Sunday, March 18th, 2012
Romans 16:1-16
“The Power of a Grateful Spirit”
Bible Memory Verse for the Week: Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. — 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Background Information:
- Having ended the body of his letter with a shalom, the Jewish blessing of peace, Paul now turns to less theological tasks–a letter of commendation and personal greetings. Whether the text of chapter 16 was added to the end of the parchment (the treated animal skin used for writing in the first century) or was included as a separate document, we do not know. (Clarence L. Bence, Romans, A Commentary for Bible Students, 241)
- CHRYSOSTOM: I think there are many, even some apparently good commentators, who hurry over this part of the epistle because they think it is superfluous and of little importance. They probably think much the same about the genealogies in the Gospels. Because it is a catalog of names, they think they can get nothing good out of it. People who mine gold are careful even about the smallest fragments, but these commentators ignore even huge bars of gold! HOMILIES ON ROMANS 30. (Thomas C. Oden, Ancient Christian Commentary, Vol. VI, 355)
- Most of Paul’s letters lack personal greetings. How are we to account for so many here? A clue is provided by his letter to the Colossians, which also contains greetings and is written to a church he did not personally establish. In his letter to the Romans Paul is taking advantage of all the ties he has with this congregation that he hopes to visit in the near future. To send greetings to individuals in churches where he knew virtually the entire congregation would expose Paul to the charge of favoritism. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 10, 162)
- The persons greeted are colleagues (and acquaintances of colleagues) from the eastern mission field, whom the apostle mentions in order to marshal support in Rome for his proposed trip to Spain. What could be more natural given his pastoral and missionary interests? (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 353)
- Paul is the apostle to the Gentiles. He is encouraging everyone who is supporting his effort to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles so he might accomplish his goal. He is also preparing the way for future support of his own mission to go to Spain. We would be wise to understand and properly and in a godly manner use those practical PR principles. Praise, giving thanks, and gratitude not only endears those to whom you give thanks, but it also encourages them to “keep on truckin” in those endeavors for which they are being encouraged.
- Some interpreters have suggested that we translate “esteemed by the apostles,” but this is unlikely. More to the point is to remember that Paul uses apostolos in ways other than as a reference to the official, authoritative “twelve apostles.” It can refer to a “messenger” (2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25) or a “commissioned missionary” (2 Cor 9:5-6; 15:7[?]; Gal 2:9; Acts 14:4, 14). In this context, this latter meaning is the most likely. (Douglas J. Moo, The NIV Application Commentary: Romans, 502-03)
- ORIGEN: This passage teaches that there were women ordained in the church’s ministry by the apostle’s authority. . . . Not only that–they ought to be ordained into the ministry, because they helped in many ways and by their good services deserved the praise even of the apostle. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. (Thomas C. Oden, Ancient Christian Commentary, Vol. VI, 355)
- The early Christians could not afford their own meeting places, so they met in private homes. (Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 3, 92)
- The early Christians had no church buildings. See also Acts 12:2; 1 Cor 16:19; Phlm 2; Col 4:15. The Roman Christians had probably several such homes where they would meet. (Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures in the NT, Vol. IV, 426)
- The size of the ancient Roman home would also have meant that the largest congregation would have numbered no more than 20 to 30 Christians. (Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 3, 92)
- From this section of Romans we are able to discern that there are apparently 3 – 5 “home churches” in Rome at the time of Paul’s writing the book of Romans. Paul wishes to greet each and everyone of them.
DEFINITIONS:
- (v.1) “Commend” (NIV) = Gk sunisteemi (Lk 9:32; Rom 3:5; 5:8; 2 Cor 4:2; 6:4; 7:11; 10:18; 12:11; Gal 2:18; Col 1:17; 2 Pt 3:5) “to associate”, “to band together”, “to stand together”, “to commend”, “to display”, “to prove (to be)” (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Vol VII, 897.) “to set forth”, “to present”, “to bring to light”, “to show”.
