Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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WORSHIP: CELEBRATION OF FAITH.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

"In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."(v.18)

Because of the disobedience of Adam, man lost his fellowship with God. But God wanted to re-establish that fellowship. For that God devised a plan. According to his plan He sent His Son Jesus Christ in to this world to die on the cross as the sacrificial Lamb of God. The work of salvation originated with God's grace. In Eph.2:8 we read. "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourself: it is the gift of God” Man who is utterly hopeless and helpless to save himself from his sin, receives salvation by God's grace through faith and this salvation is a gift from God. This free gift is offered to all people everywhere. Because he receives salvation, his broken fellowship with God has been re-established and he has been adopted in to the family of God as a child of God. Now he can call God his heavenly father and worship him by offering praises and thanks, the fruit of his lips.

In Thess.5:12-22, we see some commandments for born again Christians or believers. It is very important to keep these commandments in our minds and take them to every place we go. Our Lord Jesus Christ said in John 14:15, "If ye love me keep my commands." As believers, how can we express our love to Jesus? The answer to this question is: "Keep His commands." That means study His Commandments and practice them in our daily lives. These commandments are our Lords instructions to us and it is our responsibility to obey Him. Here God is speaking we as his children, are obliged to obey Him.

Verse 18 calls for special attention. It tells us the importance of perpetual thanksgiving of a Christian life. The verse says to give thanks for everything; not only for good and pleasant things, but also for adverse and unpleasant things. When we get sick or when we get in to some kind of trouble, how many of us will thank God for that? Romans 8:28 we read, "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." This verse says that even to them who are called according to His purpose. Somebody said that this verse is soft pillow for a tired heart.  Our Loud Jesus Christ is a great model for such thanksgiving. At the Passover feast when he took the bread, the symbol of His upcoming sufferings and death, He gave thanks before breaking it. Jesus knew that He was going to suffer and die, yet he thanked God, because even in those adversities His intention was to submit Himself to the will of His Father. He knew that his death would open the door for the salvation of mankind. We are not like Jesus Christ, yet we must thank God in our adverse circumstances, because that is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us. A believer is trying to be like Jesus. So let us give thanks for everything.

Prayer: O God I thank Thee for your salvation. Help me to keep thy commandments in my life and thank Thee for everything…Amen.


Thought for the day: We worship God for who He is, and not because of what we’ll get. 
  

                                     Sajee George, Epiphany MTC, NY

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