Part three of a four-part series on Thanksgiving



A proper thanks is hard to come up with in regards to God's grace. Perhaps that's why the apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” In the verse right before this one, Paul encourages Christians in Corinth to keep using God's grace in their lives to motivate them for acts of service. I will explore this theme in part three of my four-part series on Thanksgiving.

In all of the terminology the Bible uses, grace is one concept I have a very difficult time trying to grasp. You see, grace is how God shows favor to Christians even though we don't deserve it. Can you imagine trying to do enough good deeds to deserve a home in heaven? Sounds exhausting, doesn't it? God doesn't want us to feel that way about Christian living. But he does want us to be thankful to the point of obeying his word. This is how God knows we love him (John 14:15).

Imagine two people. One is your child, and one is a stranger on the other side of the earth. Both do acts of service everyday. But only one of them is your child. Which one will you give an allowance at the end of the week? The same is true with God's grace. Two people can do acts of service everyday. But only one of them is God's child because they believed that Jesus is the son of God, and has obeyed God's plan for salvation.

You see, it is not your good deed that earns you God's grace, but it is your acceptance of God's grace that allows you to do those acts of service that God expects of his children (ref: Ephesians 2:8-10). Just as it has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions; likewise, the road to heaven is paved with many opportunities to do works of service that God has prepared for us to do.

Yes, God's grace is made available for all kinds of people. He does not want to leave anyone out (ref: 2 Peter 3:9). We just have to accept his grace fully which means full obedience to the way of life God wants us to follow.

There are many things for which mankind can be grateful. But there is nothing greater than God's grace when it comes to covering our sin and offering us a home in heaven. Let's all spend at least a few minutes this week thanking God for his grace. It's a truly indescribable gift that we can share with others through our example, through the teaching of God's word, and through acts of service.



Reach Barrett Vanlandingham at Fort Gibson Church of Christ, 478-2222 or ftgcoc_barrett@sbcglobal.net.