Giving Thanks to God for Signs of Grace (Part 1)

Giving Thanks to God for Signs of Grace (Part 1): Stretching Upward Spiritually

The previous blog post encouraged giving thanks to God. Scripture reveals that God is at work in the spiritual lives of his people. Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4:

We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

The first sign of is stretching upward spiritually or growing towards spiritual maturity. This sign is without a question, a cause to give God thanks. When the apostle writes, “‘We… thank God for you,’ he says, ‘…because your faith is growing more and more’ (v. 3), he is speaking of their growing faith and not to the time they were saved or converted. They are growing in reliance upon the Lord. Growing fidelity to the Lord and his gospel is inevitably stamped by increasing trust in the Lord and his gospel. Increasing trust results in reliability. The Thessalonians are not satisfied by their attainments to this point spiritually, they are growing in their faith and stretching upward in spiritual maturity. It is for this that Paul gives thanks.

Increasing spiritual growth in a church family results in reliability. Like the example of the Thessalonians, we must not be satisfied by our spiritual growth attained at this point of our spiritual walk in the Word. Rather, we are to push on in our faith toward spiritual maturity. Stretching upward spiritually is the result of the grace of God and for that we give God thanks.

Growing spiritually is the first sign of grace in this passage for which we are to giving thanks to God for the growth in our faith. 

Tie Thanksgiving to God and Tie it Tight

Soon both Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us. Does Thanksgiving seem to get the “short end of the stick”? Perhaps this is because our values are being revealed. Let’s think about the things that we commonly give thanks. We give a quick thanks to God for our food. We thank God for someone we know who has left the hospital feeling better. We may thank God when someone has become a child of God through the Gospel. But have you also noticed “giving thanks” is often tied to material things in our life, to possessions, rather than to the source: God.

In regards to possessions, I ran across this quote from the book, Discipline, the Glad Surrender: Here Elisabeth Elliot reveals four meaningful lessons to be learned from the discipline of our possessions: 'the first lesson is that all things are given by God...Because God gives us things indirectly by enabling us to make them with our own hands (out of things He has made, of course) or to earn the money to buy them...we are prone to forget that He gave them to us. We should be thankful. Thanksgiving requires the recognition of the Source. It implies contentment with what is given, not complaint...it excludes covetousness. The third lesson is that things can be material for sacrifice. The Father pours out His blessings on us; we, His creatures, receive them with open hands, give thanks, and lift them up as an offering back to Him...This lesson leads naturally to the fourth which is that things are given to us to enjoy for awhile...What is not at all fitting or proper is that we should set our hearts on them. Temporal things must be treated as temporal things' received, given thanks for, offered back but enjoyed.

Do we thank the Source? Do we express our thanks to God? Are we a thankful people? Are we thankful individuals? Explore these diagnostic questions to help probe the issue:

Am I prone to complaining? 

Am I a bitter person? 

Am I characterized by failing to recognize God’s good gifts in my life?

Am I anxious about the future? 

Am I the center of the universe?

Do I look for signs of God’s grace in the lives of others and give thanks for them?

What we give thanks for and who we give thanks to reveals the values we bring to intercession and thanksgiving. Paul writes In Colossians 3:16, “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Doug Moo makes the following observations from this verse:

“Gratitude in the heart must come to expression in actual, verbal giving thanks to the Father “through” Christ. Some interpreters think that Christ is the basis for the giving of thanks. But Paul’s choice of construction should be honored: the giving of thanks is not “because of” Christ (dia with accusative) but “through” Christ (dia with genitive). In keeping with the way in which Colossians persistently presents Christ as the Mediator of all that God is to the world and to the believer, so Christ mediates our thanksgiving to the Father.” (Douglas Moo in The Letters to the Colossians and to Philemon (PNTC; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008) 291

With God as the source, let us expand our framework of the values we bring to thanksgiving based on Scripture’s teaching. Let the message of Christ dwell deeply among us. Let’s us not be characterized by ingratitude. Let us tie thanksgiving to God and tie it tight. 

