Community of Believers || Thankfulness || Part 5 (FINALE)

I’m thankful you’re here. I’m thankful you’re reading this. I’m thankful you’ve checked out this blog. I’m thankful you’re joining us for our new blog series on thankfulness.

We are wrapping up our series called “Thankfulness” today. This series has been about different ways we can be thankful to God. In the last part, we discussed how we can be thankful for God’s character and wondrous works. We described God’s justice and how his justice allows us to go out and create a community that cares for each other.

In this part, we’re looking at how we can be thankful for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We weren’t created to do life alone, so we need a community to lean on.

1 Corinthians 1:4

NASB	NLT	VOICE
4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.	4 I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.	4 I am continuously thanking my God for you when I think about the grace God has offered you in Jesus the Anointed

Paul often started his letters by expressing gratitude for the church’s support in his ministerial journeys. The gratitude for the church in Corinth was shared for their love with him. How often do we share a general appreciation for those stuck around in our community? Those we know are there to talk with, ask for help, or just exist with. God provides these abilities through his offerings and will place those in our lives as earthly vessels offering those same gifts. They aren’t a replacement for God but a group that works in tandem with God.

Ephesians 1:6

NASB	NLT	VOICE
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He favored us in the Beloved.	6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.	6 Ultimately God is the one worthy of praise for showing us His grace; He is merciful and marvelous, freely giving us these gifts in His Beloved.

The same precedent applies to the opening lines in the 1 Corinthians passage listed above. Still, we’re introduced to God’s favor and mercy. God’s chosen us to enact his plans for the world. He made a promise to Abraham to make many descendants from his lineage. Through our relationship with Christ, we are part of that lineage. We find his favor often when we conduct acts of righteousness, such as doing good that aligns with God’s moral law. Not only do we find his favor, but also his mercy. We often get it wrong trying to follow his moral law, so God gifts his ultimate forgiveness. As long as we’re not intentionally rebelling against God’s law, our ask for forgiveness will be accepted and forgotten, allowing us to continue trying to be at least 1% better than today.

Romans 3:24

NASB	NLT	VOICE
24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,	24 Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.	24 Yet they are now saved and set right by His free gift of grace through the redemption available only in Jesus the anointed

God says we are righteous – we have been declared not guilty of our sins. The charges are removed and dropped when the judge declares a defendant not guilty. Legally, the person never committed the crime accused of. When we receive God’s forgiveness, our sins are removed. Our relationship is restored with him, and we will go on to tomorrow as if nothing happened. We might deal with the earthly consequences of our actions, but to God, it’s forgiven and forgotten. He can do that because Jesus took our sins and paid the penalty for them on the cross. Jesus paid our penalty to give us our freedom. We will find ourselves with believers in a church that has crossed that same path of forgiveness. It creates a community that allows us to encourage, motivate, and be with each other because we all have the same/similar background.

Colossians 1:13

NASB	NLT	VOICE
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.	13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,	13 You have rescued us from dark powers and brought us safely into the kingdom of Your Son, whom You love.

Darkness represents evil, Satan, and those who intentionally reject God. Jesus commissioned Paul to go to the Gentiles (non-believing Jewish people) and show them the light, which is the message of Christ. The Colossians feared the unseen forces of darkness, but Paul says true believers have been transferred out of darkness and into the light. We have found freedom from the rebellious kingdom of the evil forces of the world and the opportunity to get into a relationship with a righteous King and care for his creation. This relationship allows us to live freely in the light – in God’s bright, safe, and comforting shadow and protection. When we find moments of fear, stress, and panic, we can rest in that shadow and ask God to replace that darkness with light.

Philippians 1:3-5

NASB	NLT	VOICE
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,	3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.	3 Whenever you cross my mind, I thank my God for you and for the gift of knowing you.
4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,	4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of with you with joy,	4 My spirit is lightened with joy whenever I pray for you (and I do constantly)
5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.	5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard	5 because you have partnered with me to spread the gospel since the first day I preached to you.

The Philippians first heard about the Good News ten years before Paul’s letter, when Paul and his companions visited the church during Paul’s second missionary journey and founded it. Paul has listed the joy he has for this community many times. He remembered them with joy and thanksgiving whenever he prayed for them. Just by helping Paul, they helped the mission of Jesus. The Philippians were willing to partner with Paul in whatever was needed. Paul and the Philippians were partners in spreading the Gospel. He reflected on how they supported help financially and physically. What a community to have. Someone to partner with in doing good in the world. That’s the community we all need and will find through God.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this five-part series on thankfulness. Next is our six-part series on how Jesus describes the future in Matthew 24.