- (vss. 3-16) “Greet” (NIV) = Gk aspazomai (Mt 5:47; 10:12; Mk 9:15; 15:18; Lk 1:40; 10:4; Heb 11;13; etc.) “customary greeting upon entering a house, or meeting someone on the street or parting.” In a letter from distance (as Romans is) aspazomai is a substitute for a greeting and embrace in a personal encounter. (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Vol I, 496) “The basic meaning of the term seems to be ‘to embrace’”. Also to be fond of someone, to like someone, to agree with something or to pay one’s respect to someone. (TDNT: Vol I, 497) One possible similar expression today it might be the shake of the hand.
- Three times in this list of greetings Paul uses a certain Greek word for Christian toil. He uses it of Mary (v. 6), and of Tryphaena and Tryphosa and of Persis in this passage. It is the verb kopian, which means to toil to the point of exhaustion. That is what Paul said that Tryphaena and Tryphosa were in the habit of doing; and the point is that Pryphaena and Tryphosa mean respectively dainty and delicate! It is as if he were saying: “You two may be called dainty and delicate; but you belie your names by working like Trojans and for the sake of Christ.” (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 214)
- If the adjectives are anything to judge by, we should conclude that the early church was characterized above all by hard work (Gk. kopian) and affection (Gk. agap tos)–two not insignificant traits for a healthy church in any age. (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 358)
- The words of commendation which Paul uses are in themselves illuminating. Those who have worked hard are singled out for praise more than once. With most of us the words may not have acquired high religious associations; but Paul evidently considered unremitting effort a quality of great importance in the Christian community. (Abingdon Press, The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IX, 659)
CHARACTERS:
- Of the 24, 6 are women. That is worth remembering, for often Paul is accused of belittling the status of women in the Church. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 211-12)
- Of the 24 names, 13 occur in inscriptions or documents which have to do with the Emperor’s palace in Rome. Although many are very common names, this fact is nonetheless suggestive. In Phil 4:22 Paul speaks of the saints of Caesar’s household. It may be that they were for the most part slaves, but it is still important that Christianity seems to have penetrated even thus early into the imperial palace. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 212)
- (1) A majority of the names are Gentile (confirming the mainly Gentile makeup of the church at Rome); and (2) the majority of the names are those of slaves and “freedmen” (slaves who had been given their freedom), or the descendants of slaves/freedmen. Another point that the list makes clear is the pattern of church organization in Rome, for Paul identifies at least three, and perhaps five, separate house churches (vv. 5, 14, 15; cf. Also vv. 10, 11). (Douglas J. Moo, The New International Commentary on the NT: Romans, 918-19)
Phoebe
- Phoebe was known as a servant (the Greek word used here is often translated “deaconess”) and a helper. Apparently she was a wealthy person who helped support Paul’s ministry. Phoebe was highly regarded in the church, and she may have delivered this letter from Corinth to Rome. This provides evidence that women had important roles in the early church. Cenchrea, the town where Phoebe lived, was the eastern port of Corinth, six miles from the city center. (Tyndale House Publishers, Life Application Study Bible, 2056)
- Phoebe was evidently a person of means (or influence, or both), because the Greek term translated a great help (v. 2; Gk. prostatis) means a “protectress or patroness.” (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 354)
- It seems very likely that Phoebe was entrusted with the responsible task of carrying Paul’s letter to its destination in Rome, although other business was apparently taking her to the city as well, perhaps commerce or “quite probably a law suit.” (John Stott, Romans, God’s Good News for the World, 392)
- Paul’s purpose in commending Phoebe is twofold. First, he wants the Roman Christians to “receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints.” “Receiving” includes, or course, welcoming Phoebe into fellowship. But it would also mean assisting her to find lodging, food, and the like. (Douglas J. Moo, The New International Commentary on the NT: Romans, 915)
- Paul’s second purpose in commending Phoebe is that the Roman Christians would “assist her in the matter in which she has need of you.” The “matter” on which Phoebe requires assistance cannot be determined, although it is possible that a legal dispute is involved. (Douglas J. Moo, The New International Commentary on the NT: Romans, 915)
