Scriptural Teachings for Contemporary Evangelical Settings
Scripture conveys there is a clear distinction between the terms (a) restoration, which often involves lament, (b) thanksgiving, (c) praise, and (d) worship (see Psa. 95:6-7; Psa. 100:2-7; et al.). Deeply interconnected themes in the Scriptures, lament of one's sinfulness before God elicits a Spirit response of restoration through Christ, which brings believers into a right relationship with God, enabling us to experience joy and hope along with the ability to worship Him in spirit and truth. Worship, therefore, is the human response to God's restorative work in us. Recognizing this restorative work moves us to express gratitude, thanksgiving, praise, reverence, and commitment to His will.
Part 2/4 (below) discusses thanksgiving, the scriptural means by which we draw near to God, focus our thoughts on His restorative activities toward us, and leading to personal praise of Who He remains to be throughout all generations.
Part 2/4 (below) discusses thanksgiving, the scriptural means by which we draw near to God, focus our thoughts on His restorative activities toward us, and leading to personal praise of Who He remains to be throughout all generations.
Thanksgiving
"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving...be thankful unto Him and bless His holy Name" (Psa. 100:4).
Under the Old Covenant (OT), the Jews were not allowed inside the innermost part of the temple, as this area was reserved for the priests. Regular visitors came through the gates, which led to the outer courts - the closest they could get to God. This was the place and way God told them to worship. Today, we worship in Spirit and in truth (Jhn. 4:23), so we can pray anywhere. But, while the location of our worship may have changed, the way we must enter remains the same. So, if we want to get close to God, we need follow the path of His leading:
- We start by thanking Him for His goodness, which we realized in His restorative activities with us.
- We follow thanksgiving with praise of His great Name.
"Every day will I bless thee; and, I will praise Thy Name for ever and ever" (Psa. 145:2).
Thanksgiving is the entry point where we come into the presence of God (Psa. 95:2). It involves:
- magnifying Him (Psa. 69:30).
- thanking God for His righteousness (Psalm. 7:17).
- thanking God for His goodness and comfort, and our joy and gladness (Isa. 51:3).
- a personal sacrifice of mankind that "tells of HIs wonderful deeds" (Psa. 50:14)
- "[blessing] His Name" (Psa. 100: 4)
- the "[performance] of your vows to the Most High" (Psa. 50:14).
- "...[knowing] that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture...for the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues throughout all generations" (Psa. 100: 3, 5).
- "...[knowing] the one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to [the] one who orders his way rightly, I will show the salvation of God!" (Psa. 50:23).
- the requisite before calling upon the Name of the Lord (Psa. 116:17).
- the requisite required of us before we may praise His Name through song or melody (Psa. 147:7).
- a celebration, which moves God to make us honored before Him (Jer. 30:19).
Thanksgiving is void of "filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place" (Eph. 5:4). It is the antithesis of "anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let [our] requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6). It enriches us in generosity (2 Co. 9:11), should abound within us (Col. 2:7), and is necessary to be watchful for attacks of the Enemy (Col. 4:2).
Under the Old Covenant (OT), the Jews were not allowed inside the innermost part of the temple, as this area was reserved for the priests. Regular visitors came through the gates, which led to the outer courts - the closest they could get to God. This was the place and way God told them to worship. Today, we worship in Spirit and in truth (Jhn. 4:23), so we can pray anywhere. But, while the location of our worship may have changed, the way we must enter remains the same. So, if we want to get close to God, we need follow the path of His leading:
- We start by thanking Him for His goodness, which we realized in His restorative activities with us.
- We follow thanksgiving with praise of His great Name.
"Every day will I bless thee; and, I will praise Thy Name for ever and ever" (Psa. 145:2).
Thanksgiving is the entry point where we come into the presence of God (Psa. 95:2). It involves:
- magnifying Him (Psa. 69:30).
- thanking God for His righteousness (Psalm. 7:17).
- thanking God for His goodness and comfort, and our joy and gladness (Isa. 51:3).
- a personal sacrifice of mankind that "tells of HIs wonderful deeds" (Psa. 50:14)
- "[blessing] His Name" (Psa. 100: 4)
- the "[performance] of your vows to the Most High" (Psa. 50:14).
- "...[knowing] that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture...for the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues throughout all generations" (Psa. 100: 3, 5).
- "...[knowing] the one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to [the] one who orders his way rightly, I will show the salvation of God!" (Psa. 50:23).
- the requisite before calling upon the Name of the Lord (Psa. 116:17).
- the requisite required of us before we may praise His Name through song or melody (Psa. 147:7).
- a celebration, which moves God to make us honored before Him (Jer. 30:19).
Thanksgiving is void of "filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place" (Eph. 5:4). It is the antithesis of "anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let [our] requests be made known to God" (Phil. 4:6). It enriches us in generosity (2 Co. 9:11), should abound within us (Col. 2:7), and is necessary to be watchful for attacks of the Enemy (Col. 4:2).
Comments are closed