He certainly did not show the love of the father for his brother. He was jealous that his brother was treated like a son because he had not “paid the cost” or served the father well. He could not see why the father would love and treasure his brother when not only did he not earn it, he deliberately left the father.
The serving brother judged himself and others by what they did, not who they were. Even his own brother did not deserve love unless he earned it. He did not recognize the kindness of the father - he felt he was harsh and expected him to pay a cost for being a son. With this attitude, repentance would be difficult. He was not grateful for what the father freely offered; how well he earned was how he measured his own esteem.
Love like a son or daughter of God.
I realize in context Christ was using this analogy for Pharisees and sinners or in the later context of the gospel - Jews and Gentiles. However, the main universal point was: He was describing the heart of His Father! Neither son was admirable. One operated out of religious, moral, serving type flesh; the other operated out of licentious, immoral, debauchery type flesh.
They both needed to repent and change their mind about the Father's love. They needed to act like sons not servants. They did not need to earn the father's love or even make amends. They simply needed to trust in his unconditional love for them because they were his children. They needed the mindset of being sons or daughters and living within that inheritance.
There is no cost to being a son or daughter of God. When we think this way, we begin to act like the prodigal's brother. We begin to try and earn everything God freely offers. This is not faith and will not produce genuine fruit of the Spirit. Reject any thoughts like this. They sound pithy and religious but they will not help you. They will harm. They are not from God and they do not demonstrate His heart. Faith receives His gifts and promises with gladness in a recognition they are good. Any earning or cost mindset casts a negative shadow over what God freely offers.
A proper view of God is essential for natural gratitude.
Interestingly, in the Greek the words used for thankfulness or gratitude are all based on the same word for “grace”. A recognition and understanding of God's grace is the key to a heart felt gratitude. I did not take time to count, but gratitude and “giving thanks” is written about dozens if not hundreds of times in the Epistles. Here is another example from the author of Hebrews after he describes faith:
Hebrews 12:28 - “Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.”
There is lot to discuss about this verse. I left the BSB because it correctly translates the phrase “let us be filled with gratitude”. I will further discuss this in a bit, but notice that we are allowing this to happen, not engendering it. This is a critical perspective.
However, the BSB puts the “are receiving” God's kingdom inartfully. This implies it is future, while the Greek tense is present. We are already in the Kingdom. The Kingdom and salvation are essentially synonyms. Being in the Kingdom is what “saves” us. Thus, in the same way the Apostles describe salvation, we moved into the Kingdom spiritually when we were “saved”; and we are presently in that Kingdom; yet, this reality continues its work in an ongoing fashion and there is a completed ending that is coming.
Our past salvation continues to work in the present and will culminate in the new earth and a new resurrection body. But everything was completed by Christ - both at His death and resurrection and then our own spiritual death and resurrection. His past finished work for the world and then in us is what enables any present and future work.
Allow Gratitude to Fill Us
Notice that the author is not suggesting that gratitude is a work. It is a mindset, but not a work. The Kingdom; and hence, our salvation; is a gift. When we properly see it as a gift we won't have to try and be thankful! It will fill us! Thus, the author gives us the pattern of faith. We recognize the amazing gifts and promises of God; this causes us to be filled with gratitude; this gratitude results in the proper worship of God from a genuine place where there is no obligation. This is the new covenant way to live.
If we feel obligated to “give thanks” from a place of coercion then it will not be genuine. Humans are good at faking, and do it for many reasons.
Devout religious folks often do it out of an improper “fear of God” meaning they are actually afraid of punishment or cursing. Of course, sin is it's own curse. As Christ said in John 3:17-18 - He did not come to condemn the world, but those who do not trust Him are condemned already. It is our sin that condemns us by default, not God. He offers life; the opposite of life is death. If you are spiritually dead - that is your condemnation - and you choose it.
“1 John 4:18 - “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.”
New Covenant Instruction
Ephesians 5:20 - “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18 - “Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
These are but two examples of Epistolic instruction on thankfulness. The issue comes if you read these with an old covenant “Law” lens of obligation and cursing. As the author of Hebrews demonstrates, this is not the attitude of faith. This instruction always follows an extensive instruction on the new covenant and the new creation.
We have new hearts filled with gratitude. Thus, our responsibility is our mindset. When we “set our minds” on how good God’s love and promises are, then gratitude will be the natural result. We won't have to try and give thanks, it will flow out of us.
Do we give thanks for cancer?
There are other ways that these passages are taught that can also mar the loving face of God. Many view passages like this as if we should be grateful for what the fallen world throws at us like sickness or other suffering. Nothing could be further from the truth. Note in the Hebrews passage that it is the Kingdom that is the inspiration of our gratitude. Our gratitude is pointed at God and His gifts and promises, not our circumstances.
The 1 Thessalonians passage gets at this more directly, but both of the passages above indicate the same. Notice the phrase “in every circumstance” not “for every circumstance”. It is the enemy who tries to twist scripture so that we think God is inflicting cancer or other fallen world sinful products on us as some “trial by fire” to help us grow. God forbid. When we get cancer, our gratitude is for Christ working within us to help us get through it, not for the cancer itself. The focus of the gratitude “in the circumstances” is Christ, not the circumstances.
For Everything?
But, you might point at the Ephesians passage and note that in English it says give thanks “for everything”. However, again, there is some translation leeway going on here. This Greek word translated “for” here is far more complicated than the English “for”. It has many contextual meanings. It properly means “above, over, or beyond”. The immediate context is being filled with the Spirit and singing.