Pricilla & Aquila
- Priscilla and Aquila were a married couple who had become Paul’s close friends. They, along with all other Jews, had been expelled from Rome by the emperor (Acts 18:2, 3) and had moved to Corinth. There they met Paul and invited him to live with them. They were Christians before they met Paul, and probably told him much about the Roman church. Like Paul, Priscilla and Aquila were missionaries. They helped believers in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-28), in Rome when they were allowed to return, and again at Ephesus (2 Tm 4:19). (Tyndale House Publishers, Life Application Study Bible, 2056)
- Prisca and Aquila lived a curiously nomadic and unsettled life. Aquila himself had been born in Pontus in Asia Minor (Acts 18:2). We find them resident first in Rome, then in Corinth, then in Ephesus, then back in Rome, and then finally again in Ephesus; but wherever we find them, we find their home a centre of Christian fellowship and service. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 209)
- To this day in Rome there is a Church of St. Prisca on the Aventine. There is also a cemetery of Priscilla. This cemetery is the burying place of the ancient Roman Acilian family. In it lies buried Acilius Glabrio. He was consul of Rome in A.D. 91 which was the highest office Rome could offer him; and it seems extremely likely that he died a martyr’s death as a Christian. He must have been one of the first of the great Romans to become a Christian and to suffer for his faith. Now when people received their freedom in the Roman Empire they were enrolled in one of the great families and took one of the family names as theirs. One of the commonest female names in the Acilian family was Prisca; and Acilius is sometimes written Aquilius, which is very close to Aquila. Here we are faced with two fascinating possibilities.
(i) Perhaps Prisca and Aquila received their freedom from some member of the Acilian family, in which it may be that once they were slaves. Can it be that these two people sowed the seeds of Christianity into that family so that one day a member of it–Acilius Glabrio, no less a person than a Roman consul–became a Christian?
(ii) There is an even more romantic possibility. It is an odd thing that in four out of the six mentions of this pair in the NT Prisca is named before her husband, although normally the husband’s name would come first, as we say “Mr. and Mrs.” There is just the possibility that this is because Prisca was not a freed woman at all but a great lady, a member by birth of the Acilian family. It may be that at some meeting of the Christians this great Roman lady met Aquila, the humble Jewish tentmaker, that the two fell in love, that Christianity destroyed the barriers of race and rank and wealth and birth, and that these two, the Roman aristocrat and the Jewish artisan, were joined for ever in Christian love and Christian service. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 211)
- The two were tentmakers, as was Paul. Better still, they were Christians. Was it Paul who had been instrumental in bringing about their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ? Here in Rom 16:3 Paul calls them “my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus.” So all three–Paul, Prisca, Aquila–were partners both in daily vocation and in gospel proclamation. It is not surprising that in Corinth Paul had made his home with them (Acts 18:3). (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Romans, 502)
- Here in Rom 16:3-5a Paul causes the salutation to Prisca and Aquila to be the first of a lengthy list. Not only is it the first, it is also the fullest and the longest of the greetings. It now appears that the couple had “risked their necks” for Paul; that is, had hazarded their lives for his sake. Did this happen during the riot at Ephesus described in Acts 19:23-41? Cf. 1 Cor 16:9, 19; 2 Cor 1:8-10. We cannot be certain about this. What is clear, however, is that the devout couple was and remained loyal to Paul to the nth degree. (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Romans, 502)
Junias
- CHRYSOSTOM: It was the greatest of honors to be counted a fellow prisoner of Paul’s . . . Think what great praise it was to be considered of note among the apostles. These two were of note because of their works and achievements. Think how great the devotion of this woman Junia must have been, that she should be worthy to be called an apostle! But even here Paul does not stop his praise, for they were Christians before he was. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31. (Thomas C. Oden, Ancient Christian Commentary, Vol. VI, 358-59)
Ampliatus
