This is Thanksgiving week. Yesterday I gave you some reasons to be thankful. Today I will do the same, but I will give them to you in a different format.
Reasons to be thankful:
1. God loves you and sent His Son to die for you, even while we were all sinners.
(Romans 5:6-8 Phillips) And we can see that it was while we were powerless to help ourselves that Christ died for sinful men. In human experience it is a rare thing for one man to give his life for another, even if the latter be a good man, though there have been a few who have had the courage to do it. Yet the proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us.
2. In Christ Jesus the Father has given you an abundance of Grace and the gift of righteousness.
(Romans 5:17 NIV) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
3. God made Jesus sin in order to MAKE us righteous.
(2 Cor 5:21 KJV) For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
4. We used to be slaves to sin, but now we can become slaves to righteousness.
(Romans 6:18 NIV) You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.
5. God established a purpose for our lives, before the foundations of the world, and He called us to that purpose by Grace. We are not a mistake.
(Jer 1:5 KJV) Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.
(Ps 139:16 MSG) Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.
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All the days of of your life were prepared before you ever lived one day.
(2 Tim 1:9 NIV) Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
6. God is not going to give up on us. He is committed to finishing what He has started in our lives:
(Philippians 1:6 AMP) And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.
7. God is faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to Him!
(2 Timothy 2:13 AMP) If we are faithless [do not believe and are untrue to Him], He remains true (faithful to His Word and His righteous character), for He cannot deny Himself.
The list could go on, but here is the point:
1. The God of Grace loves you in spite of your flaws.
2. The God of Grace wants to bless you because He is so good, not because you are.
3. The God of Grace will work with you to fulfill His assignment for your life, in spite of your imperfections.
4. The God of Grace does not want you to wallow in condemnation, because if you do, you won’t allow Him to use you.
5. The heroes of the Bible were not perfect, they were just forgiven and they were willing to be used.
6. The God of Grace is in the business of making holy garments from flawed material, so the emphasis can be on Him and not you.
7. The God of Grace knew you would mess up and He knew you would be far from perfect, but He loved you and called you anyway. Accept His Grace and submit to the calling.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for the reminders You have given me this morning. I have lots of reasons to be thankful today, this upcoming Thanksgiving, and every day for that matter. You saved me, even when I was clearly living in sin. You called me, even before I was formed in my mother’s belly. You use me, even though I have messed up more times than I want to acknowledge. You have been far better to me than I have been to You. You love me in spite of my flaws. You are committed to using me for Your purpose, in spite of my imperfections. You continually bless me, not because I am so good, but because You are. You are my God of Grace and I pursue You by faith. Your Grace is on me to live free from sin, to embrace a life of holiness, to accept the awesomeness of the assignment You gave me before the world began, and to pursue that assignment by faith. I may not be perfect, but I am forgiven, and the more I embrace Your Grace, the less imperfections I have to deal with, because the more I am transformed into the very image and likeness of Your Son Jesus the Christ. Father, this morning I am thankful TO You and FOR You. You love me with an everlasting love and Your love has changed me forever. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
