This week is Thanksgiving and there is so much to be thankful for. I bet you and I could sit down and make quite the list of Just how the LORD has dealt bountifully this year with each of us. But concerning spiritual things I was thinking of things to thank the LORD for. That list was long, so I will give you four.
Four Things To Thank God For
1. That God Has Qualified U
- (1:12) – says, “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.”
- Christians are to be thankful that God has qualified us (or has made us meet the requirements) to be partakers of the inheritance – that never fades away
- That inheritance is heaven – Jesus Himself – and everything He alone has secured for you
- Read: (1 Peter 1:3-4)
- Look back at the last part of (1:12) – saints in the light”
- The word “saint” here means – “set apart”
- In the New Testament saints refers to Christians who are set apart from the ways of the world and set apart to live according to the ways of God and Christ
- “Light” symbolizes – truth – purity and all things that are acceptable and pleasing to God and Christ
- This inheritance belongs to such as these
- Are you a saint who dwell in the light?
2. God Has Delivered Us From The Power Of Darkness
- The power of darkness is the realm of Satan
- Darkness implies not only absence of light – but opposition to the light – opposition to what is true and pure and wholesome – the things of God
- Darkness is not only a condition of being without God – but being opposed to God
- There is nothing man can do by himself to escape the power of darkness because they are slaves to sin
- Sin is disobedience to the will of God – (1 John 3:4)
- The punishment is death – (Romans 6:23)
- God has intervened by sending his Son to die for your sins – (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
- Christians need to be thankful that God has delivered us from the power of darkness
- Satan will still tempt us – but he doesn’t have the power to make Christians obey Him – (James 4:7-10)
3. God Has Conveyed Us Into The Kingdom Of The Son
- When one obeys the gospel by believing it – God puts that individual immediately into the kingdom the Son of His love – and seals him/her for redemption
- Read: (Ephesians 1:11-14) (Ephesians 2:1-13)
- These three acts of God are enough to invoke praise from us – but these are done being for what is the the greatest treasure of the passage – our redemption and forgiveness
- (1:14) – says…….“in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
4. The Redemption Of Jesus Christ
- Redeem means to buy back – so only God can redeem us from sins – you and I can’t – nobody can only God
- He does so through Jesus
- Read: (Hebrews 9:12)
Did you catch all that? What are thankful for today?