Paid in Full!

Paid in Full! A Note on “It is finished” in John 19:30.

By Kurt Seboe

Hanging on a Roman Cross 2000 years ago, Jesus, “knowing that all things had already been accomplished,” declared, “I am thirsty” (John 19:28). And after drinking the sour wine, he declared, “It is finished!” (19:30).

The expression “It is finished,” is translated from the Greek verb τετέλεσται. Earlier in the context, in 19:28, this word was used to highlight that “all things had already been accomplished.” The verb is a perfect form. When the author is building to the climax of his point in the argument, he will employ a perfect form. When an author/writer is portraying background information to carry the storyline, he will use an aorist or present form.

Secondly, the verb itself (τελέω) carries three basic uses that are similar in meaning. First, it has the force, “to complete an activity or process,” hence bring to an end, finish or complete. Second, it means “to carry out an obligation or demand,” hence carry out, accomplish, perform, fulfill, keep. And third, “to pay what is due,” hence pay (BDAG). Which of these three usage categories is always a matter of what is the best fit contextually? D. A. Carson notes,

As an English translation, It is finished captures only part of the meaning, the part that focuses on completion. Jesus’ work was done. But this is no cry of defeat; nor is it merely an announcement of imminent death (though it is not less than that). The verb teleō from which this form derives denotes the carrying out of a task, and in religious contexts bears the overtone of fulfilling one’s religious obligations. Accordingly, in the light of the impending cross, Jesus could earlier cry, ‘I have brought you glory on earth by completing (teleiōsas; i.e. by accomplishing) the work you gave me to do’ (17:4). ‘Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them eis telos—not only ‘to the end’ but to the full extent mandated by his mission. And so, on the brink of death, Jesus cries out, It is accomplished! (John, PNTC, 621).

So take comfort and and rest in confidence, believer in Christ. For in the purpose of his crucifixion, namely, to die for the sins of the world, Jesus is declaring the debt has been paid in full.

Jesus our High Priest

When the writer of Hebrews penned a “word of exhortation” (13:17") to believers about to face persecution, one aspect of the glories of the Son to be encouraged with is that we have a superior high priest. In becoming man, the son took on our frailty and faced weakness and temptation like us. And He, as our High Priest, by one sacrifice of His own body, makes perfect forever those who come to Him by faith. What’s more, he always lives to make intercession for us.

The writer of Hebrews pens this seventh statement about the glories of the Son in 1:2-3.

“(He) sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3).

Clearly, the finished character of the Son’s once-for-all sacrifice for sin (10:10, 12) is established. The right hand indicates the plan of honor that he occupies. It introduces the first of many quotations from and allusions to Psalm 110. It is the main text and basis for the book of Hebrews, which is a “word of exhortation” (13:17). The author says as much in his appeal in 8:1: “Now the main point in what is being said is this: we have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” Read 10:12 and 12:2 for other references to the Messiah’s when “He entered the holy places once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (9:12).

“Therefore, holy brothers, partakers of a heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession—Jesus” (3:1). Let us appropriate the truth Jesus’ role as our High Priest which fulfills Psalm 110:1-4.

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope – and boldly approach God the Father, knowing that because of our High Priest, He will receive us with mercy and grace.

Pastor Kurt Seboe

Imitators of the Lord

When Paul came to Thessalonica to establish a church there, he was faced with severe persecution. So great was the opposition that he had to cut his time there short after a few weeks and leave town by night (read about this in Acts 17:1-10). What happened to the believers remaining? They imitated Paul’s attitude in persecution! Even more, they became examples to others in their entire region. We can read about this example in in 1 Thess 5b-9. This is a description of their example:  

-you became imitators of us and of the Lord

-you welcomed the message with the joy from the Holy Spirit.

As a result:

-you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.

-the Lord’s message rang out from you,

-every place that your faith in God has gone out, so we don’t need to say anything

The results of the power of the gospel are seen in the fact that the faith of these new believers caught fire. The entire church family’s faith caught fire resulting in evangelism. Evangelism is a church family affair.