- Behind the name of Ampliatus may well lie an interesting story. It is a quite common slave name. Now in the cemetery of Domatilla, which is the earliest of the Christian catacombs, there is a decorated tomb with the single name Ampliatus carved on it in bold and decorative lettering. The fact that the single name Ampliatus alone is carved on the tomb–Romans who were citizens would have three names, a nomen, a praenomen, and a cognomen–would indicate that this Ampliatus was a slave; but the elaborate tomb and the bold lettering would indicate that he was a man of high rank in the Church. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 212)
Apelles
- Apelles (v. 10) was a fairly common name, but this man has an uncommon pedigree, for he is one who is “tested and approved in Christ.” This was Paul’s desire for Timothy (2 Tm 2:15) and for himself (1 Cor 9:27). (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 10, 164)
Aristobulus
- In Rome for long there had lived a grandson of Herod the Great whose name was Aristobulus. He had lived always as a private individual and had inherited none of Herod’s domains; but he was a close friend of the emperor Claudius. When he died his servants and slaves would become the property of the emperor, but they would form a section of his establishment known as the household of Aristobulus. So this phrase may well describe Jewish servants and slaves who had once belonged to Aristobulus, Herod’s grandson, and had now become the property of the Emperor. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 213)
Tryphena & Tryphosa
- Similar in name, Tryphaena and Tryphosa (v. 12) were likely sisters. It was not uncommon then, as now, to give daughters names with a certain resemblance (cf. Jean and Joan). Possibly they belonged to an aristocratic family, since “dainty” and “delicate” (or “luxuriating”) as their names mean, would seem to fit this category. If so, their Christian convictions led them to put aside nay tendency to live a life of ease. (Frank E. Gæbelein, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 10, 165)
Rufus
- Turn to Mk 15:21. There we read of one Simon a Cyrenian who was compelled to carry the Cross of Jesus on the road to Calvary; and he is described as the father of Alexander and Rufus. Now if a man is identified by the names of his sons, it means that, although he himself may not be personally known to the community to whom the story is being told, his sons are. To what Church, then, did Mark write his gospel? He wrote it to the Church of Rome, and he knew that it would know who Alexander and Rufus were. Almost certainly here we find Rufus again, the son of that Simon who carried the Cross of Jesus. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 215)
- Jesus’ cross beam was carried by Simon of Cyrene, who is identified as the father of Alexander and Rufus (Mk 15:21). It was unusual for Mark to insert that kind of detail in his narrative, and we have to wonder why he did it. Mark’s Gospel was sent to the church at Rome. Mark was likely aware that Rufus and perhaps his brother Alexander were members of the church at Rome when the gospel was sent there. Mark, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, honored those local church members, the sons of the man who had carried the cross of Jesus. (RC Sproul, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary: Romans, 505)
Nereus
- In A.D. 95 an event which shocked Rome. Two of the most distinguished people in the city were condemned for being Christians. They were Flavius Clemens, who had been consul of Rome, and his wife Domatilla, who was of royal blood. She was the granddaughter of Vespasian, a former Emperor, and the niece of Domitian the reigning Emperor. In fact the two sons of Flavius Clemens and Domatilla had been designated Domitan’s successors in the imperial power. Flavius was executed and Domatilla was banished to the island of Pontia where years afterwards Paula saw the cave where “she drew out a long martyrdom for the Christian name.”
The point is this–the name of the chamberlain of Flavius and Domatilla was Nereus. Is it possible that Nereus the slave had something to do with the making into Christians of Flavius Clemens the ex-consul and Domatilla the princess of the royal blood? It may be an idle speculation, for Nereus is a common name, but, on the other hand, it may be true. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 216-17)
The questions to be answered are . . . What is Paul doing here in the first 16 verses of Romans chapter 16? Why is Paul doing this? What can we learn?
Answer: Paul is making sure that every believer in Rome knows about those who are advancing the Gospel through their efforts. Paul wants to both encourage those who are already sacrificing for the sake of the Gospel, but also to motivate those who are presently fence-sitters or bystanders to “get in the game”. We could learn a lot from God’s servant the Apostle Paul. If you want to really get things done, encourage those you are attempting to motivate. Don’t criticize or discourage.
