Giving Thanks: A Response to Salvation

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. 2 Thess. 2:13

Giving thanks is an essential and important response to the gift of salvation from God. A grateful heart is the first response to such a wonderful and undeserved love from God who is holy. We who were once wretched and vile are now meant for glory in Christ Jesus.

To not give proper thanks and acknowledgement to God is a condemning sin (Romans 1:21).

God’s salvation has three aspects:

1. A divine source (God has chosen you from the beginning)

2. An earthly process (through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth)

3. A heavenly result (that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A divine source
All men are sinners (Romans 3:10-16) deserving the wrath of God’s holy judgement. Man is also not capable of atoning for their own sin, nor do they want to. However God has chosen (elected) some men to be saved. Only God can choose and it is not based on any merit of man. God chose from the beginning when He alone existed. Without any external influence (because there was nothing but God), God chose to save.

Each and every genuine Christian is a part of the church by God’s loving choice. We must be thankful for every believer because all are undeserving.

An earthly process
Some may wish that God would skip the faith and sanctification process and go immediately to glorification. However, this is a blessing to us, that we might not only be redeemed but enjoy the blessings of our salvation here on earth by having faith and being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. All other religions spend their lives trying to earn salvation without knowing they are really saved, they only hope that when they die, they might be received. Christianity is not so, we have received full pardon and grace, and have the privilege to live by faith and serve our Lord in obedience while here on earth. What a joyful process we go through before glorification.

A heavenly result
The result of salvation is the most wonderful and glorious because it is for the glory of Christ Jesus. God’s salvation shares the glory of His Son to us through His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:40-43) We will be with our Savior in heaven where there is no sin, only His light. (Revelation 21:23-27) God has given abundantly and graciously through His love.

The Response
We must respond with thanksgiving! How can we not? Our giving thanks is obligatory and constant because of the nature of our salvation. Our thanks must be only directed toward God. No one else should receive thanks for our salvation, especially not ourselves. We must be thankful always for others who have received such grace, not just for own. There is rejoicing in heaven over every sinner who repents, we also rejoice (Luke 15:5-7).

Thankfulness is not the final response but the initial. Giving thanks must lead to a love for God and a love to others (Matthew 22:37-40, 1 John 4:11). This love manifests itself as obedience to God and His word (John 14:16). It is not only proper but helpful to be thankful when obeying. Giving thanks allows service and love to be joyful and light. Brethren, if you wish to love and obey the Lord, start by giving thanks!