Obviously context is up to the person reading, but based on other scripture I don't believe Paul is saying we should be grateful for the bad things that happen to us. I believe he is saying to let our gratefulness overcome everything. Meaning it is the filling of the Spirit and our heartfelt gratitude to Christ that overshadows every circumstance. He is saying the same thing he did in 1 Thessalonians.
Filled with the Spirit
This phrase opens a can of worms that I cannot fully discuss now. However, I believe that there is a clue earlier in the Ephesian epistle where Paul describes being filled.
Ephesians 3:17b-19 - 17b -“Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18-will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth 19-of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
I mean, God and the Spirit are the same. Paul is describing the same experience of being filled. And what is the foundation of this filling? Knowing God's love for us. And this article now comes full circle. We recognize God's love due to His literal beneficience to us. This recognition allows us to be filled with the Spirit which will engender a natural gratitude for everything God give us. But if we think God's gifts are bad or difficult, we will struggle with the proper faith mindset.
How to have Natural Gratitude
This article is far too short to truly investigate this topic, but hopefully I have been able to get the main points. Again, with all living under the new covenant, it is all about mindsets or how we set our mind. As we become convinced more and more that God truly loves us unconditionally and nothing can separate us from that love. As we discover more and more the depths of that love (an eternal discovery); then we allow that love and the gratitude it produces to flow from us.
Part of this is rejecting enemy mindsets of obligation to be thankful and that God is hurling disasters at us in response to our sin. God promises that because of Christ we are fully forgiven and He no longer remembers our sin. Thus, He can no longer punish us for it. When we reap sin’s wages, He can still turn it to good, but it is sin’s wages, not God's. We must reject these mindsets that make God act like the enemy and mar His nature, even if scripture is twisted to support this. Christ represents the heart of God made manifest. There is no greater love than those who give their life.
Romans 5:8-11 - “8-But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9-Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!
10-For if, when we were enemies of God, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! 11-Not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
Does God love His children less than those who are not?
Notice the “rejoicing” inherent in the new covenant gospel. This is another aspect of gratitude. Yet, as God's children we have another level of His love - we have His life. God loves everyone but there is a special place for those who have been “reconciled” or reconnected to Him through Christ. We have the inheritance.
Yet, so often we speak and think as if unbelievers have a better “deal” from God that us! It is all “grace through faith” as a free gift until we receive the gift. Then the “Christian life” becomes something else entirely. We walk the same way we came to Christ: by grace through faith. (Colossians 2:6) Don't be like the Galatians and think that you are saved by the Spirit but you grow by your works. (Galatians 3:3) Paul calls this foolish.
Stop “Quenching” to be Filled
Let's review 1 Thessalonians 5:18 and add 5:19:
1 Thessalonians 5:18-19 - “18-in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19-Do not quench the Spirit.” (NKJV)
I used the NKJV because I like the word “quench”. In my mind it paints a vivid picture. The Apostles are clear - if you are a believer, you have the fire of the Spirit within. You cannot lose that. However, why then do we sin? Why then are we not eternally grateful from the heart? Because we quench! The Spirit never goes away but we can prevent His activity within from being expressed in our attitudes and actions.
Our natural state as a believer means that the Spirit will fill us. It is our anti-gospel mindsets that quench this. We never need to do anything to be filled - the only thing we can do is repent (change our mind) and set our minds on gospel truth. As we do this, we no longer quench the Spirit’s activity within. The Spirit is always acting and leading. It is our choice to think in ways that quench this. And the enemy loves for us to quench the Spirit and uses everything at his disposal to get us to think in these harmful ways. This is really all he has left to harm believers. And sadly twisting scripture to tarnish God's new covenant gospel promises has and continues to work really well.
Conclusion
I hope and pray this discussion has been insightful. Again, faith is receiving God's new covenant gospel promises with joy and fully trusting they are true. This is a faith mindset that prevents us from quenching the Spirit and releases true gratitude along with other manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit. We bear it; we don’t cause it. Christ is the root and trunk, we are merely branches. Within ourselves, we can do nothing. All we can do is see how good what Christ offers is and receive it. We will then bear fruit, including gratitude, from the heart.
Paul clearly ties having gratitude with not quenching the Spirit. He also ties being filled with the Trinity to a growing understanding of Christ’s love for us. Christ’s love is expressed through His finished work and the promises that come along with the new covenant. We cannot doubt our forgiveness - past, present, and future - and truly trust His love. We cannot think we are becoming more righteous by our works and be trusting His love. We cannot think that we are growing closer to God by our “spiritual disciplines” and be trusting His love.
All of these ideas, along with many other mindsets, diminish specific new covenant gospel promises of God. Our “work” is to believe and trust these promises. When this happens, then we will no longer be quenching the Spirit. The bright flame within will fill us and inspire genuine natural gratitude along with all the other things that have been promised.
But, it all starts with seeing God in the proper light. He is a giver, not a taker. He loves His children. He does not condemn; He saves us from sin's condemnation. Don't ascribe to God what is the result of the power of sin and the enemy. It is God who saves. God is love. A full recognition of this leads to discovering and fully accepting His promises in a recognition that they are something truly amazing and that we desperately need them.
Gratitude is simply one of many results the flow from this faith.
If you are observing it - have a Happy Thanksgiving! Either way, may you learn to stop quenching the Spirit and thus be filled so that every day is filled with gratitude for Christ and His life!