The Word for the Day is . . . Grateful
This country including you and most of the people related to you by birth or marriage or both is populated by beings who have been so blessed for so long that they have become almost completely immune to any interests other than their own. (Denis Leary, Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid)
How does Paul demonstrate his grateful spirit?:
I. Paul expresses his gratitude for those building the Kingdom of God by giving commendation, praise, thanks and appreciation (Rom 16:1-15; see also: Eph 1:16; Phil 1:3; Col 1:3; 1 Thes 1:2; 2:13; 3:9; 2 Thes 1:3; 2:13; 1 Tm 1:3; 2:1; Phlm 1:7)
Leaders ought to be constantly praising their people for their accomplishments and acknowledging their contributions to the organization. At staff gatherings and special occasions, leaders ought to be known for praising their people for their work rather than for blowing their own horns. (Henry & Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership, 138)
God enjoys our enjoyment! He filled the world with good things for a reason. Go to a football game. Spend time with your family. Take a vacation. Pursue an enjoyable hobby. Relax in the sauna. Do a little something for yourself every day, and thank God for the blessings He has abundantly poured into your life. Author Jim McGuiggan has observed:
Some saints can’t enjoy a meal because the world is starving. They can’t joyfully thank God for their clothing and shelter because the world is naked and homeless. They’re afraid to enjoy an evening at home with their families because they feel like they ought to be out saving souls. They can’t spend an hour with an unforgiven one without feeling guilty if they haven’t preached a sermon or manifested a sober Christian spirit. They know nothing of balance and they’re miserable because of it…They think the gospel is good news until you obey it. And then it becomes an endless guilt trip. (Jim McGuiggan, The Irish Papers: Lessons from Life) (David Jeremiah, Searching for Heaven on Earth, 67)
“Every world (view) is organized to recognize and point to the gods.” (Bishop Kendall; quoted from Sanctification for Dummies. At annual Conference ‘09)
Jesus promised that when believers minister to “one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them,” they do it for Him (Mt 25:35-40). Christians are to receive, to love, to minister to each other in a way that is distinct from the world around us and that it cannot comprehend. We are to embrace, serve, and care for all those who genuinely name the name of Christ (cf. Mt 18:5-10). (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: Romans 9-16, 361)
II. Paul encourages mutual edification towards building up others in the Kingdom of God (Rom 16:16; see also: Mt 10:41; 1 Cor 12:26; 1 Cor 16:19-20; 2 Cor 13:12; Phil 2:25-29; Col 4:15; 3 Jn 8)
The “holy kiss” was a common form of greeting, much like the handshake today. (See also 1 Cor 16:20; 1 Th 5:26.) (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 292)
The NT church, at first composed primarily of Jews, carried on the traditional practice of kissing among relatives and close friends. Because many new believers were made outcasts by their biological families, the spiritual kinship of Christians became all the dearer and was frequently manifested by what came to be called a holy kiss. Paul admonished believers in Rome to maintain the practice when they would greet one another. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary: Romans 9-16, 369-70)
Paul is NOT establishing the kiss as a part of Christian service. It was simply the custom of that day. It was laid aside with the passing of time. What Paul had in mind was that when a group of believers heard his letter, they would greet one another in this manner. This was to be their way of responding to what he had said about their belonging to each other as members of the same body. It was a tender way to seal the truth of their oneness in Christ. (C. S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 403)
That was the custom, particularly at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Upon completion of the Lord’s Supper meal, the people would customarily greet one another with a kiss on the cheek. We still see that form of greeting in the Middle East today. We do not know when or why that custom passed out of practice in the church, but it must be considered as a custom, not a principle. (RC Sproul, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary: Romans, 506)
There are three sets of passages in which the NT refers to the kiss or/and kissing.
The first is found in Lk 7:36-50, where Jesus tells his host, Simon the Pharisee, “A kiss you did not give me, but she (the penitent woman), from the moment I came in, has not stopped kissing my feet.” The lesson is: not only should there be affection but it should be expressed. There should be a token of affection; for example, a kiss.
The second is described in Lk 22:47, 48 (cf. Mt 26:47-49; Mk 14:44, 45). Jesus says to Judas, “Is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of man?” Not only should love be expressed but this love should be real; the kiss should be sincere.
