A Joyful Grace

Text: Ephesians 5:17-21

Introduction

I think we would all agree that when we spend time being thankful, it works joy into our hearts and into our families. I believe God would have all His children to maintain joy in their homes. Consequently, that would work continual joy into local church families.

Now, being thankful for what our logic and emotions consider GOOD things is really not a challenge. However, it is when we come to those things our logic and emotions describe as NOT SO GOOD, that we have extreme trouble experiencing joy. Unfortunately, many of us find ourselves running away (being disengaged) from the very grace Jesus Himself has made available to us. The very grace in thought today is THANKFULNESS.

Ephesians 5:20 (KJV 1900) — 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Philippians 4:6 (KJV 1900) — 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV 1900) — 18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We come to this verse which causes us to realize more clearly that THANKFULNESS is truly a GRACE of God.

2 Corinthians 9:8 “8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”

Remember what Jesus said? “I have come that your joy might be full.” THIS IS POSSIBLE!!! With thanksgiving, every believer can enter into joy no matter life’s trouble, trial, circumstance, tragedy, etc. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?

1) God’s Boundary For Thankfulness

A. The mode of thankfulness (GIVING)

It is never to be left idle!

Have you ever found yourself hiding away God’s grace of thankfulness?

You may not do it with intention, but when looking back, you discover it was the disposition of your humanity.

B. The “when” & “for what” (ALWAYS & ALL)

Sense - at all times; all the time on every occasion.

REMEMBER when Paul wrote this! He was in PRISON!!!

Paul understood that God was doing something “in him” and “for him,” NOT TO HIM.

Giving thanks is a preventative grace for our hearts to not complain and accuse God. When we complain or fret, that is when the devil moves in to lead us further into sin against our Father.

Examples: Death, miscarriage, sickness, severe injury, sickness, etc.

God is NOT saying, “In order to be thankful for ALL things, you are not permitted to have tears or grieve.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV 1900) — 1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Example: Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus.

The sin comes when we remain in the disposition of grieving and never come to God with thanksgiving for handling such hurtful things.

C. The ability & motive for thankfulness

Faithfully returning thanks to God comes from a thoughtful heart, not a quick tongue!

“unto God and the FATHER”

There is nothing to credit our motivation to be thankful to this degree other than God and His complete Sovereignty!!!

Isa. 46:10 “10 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times the things that are not yet done, Saying, My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure:”

Romans 8:28 “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.”

Does God DIRECTLY create evil? NO NO NO!

Here is what God DOES DO:

Before God said, “let there be light,” He knew ALL THINGS that would come to pass.

This means all the GOOD & BAD.

God DID NOT decree the evil, but He did decree the world where evil would be experienced.

God DID decree to permit evil, pain, suffering, tears, etc.

This is exactly why every believer CAN BE THANKFUL for ALL THINGS unto GOD.

Think of it this way.....You can be thankful for all things in the sense that God has before the foundation of the world was able to handle it and work it out for good.

Don’t miss VERSE 17 — “understanding what the will of the Lord is.”

Don’t miss VERSE 18 — “filled with the Spirit”

When hard situations come in your life, the believer should thank God for keeping his hearts from complaining and fretting.

Quote: “The devil moves in when a Christian starts to complain, but thanksgiving in the Spirit defeats the devil and glorifies the Lord.” [Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 50). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.]

“in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Here is a challenge for you: Spend more time THINKING so you will spend more time THANKING.

God gives us grace because He has a plan for our growth and His glory.

2) God’s Model For Giving Thanks

A. A model of worship

(v19) God has chosen for us the glorifying expression we should return to Him in order to be thankful.

Paul again is writing to a local church.

This can be first of all seen as individually.

If the believer is not practicing this in his/her private life, how can they ever come and display this in public worship?

This is not necessarily the vocalizing of hymns and songs, but the making MELODY IN YOUR HEART.

This then is to be carried into public worship.

If you are being the part of the body you are called to be, the church will have the knowledge of certain pains, struggles, trials, etc. of your life.

When they see THANKFULNESS in light of the known context of your history, it brings their heart to an even great platform of worship to the one true God.

B. A model of unity (v21)

Notice the natural conclusion of the interrelationship of the body of believers: REVERENTIAL UNITY TO GOD.

The reason many times churches crumble away is the fact they have lost sight of how to be joyful.

An active thankfulness brings about active joy and a lively atmosphere of worship among the body of believers.

Ephesians 4:12, 16 “12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”