A Life of Thanksgiving

buggy · #1 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 09:56 PM

The recent threads as well as a passage from Proverbs remind me of one thing: the Christian life is to be lived out with thanksgiving.

One question to all: How do you live out your life in thanksgiving to God?

Sven · #2 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 10:44 PM

I believe the Heidelberg Catechism is helpful for understanding how we are to live a life of thankfulness.

The second question of the catechism asks us how many things are necessary to know that we may live and die happily. Here is the answer:
Answer: Three; the first, how great my sins and miseries are; the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries; the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance.

The first question in the section on thankfulness expands upon the idea of thankfulness and what it looks like in the Christian life.

Question 86. Since then we are delivered from our misery, merely of grace, through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we still do good works?

Answer: Because Christ, having redeemed and delivered us by his blood, also renews us by his Holy Spirit, after his own image; that so we may testify, by the whole of our conduct, our gratitude to God for his blessings, and that he may be praised by us; also, that every one may be assured in himself of his faith, by the fruits thereof; and that, by our godly conversation others may be gained to Christ.

The rest that follows is an exposition of the Ten Commandments meaning that true thankfulness to God is doing what is pleasing to Him. Not that keeping the Ten Commandments earns God's favor, but we only do what is pleasing to Him, because we are grateful for His redemption.

21st Century Calvinist · #3 (**permalink**) 07-20-2009, 10:51 PM

Great idea for a thread, thank you.
This is definitely an area where I can improve. So often I am not thankful or have to be reminded to be thankful. I would say that in my life thankfulness is manifest in loving the things that God loves, living in obedience to his commands and by sharing with others that which God is doing/has done in my life.