The third concerns the kiss interchanged between the members of the Christian community, the church. It is this kiss to which there is a reference here in Rom 16:16 (1 Cor 16:20) and also, with transposition of two words, in 2 Cor 13:12. Not only should there be a kiss and not only should it be a symbol of genuine affection but it should also be holy. In other words, it should never imply less than three parties: God and the two who kiss each other. The holy kiss symbolizes Christ’s love mutually shared. It is indeed as indicated in 1 Pt 5:14, “a kiss of love,” hence also a kiss of harmony, peace. If this is rightly understood believers will not deliberately omit kissing those whom they do not happen to like. They will love even those whom they do not like. The holy kiss is for all the members (1 Th 5:26). (William Hendriksen, New Testament Commentary: Romans, 508)
CONCLUSION/APPLICATION: Why is there power in a grateful spirit?:
Self-indulgence is the enemy of gratitude, and self-discipline usually its friend and generator. That is why gluttony is a deadly sin. The early desert fathers believed that a person’s appetites are linked: full stomachs and jaded palates take the edge from our hunger and thirst for righteousness. They spoil the appetite for God. (Cornelius Plantinga, Jr. The Reformed Journal, November 1988)
New research shows that people keeping a gratitude journal sleep better and have more good moods and a stronger sense of connection to others.
“When you think about it, you realize people are looking out for you,” says study co-author Michael McCullough. It’s a form of social support, which helps keep your body and mind fit.
Spend a few minutes daily writing in a journal or reflecting on five things you’re thankful for. (Reader’s Digest, June 2003, 60)
Our eyesight, our hearing, and our mobility have been given to us. That fact requires us to turn our hearts elsewhere in gratitude. The difference between ingratitude and gratitude is not the difference between grumbling about what we lack and congratulating ourselves on what we have got. It is not the difference between saying, “How unfortunate, or illused, I am” and saying, “how lucky and favored I am”. It is the difference between thinking about ourselves, whether miserably or smugly, and thinking about someone else, in this case God the Giver in recognition of our unworthiness. (Harry Blamires; Recovering the Christian Mind, 73)
A- A grateful spirit provides motivation and productivity (2 Cor 8:16)
Guilt makes us seek Christ, but gratitude should make us serve him. Guilt should lead to confession, but without a response of love as the motive of renewed obedience, true repentance never matures. ( Bryan Chapell; Holiness by Grace, 192)
It is not the hookers and thieves who find it most difficult to repent: it is you who are so secure in your piety and pretense that you have no need of conversion. They may have disobeyed God’s call, their professions have debased them, but they have shown sorrow and repentance. But more than any of that, these are the people who appreciate His goodness: they are parading into the kingdom before you: for they have what you lack—a deep gratitude for God’s love and deep wonder at His mercy. (Brennan Manning; Ragamuffin Gospel, 103)
The debtor’s ethic says, “Because you have done something good for me, I feel indebted to do something good for you.” This impulse is not what gratitude was designed to produce. God meant gratitude to be a spontaneous expression of pleasure in the gift and the good will of another. He did not mean it to be an impulse to return favors. If gratitude is twisted into a sense of debt, it gives birth to the debtor’s ethic–and the effect is to nullify grace. (John Piper, Future Grace, 32)
Gratitude is riches. Complaining is poverty. Instead of complaining about what’s wrong, be grateful for what’s right. —Zachary Fisher (Reader’s Digest 8/93, 108)
“The root of joy is gratefulness…It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” (David Steindl-Rast, Gratefulness: The Heart of Prayer, 204)
A life of Religion:
1. “I obey-therefore I’m accepted.”
2. Motivation is based on fear and insecurity.
3. I obey God in order to get things from God
4. When circumstances in my life go wrong, I am angry at God or myself, since I believe, like Job’s friends, that anyone who is good deserves a comfortable life.
5. When I am criticized I am furious or devastated because it is critical that I think of myself as a ‘good person’. Threats to that self-image must be destroyed at all costs.
6. My prayer life consists largely of petition and it only heats up when I am in a time of need. My main purpose in prayer is control of the environment.
7. My self-view swings between two poles. If and when I am living up to my standards, I feel confident, but then I am prone to be proud and unsympathetic to failing people. If and when I am not living up to standards, I feel humble, but not confident-I feel like a failure.
