It is good to give thanks and praise to our God for the way He graciously provides for our daily needs. Our gratitude for His saving grace should envelope our WHOLE life.

Principles of Biblical thanksgiving:

1. The SOURCE of our thanksgiving comes from our union with Christ (vs. 1-4)

- We have been “raised with Christ,” our lives “are now hidden with Christ in God” and “Christ is our life”

- The security of our salvation and our glorious inheritance, yet to be revealed, is in Christ (cf. Jn. 6:37-40)

Is your union with Christ the consistent source of thanksgiving in your life, or is your thanksgiving tied too closely to other things that come and go? Even though our circumstances change, we can always give thanks that, “we have been united with Christ Jesus. Once we were far away from God, but now we have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13).

2. The EVIDENCE of our thanksgiving is living a transformed life (vs. 1,2, 5-14)

- Since Christ is our life, our entire lives are to be transformed and devoted to Him, His will, and His mission (cf. Rom. 12:1-2)

- We are to actively participate with the Holy Spirit in our sanctification process by:

“Setting our hearts and minds on things above…” (cf. vs. 1, 2)
“Putting to death, whatever belongs to our earthly nature” (cf. vs. 5)
“Ridding ourselves” of social behaviours tied to the former life we once lived (cf. vs. 7-10)
“Clothing ourselves” with virtues that are compatible with being chosen, holy, and dearly
loved by God (vs. 12, 14)

Are you actively cooperating with the Holy Spirit through obedience in your sanctification process? The good news is, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (cf. 2 Pt. 1:3).

3. The EXPECTATION of our thanksgiving is that it will be integrated into everything we do (vs. 15-17)

- When our hearts are “ruled” by the peace of Christ, we will have a proper perspective which enables us to be thankful in all circumstances (cf. 1 Thess. 5:18)

- When we allow the “message of Christ to dwell among us richly,” thanksgiving from our union with Christ will saturate our corporate worship and everything we do and say (cf. Ps. 95:1-3; 100:4-5; Heb. 12:28)

Is Thanksgiving just a long weekend to you? Or do you live a life of thanksgiving because of your union with Jesus Christ?

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