Honoring God & Giving Thanks

by Lawrence Kelley

It is easy to read a section of scripture like this and only see in it a list of bad things that some people do and that we should not. While this is true as far as it goes, it does not go nearly far enough. Paul wants us to understand not only what sinners do, but why they do it and how we can be spared from skidding into the same kind of behavior ourselves. Notice three things in particular:

First, God is angry when men willfully suppress the truth about His existence and nature (v. 18). God is knowable. He has revealed Himself through creation, inspiration and incarnation. Men do not deny God because the evidence is lacking, but because they reject the evidence that is staring them in the face.

Second, God pours out His wrath on men for rejecting Him by giving them over to the consequences of their decision (vv. 24,26,28). Falling into the practice of perverse sins is a judgment on the prior sin of rejecting God. When man cuts Himself off from his Creator, he cannot live well. It is important to see these vile deeds, not only as things people will be punished for, but as a punishment itself. This means a society that willfully practices and approves such sins is already under the judgment of God.

Third, Paul tells us the most fundamental point of the whole section; he tells us why men suppress the truth about God. Men suppress the truth about God, because they do not want to give God the glory and they do not want to be thankful for all His blessings (v. 21). This means that if we want to avoid the great transgressions listed in this chapter, we must be careful to do the two fundamental things that will keep us from them: Glorify God As God and Be Thankful. Consider what it is to praise, honor, magnify our Maker for who He is and to return thanks for what He has done.

Glorify God As God:

First is to recognize the godness of God (His eternal power and Deity). Nobody made God and nobody controls Him. He is all powerful, all knowing and nothing thwarts His purposes. Second is to fall down before Him in wonder and awe! In contrast to the willful suppression of the truth about God, We find Paul in Rom 11:33-36 exulting in the Lord Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! "For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor?" 'Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?" For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Be Thankful:

Count the blessings that are coming your way daily. After counting them confess to God that most of His goodness to you has not even been thought of and ask for greater perception to realize how good He is to us. Most importantly we must understand that Gratitude collides with grumbling. Thankfulness excludes murmuring. Because the world is full of grumbling and complaining, we through genuine gratitude can shine as lights in the night sky, sparkling diamonds against a black velvet backdrop (Phil 2:14,15). One commentator well described the contrast this way, "You are daily surrounded by people who are suppressing the truth about their blessings because they don't want to be thankful, but they cannot suppress it, because there you are - grateful for your job, grateful for your kids and spouse, grateful for the size of your paycheck, grateful for how socks feel when you pull them up, grateful for your elders, grateful for a healthy liver, grateful that your car has heat, and grateful for your salvation." When we exude this kind of grateful spirit we will become a force of light in this community that cannot be ignored.

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Sermons on:

Sermon On The Mount
Beattitudes

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This page was last modified on January 3, 2007