8. My identity and self-worth are based mainly on how hard I work. Or how moral I am, and so I must look down on those I perceive as lazy or immoral. I disdain and feel superior to ‘the other.’
9. Since I look to my own pedigree or performance for my spiritual acceptability, my heart manufactures idols. It may be my talents, my moral record, my personal discipline, my social status, etc. I absolutely have to have them so they serve as my main hope, meaning, happiness, security, and significance, whatever I may say I believe about God.
A life by the Gospel:
1. “I’m accepted—therefore I obey.”
2. Motivation is based on grateful joy.
3. I obey God to get to God—to delight and resemble Him.
4. When circumstances in my life go wrong, I struggle but I know all my punishment fell on Jesus and that while he may allow this for my training, he will exercise his Fatherly love within my trial.
5. When I am criticized I struggle, but it is not critical for me to think of myself as a ‘good person.’ My identity is not built on my record or my performance but on God’s love for me in Christ. I can take criticism. That’s how I became a Christian.
6. My prayer life consists of generous stretches of praise and adoration. My main purpose is fellowship with Him.
7. My self-view is not based on a view of myself as a moral achiever. In Christ I am simul iustus et peccator—simultaneously sinful and lost yet accepted in Christ. I am so bad he had to die for me and I am so loved he was glad to die for me. This leads me to deeper and deeper humility and confidence at the same time. Neither swaggering nor sniveling.
8. My identity and self-worth are centered on the one who died for His enemies, who was excluded from the city for me. I am saved by sheer grace. So I can’t look down on those who believe or practice something different from me. Only by grace I am what I am. I’ve no inner need to win arguments.
9. I have many good things in my life—family, work, spiritual disciplines, etc. But none of these good things are ultimate things to me. None of them are things I absolutely have to have, so there is a limit to how much anxiety, bitterness, and despondency they can inflict on me when they are threatened and lost. — Adapted from Tim Keller
If you feel the call of the spirit, then be holy with all your soul, with all your heart, and with all your strength. If, however, because of human weakness, you cannot be holy, then be perfect with all your soul, with all your heart, and with all your strength.
But if you cannot be perfect because of the vanity of your life, then be good with all your soul…Yet, if you cannot be good because of the trickery of the Evil One, then be wise with all your soul…
If, in the end, you can neither be holy, nor perfect, nor good, nor wise because of the weight of your sins, then carry this weight before God and surrender your life to his divine mercy.
If you do this, without bitterness, with all humility, and with a joyous spirit due to the tenderness of a God who loves the sinful and ungrateful, then you will begin to feel what it is to be wise, you will learn what it is to be good, you will slowly aspire to be perfect, and finally you will long to be holy. (Quoted in Peter van Breeman, Let All God’s Glory Through, 134)
Christian living is not a matter of rules and regulations any longer, but rather our desire to show Him our gratitude for all He has ever done for us. (Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure by: D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 172)
B- A grateful spirit provides encouragement (Eph 1:16; Phil 1:3; Col 1:3; 1 Thes 1:2; 2:13; 3:9; 2 Thes 1:3; 2:13; 1 Tm 1:3; 2:1; Phlm 1:7)
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. — Melody Beattie
I think we delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. If it were possible for a created soul fully to ‘appreciate,’ that is, to love and delight in, the worthiest object of all, and simultaneously at every moment to give this delight perfect expression, then that soul would be in supreme blessedness. To praise God fully we must suppose ourselves to be in perfect love with God, drowned in, dissolved by that delight which, far from remaining pent up within ourselves as incommunicable bliss, flows out from us incessantly again in effortless and perfect expression. Our joy is no more separable from the praise in which it liberates and utters itself than the brightness a mirror receives is separable from the brightness it sheds. — C.S. Lewis.
C- A grateful spirit is attractive and winsome (2 Cor 4:15; 9:11-12)
The more you express gratitude for what you have the more things you will have to express gratitude for. Grateful people are happy people. They’re achievers. They have friends. (Zig Ziglar, Confessions of a Happy Christian)
Are you focused on what you have or what you don’t have? That is the difference between gratitude and greed. Are you focused on this life or the next? That is the difference between stinginess and generosity. Are you focused on your wants or others’ needs? That is the difference between selfishness and compassion. It’s also the difference between unhappiness and joy. (Mark Batterson, Primal, A Quest for the Lost Soul of Christianity, pp. 36-37)
Ingratitude curdles the milk of human kindness.