Has our faith caught fire? Do we have faith that radiates beyond our local church to the world around us? Do we have the faith that inspires and motivates others to “love and good works” Heb 10:24?

In love and unity, the body of Christ represents Christ to the world. The believers at Thessalonica imitated the Lord wonderfully and powerfully. Could that be said about us?

Pastor Kurt Seboe

I'm Sticking with Preaching the WorD!

Paul wrote with urgency, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

I’m going to stick with what God has promised to use: the preaching of the Word of God. This exhortation is not addressed to the hearer; it is for Timothy. The one who is to obey this command is the one proclaiming the message. It is for the pastor.

Paul urged Timothy to proclaim the truth in his public ministry and adhere to it in his personal life. God was watching him, as was Jesus Christ who will judge all people. Jesus Christ will judge Christians at the judgment seat of Christ and then appear again at the Second Coming (cf. 1:10) and set up His millennial kingdom on the earth. Consequently Timothy needed to herald the Word of God (v. 2) and faithfully carry out the ministry that God had given him (v. 5).

Preach or proclaim the Word of God! That is the primary responsibility of every leader of God’s people (cf. 1:14; 1 Tim. 6:20).

The Word of God must be proclaimed in season and out of season. There is no need for meaningless and silly substitutes for God’s Word. The substitutes may entertain but will definitely distract the lost and the saved from needed conviction or edification. The truth is needed!

Sadly, but not surprisingly, trending in an alarming number of churches, God’s people are being told what they want to hear rather than what they need to hear. The urgency and the task of ministry is to deliver truth. I intend to continue doing just that, by God’s grace, until the day He calls me home.

I’m sticking with the charge. I’m sticking with preaching the word!

-Pastor Kurt Seboe

Supreme Court Overrules Roe vs. Wade in landmark decision of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization.

Rejoice and give thanks to God! It really happened! The impact of the Supreme Court decision made in 1973, almost 50 years ago, which has cost the lives of 60+ million pre-born babies has been overruled. We rejoice and give thanks to God for the Supreme Court’s decision on June 24, 2022, to remove the falsely created constitutional right of abortion.

Abortion is evil and particularly so because it occurs at the earliest stages of a baby’s development. The time in which a baby is vulnerable, in need of nurture, and protection.

Row v. Wade needed to be overturned. It was a massive barrier to justice for unborn babies. Now more babies are alive. Now more babies will live. Praise the Lord!

While there is still more work to do, let’s thank God for what he has done.

We pray for continued wisdom and compassion for the church and crisis pregnancy centers as we care for our community’s babies, mothers, fathers, and caregivers. We act to vote for and support righteousness both locally and statewide.

Please join me and all of us at Northmoreland Baptist Church in praying for our nation, our state, and our churches in the aftermath of this historic court decision.

Monthly Reading: Matthew

Howdy all!

This month we are reading through the Gospel of Matthew! Please do read through it throughout the month, and share what you have been learning from it with us! It's always a helpful encouragement to be stirred up from another believer on reading God's Word. Let's use this month to really think on ways to encourage each other with the truths found in Matthew!

-NBC Staff

Monthly Reading: Jude

Hey all! This month we are reading through the book of Jude! We highly encourage our members to read it on a weekly basis, and we also encourage you all to post lessons or insightful truths that God shows your over the course of the month! Let's come together and stir one another up to love and good works, building up our body one day at a time.

-your friendly neighborhood intern

The Most Dangerous Thing We Have

"How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!  And the tongue is a fire . . . set on fire by hell.  James 3:5-6 

In Lifelines (Westchester, 1982), pages 188-189,  Edith Schaeffer has a important warning for us:  

“James tells us that the tongue is the most dangerous thing we have. . . . We need to pray for help in this terrific battle against the danger of our own tongues.  It is my tongue and your tongue which can kindle a forest fire!”

May God lead us through prayer and His Word to use our communication in a God-honoring and people-edifying way!

-Pastor Seboe