Paul’s Thanksgiving!
What made Paul have Thanksgiving?
Please read 1 Corinthians 1:4-6
“Thanksgiving” Vs. 4 “I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge— God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.”
Paul was not a pilgrim so why and how could Paul have Thanksgiving?
This section in the Bible has the subject heading Thanksgiving so I couldn’t resist the title but there is a lot of wisdom in these three versus.
For one thing Paul was Thank-Full for the Grace given the believers in in Corinth. He didn’t say he was thankful that they were following the law to the letter or thankful that they were attending church every Sunday. But He did say he was thankful “because of His Grace given you in Christ Jesus.”
Secondly, it’s God’s Grace alone that enriches us every way and that enrichment isn’t about some magical ability to follow the law better! This enrichment “with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge” creates in us the Love that can Only come through Him and a knowledge that goes way beyond arguing law. In fact once Grace comes in the law is no longer important as you are not under it so a Grace-Full person is easy to spot as they focus on Love and not law!
Third and this is Always a point of Thanksgiving for me even in 140 degree middle eastern deserts in July- God’s Grace confirms that Christ is working among us! “God thus confirming our testimony about Christ among you.”
How?
When Grace is present we are Lovers on a Heavenly scale!
When Grace is among us we are able to Love like Jesus because the law is no longer important as we are not under it so how can we judge each other- we can’t!
When Grace is among us there is a wisdom that sees inside a person and sees the Being that Christ radically Loved- even enough to die for!
When Grace is among us we no longer see a king or a homeless person or a transvestite or a CEO or a lesbian or a president or a rapist- We only see one that Christ died for!
This is what Grace, God’s Grace can and will do as you open yourself up to it!
Where do you start? Try this scripture study: go to BeGraceFull.com and the on the top go to the tab that says, “Let the Journey Begin” and answer 7 simple questions based on scripture!
