During this season, it is difficult to schedule individuals to interview for this column. Besides, sometimes we need to focus on the season itself. We established last week that the Christian God is the One to whom we must direct our thanks. This week, permit me to point out that, with every blessing for which we give thanks comes a responsibility to steward the blessing.
Around the Thanksgiving table, many will enumerate the “leaves on the Thankful Tree” or the “feathers on the Thanksgiving turkey,” saying or writing that they are thankful for their family, their children, this country, material things, our town and communities, our churches, and so on. It may be obvious what responsibilities we must shoulder concerning these wonderful blessings. But what about our more spiritual blessings?
When we think past this physical world, we remember to be thankful for God, for His Word that brings us the gospel or good news of the salvation He offers through faith in Jesus Christ His Son. There are so many blessings offered and given to us through this Supreme Sacrifice of the Lord of the Universe, but do we acknowledge them, receive them, then take action to “be a doer of the Word, and not hearers only”?
I began listing gifts from the Father to His children, as noted in His Word, and just stopped at about thirty, as they are enumerable. This verse demonstrates His nature: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all—how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32 (NKJV)
Yes, the first gift is noted by the verse held up on posters at football games, at least in the past, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” The only responsibility we have here is, by grace, through faith, to receive the free gift of salvation.
God the Father gave His Son, but do we really appreciate the gift that our Lord Jesus Christ asked the Father to give us, the Church? It is recorded in John 14:16,17, “And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth…for He dwelleth with you; and shall be in you.” Our responsibility is spelled out clearly in the Book of Romans, chapter 8, in which are explained many aspects of this relationship that we must have with God’s precious and powerful Holy Spirit. We must be led by the Spirit, to become the sons of God. (verse 14)
Speaking of blessings, my mind is boggled by all my eyes scan in that one chapter—from “no condemnation,” verse 1, to freedom from sin and death, verse 2, to life and peace, verse 6, to our glorious inheritance spoken of in verses 16-18. The gifts continue, as he tells us of how the Spirit makes intercession, or prays, for us. A favorite verse of many is Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
Immediately following that diamond in the midst of the jewels of chapter 8, is the promise of our being “conformed to the image of His Son.” This is where predestination comes in, as he goes on to say in verse 30, “Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called; and whom He called, them He also justified; and whom He justified, them He also glorified.” The concluding response Paul exclaims is in verse 31, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” And I repeat, in verse 32 we are assured that our Father, who gave us His Son, will give us all things.
In the remaining verses, we are again promised no condemnation. We are assured that Christ Himself intercedes for us. We are told that there can be nothing that “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (vv. 38-39)
Then, where does our responsibility lie concerning just the promises of Romans 8? It is spelled out in verses 5 and 6, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
Let’s bring this into today’s world, into our daily lives. If we only go to church on Sunday morning, and hear the preacher give us what he has prayed and labored over from the Word, but we just go on day after day until the next Sunday, not even pretending to seek God for ourselves, we will only reap dryness, or even spiritual death. We must be filled with the Spirit, through praise, prayer, and His Word, in order to reap the life, and peace, and transformation promised in this chapter alone.
In the new Kendrick brothers’ movie The Overcomer, the teacher who leads the teenager to be saved directs her to go home, to read chapter one of Ephesians, and to list the “spiritual blessings” we have been given, as enumerated in that passage of the holy scriptures. This chapter explains to us, and it is so important, “who we are in Christ.” To me, a major gift listed here is being made “accepted in the beloved,” (verse 6).
How many of us strive our entire lives to be “accepted?” The supreme acceptance is to be accepted by God Himself, the one who created us, who gave Himself for us, in order to have us spend eternity with Him, simply because He wants us with Him there. What a divinely wonderful blessing!
Continue reading through that chapter, listing all the blessings. What should be our response to the advances the Bridegroom makes to His Bride, of which we are a part if we have first believed on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved? We must love Him back, the One who first loved us. We must forgive others, in the way He forgave us. We must love others, and show that love, as He said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you” (verse 12) and “I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” (verse 16)
God bless us all, as we strive to please Him. “For without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon!
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282
