Thanksmas

If one should give me a dish of sand and tell me there were particles of iron in it, I might look for them with my eyes and search for them with my clumsy fingers and be unable to detect them; but let me take a magnet and sweep through it and now would it draw to itself the almost invisible particles by the mere power of attraction. The unthankful heart, like my finger in the sand, discovers no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through the day and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings, only the iron in God's sand is gold!

-- Henry Ward Beecher

Thank You God Day

Turn with me to Col. 1:12-14

I Thess 5:18

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Three Reasons we have to be Thankful:

I. We Should be Thankful

We Have a Residence(Vs. 12)

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Purpose of Paul’s Prayer (1:10–14)

The text describes this as heartfelt, genuine thankfulness that grows out of the experience of salvation.

Qualify - to make sufficient

finally to be presented “perfect in Christ”

We have an inheritance with the Saints of Light

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Purpose of Paul’s Prayer (1:10–14)

speaks of God the Father’s activity of calling his people to their promised inheritance. The same idea is found in Paul’s statement of 1:5,

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (Chapter 20:32)

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

II. We Should be Thankful

We Have Been Released(Vs. 13)

We have been released from satans kingdom

implies the evil state of the rescued, the superior power of the rescuer, and a conflict issuing in deliverance

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (Chapter 8:44-45)

“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. “But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 4

And even if our agospel is bveiled, it is veiled 1to cthose who are perishing,

4 in whose case athe god of bthis 1world has cblinded the minds of the unbelieving 2so that they might not see the dlight of the gospel of the eglory of Christ, who is the fimage of God.

5 For we ado not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants 1for Jesus’ sake.

6 For God, who said, “aLight shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has bshone in our hearts to give the cLight of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

And have been translated

Colossians Chapter 1

To “translate” (μεθίστημι) is to remove from one place, office, etc., to another; Josephus (‘Ant.,’ ix. 11, 1) uses it of the deportation of the Israelites by the Assyrian king. The Father, rescuing his captive children, brings them “into the kingdom of the Son of his love.”

Into the Kingdom of Christ

Colossians Chapter 1

the supreme lordship of Christ

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Purpose of Paul’s Prayer (1:10–14)

In Christ, God invaded Satan’s territory and delivered people.

Colossians Chapter 1

but the representative and depositary of his love: “Who is his love made manifest”

III. We Should be Thankful

We Have Been Redeemed(Vs. 14)

We have been redeemed by

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Purpose of Paul’s Prayer (1:10–14)

The word “redemption” belongs to the slave market. It involves the payment of a price to secure freedom, and Paul clearly identified that price as the death of Christ

Romans 3:24–27 NASB95

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Purpose of Paul’s Prayer (1:10–14)

The death of Christ was also the payment for release from slavery

Slavery from sin

The Blood of the Lamb

Our sins have been forgiven

Colossians Chapter 1

there salvation appears as a rescue by sovereign power, here as a release by legal ransom

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Purpose of Paul’s Prayer (1:10–14)

The second term, “forgiveness,” stresses the loving nature of God. In these two expressions, therefore, the justice and the mercy of God combine.

A ship was wrecked, and the only survivor washed up on a small uninhabited island. He was exhausted. He cried out to God to save him. Every day he scanned the horizon, searching for help. Finally, he managed to build a rough hut and put his few articles in that hut.

One day, coming home from hunting for food, he was stung with grief to see his little hut in flames and a cloud of smoke. The worst had happened. But early the next day, a ship drew in and rescued him.

He asked the crew, "How did you know I was here?"

They replied, "We saw your smoke signal."

Maybe the difficulty you have now is a smoke signal that will lead to great blessing.