Class Notes: 12/2/2020

Thanksgiving 2020 part 3

https://youtu.be/edv66ydYTHM

Matthew 6:25-34 (NET) "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?
26 Look at the birds in the sky: They do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you more valuable than they are?

27 And which of you by worrying can add even one hour to his life?
28 Why do you worry about clothing? Think about how the flowers of the field grow; they do not work or spin.

29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!
30 And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, won't he clothe you even more, you people of little faith?

31 So then, don't worry saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear?' (How do we avoid getting Covid?)
32 For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33 But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.

Phil 4:6-7; Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In our studies we have seen that God's grace policy always focuses on rational doctrinal truth but religion always focuses on emotion and legalistic ritual. The reason for this is that rational truth is compatible with God the Holy Spirit and emotional ritual is compatible with the sin nature. Zech 4:6; John 4:22-24; Rom 10:2-3;

In the context of our national Thanksgiving holiday it is important for us to likewise be focused on rational truth rather than emotional ritual. This is because when we have the who, the when, the where, the why and the how established properly, the correct what will automatically follow.

Thanksgiving is a grace response that results from grace orientation and genuine humility that is established from the tranquility of soul that Jesus Christ supplies to those who are in union with Him. John 14:27; This copasetic tranquility is the capacity from grace orientation that is necessary to have an attitude of thanksgiving.

A passage that captures what it means to have the capacity that is necessary for the reality of thanksgiving in our thinking is Col 3:12-17; This passage shows that grace capacity is required for thanksgiving to be a reality in our thinking.

Verse 12 expanded translation: "Dress yourselves therefore, as the elected ones of the God, separated ones (saints), having been loved with the result that you keep on being loved, I say, dress yourselves with affections of grace compassion that is capacity for love, a gracious disposition leading to generosity, a mental attitude of grace, humility and steadfastness."

Verse 13 expanded translation: "Putting up with one another (believers), and graciously forgiving others (believers or unbelievers), if anyone has a complaint against anyone else: even as the Lord has graciously forgiven you, in this same way you should also (graciously forgive)."

Verse 14 expanded translation: "And on these put on the mental attitude love that is the bond of maturity."

Verse 15 expanded translation: "And the tranquility (blessing, prosperity) from the Christ be of cause to umpire your hearts, into which also you have been called into one body; and keep on becoming thankful ones."

Verse 16 expanded translation: "And the doctrine from the Christ let it keep on dwelling inside in you abundantly to the point of wealth in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing self and others by musical accompaniment, by songs of praise, by means of spiritual things, by grace in your hearts keep singing to the Lord."

Col 3:17; And" is a continuative use of the conjunction kai, so we are moving on from singing as a part of worship into the next concept that functions as a part of glorifying God.

"And all whatever things you might do in word or deed." it does not say whatever things you do, it says "if" you do them. It is a third class condition which means maybe you will and maybe you will not. It all depends on whether you have grace capacity or not.

"you do" is the present active subjunctive of "poieo." The static present tense indicates that when you reach grace capacity the production of the spiritual life is automatic. It isn't something you think about, it isn't something you have to work yourself up to do or be goaded into.

"if you do," and you automatically will if you have grace capacity and the opportunity presents itself. The present tense means this is the state that should exist. The active voice means that you will automatically produce.

Grace capacity makes you a producer without thinking about it, without anything being manipulated or forced.

The phrase "in word" has to do with the fact that most of our production is in our thinking, "in doctrine," "en logos"". It doesn't mean talking to someone, it means in the sphere of doctrine so it is the function of doctrine in the soul. It is what you think.

The first principle we learn, then: If we are not motivated by doctrine our overt production in the Christian life is worthless in the absence of doctrine in the soul. No doctrine means no legitimate production that God will accept as valid.

"or deed," this is the overt function of the believer with grace capacity.

"all" Again we have the word "pas" that means all or everything.

"in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" references the basis of what we do.

"giving thanks" is a present active participle of "eucharisto", the strongest word for thanksgiving. It means thanksgiving that is based upon something rational. People are often thankful on an emotional basis.

There are two distinct types of thanksgiving that emanate from the soul of the individual. One is rational thanksgiving and the other is emotional thanksgiving.

Emotional thanksgiving is simply an expression of stimulation from emotion and since it is doctrines it is meaningless. Rational thanksgiving is based upon true orientation to life and is meaningful and is the type of thanksgiving involved in any part of worship or any part of your relationship to God.

Thanksgiving must be based on cognizance of doctrine, not on emotional stimulation. Therefore the giving thanks here is based a maximum amount of doctrine in the soul. The present tense indicates liner action. The active voice refers to believers producing the action of the verb with capacity from grace orientation.

The object of the thanksgiving is God. This is the dative of indirect object plus the definite article, so it is "the God," o Theos".

We give thanksgiving to God, but we are benefited by it because we have grace capacity, and the thanksgiving is rational, not emotional so it has meaning. All true thanksgiving must be enshrouded in love, and if you don't love God obviously you can't be thankful to God.

"through him." Through Jesus Christ. Everything is through Jesus Christ. John 14:6;

verse 17 expanded translation: "And all whatever things if you do in doctrine or in deed, all things by the name of the Lord Jesus, constantly giving thanks to the God the Father through him."

Grace capacity is expressed by means of thanksgiving. But the thanksgiving always emphasizes the person not the gift and has capacity to enjoy the gift.

True thanksgiving of the soul is grace capacity for freedom, for life, for love, for happiness, for grace, prosperity and adversity because these capacities are based upon doctrine and all thanksgiving, worship, must be related to doctrine.

True thanksgiving is the grace oriented believer responding to God's outpouring of grace blessings

True thanksgiving is a response to God for Jesus Christ and the capacities and blessings that accrue as a result of being in union with Him

All thanksgiving in worship comes from the Word of Christ in the mentality of the soul, not from emotion. This is what makes thanksgiving a doctrinal reality rather than emotional ritual.

A complete expanded of our passage Col 3:12-17; goes like this.

Verse 12 "Dress yourselves therefore, as the elected ones of the God, separated ones (saints), having been loved with the result that you keep on being loved, I say, dress yourselves with affections of grace compassion that is capacity for love, a gracious disposition leading to generosity, a mental attitude of grace, humility and steadfastness."

Verse 13 "Putting up with one another (believers), and graciously forgiving others (believers or unbelievers), if anyone has a complaint against anyone else: even as the Lord has graciously forgiven you, in this same way you should also (graciously forgive)."

Verse 14 "And on these put on the mental attitude love that is the bond of maturity."

Verse 15 "And the tranquility (blessing, prosperity) from the Christ be of cause to umpire your hearts, into which also you have been called into one body; and keep on becoming thankful ones."

Verse 16 "And the doctrine from the Christ let it keep on dwelling inside in you abundantly to the point of wealth in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing self and others by musical accompaniment, by songs of praise, by means of spiritual things, by grace in your hearts keep singing to the Lord."

verse 17 "And all whatever things if you do in doctrine or in deed, all things by the name of the Lord Jesus, constantly giving thanks to the God the Father through him."

Some other passages where thanksgiving to God is referenced in God's Word of truth:

1Thes 5:16-18; Always be a happy camper; 17 pray without ceasing;
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.1Cor 15:57; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Corinthians 2:14;But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.

2Corinthians 9:15; Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Col 1:3-6; We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;

5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel
6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;

1Thess 1:2-3; We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,

2Thess 2:13; But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Since North America is the only place where thanksgiving holidays are observed we can see that Christianity is the basis of the founding of the North American culture.


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