Joy is the simplest form of gratitude. -Karl Barth
So there was no more room for me to complain. I found that the most potent weapon against complaining or even questioning is the gift of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving became my doorway to a more mature surrender. (Gary L. Thomas, Seeking the Face of God, 96)
He who forgets the language of gratitude can never be on speaking terms with happiness.
Christian spirituality talks about what we receive more than what we achieve. Our potential and activity are entirely dependent on God’s prior work in our lives. If we set out to be “achievers” rather than “receivers,” we have not begun to follow God. An achiever calls attention only to herself, whereas a receiver leads others to appreciate the Giver. If we insist on being an achiever, seeking God so that others might admire our faith, our commitment, our dedication, we become God’s competitor; trying to steal some of His glory. (Gary L. Thomas, Seeking the Face of God, 16)
D- A grateful spirit reveals trust in God’s providence (Ps 75:1; ch 100; 106:1; 107:1, 8, 15, 21-22, 31; 118:1, 21, 28-29; 119:62; 136:1-3, 26; Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4; 15:57; 2 Cor 9:15; Eph 5:20; Phil 4:6; 1 Thes 5:16-18; 1 Tm 4:3-4; Rv 11:17)
The feeling of cosmic gratitude and praise is a temptation to be religious” (Peter Kreeft “The Mystery of Mankind’s Love after the Sea” 31:30 into the lecture)
Past grace is glorified by intense and joyful gratitude. Future grace is glorified by intense and joyful confidence. This faith is what empowers us for venturesome obedience in the cause of Christ. (John Piper, Future Grace, 40)
When we complain, what we are really saying is, “I could have done a better job than God in this instance. If I had made the choice, I would have done this and so…” This is blasphemy. (Gary L. Thomas, Seeking the Face of God, 95)
Therefore what Paul is teaching us here is that the proper use of physical pleasures in sex and food is that they send our hearts God-ward with the joy of gratitude that finds its firmest ground in the goodness of God himself, not in his gifts. This means that if, in the providence of God, these gifts are ever taken away–perhaps by the death of a spouse or the demand for a feeding tube–the deepest joy that we had through them will not be taken away, because God is still good (see Hab 3:17-18). (John Piper, When I Don’t Desire God, 187)
For if [a Christian] cannot thank and praise God as well in calamities and sufferings as in prosperity and happiness, he is as far from the piety of a Christian as he that only loves them that love him is from the charity of a Christian. For to thank God only for such things as you like is no more a proper act of piety than to believe only what you see is an act of faith.
Resignation and thanksgiving to God are only acts of piety when they are acts of faith, trust, and confidence in the divine goodness. (William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, 321)
The person with an abiding spirit of gratitude is the one who trusts God.
The foremost quality of a trusting disciple is gratefulness. Gratitude arises from the lived perception, evaluation, and acceptance of all of life as grace–as an undeserved and unearned gift from the Father’s hand. Such recognition is itself the work of grace, and acceptance of the gift is implicitly an acknowledgment of the Giver. (Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust, 24-25)
To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives–the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections–that requires hard spiritual work. Still, we are only grateful people when we can say thank you to all that has brought us to the present moment. As long as we keep dividing our lives between events and people we would like to remember and those we would rather forget, we cannot claim the fullness of our beings as a gift of God to be grateful for. Let’s not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God. (Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust, 31)
Grateful people overflow a little, especially with thanksgiving and passed-on kindnesses. But they do not therefore lack discipline. In fact, self-indulgence tends to suppress gratitude; self-discipline tends to generate it. That is why gluttony is a deadly sin: oddly, it is an appetite suppressant. The reason is that a person’s appetites are linked: full stomachs and jaded palates take the edge from our hunger and thirst for justice. And they spoil the appetite for God. (Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, 35)
“We appreciate things only in contrast.” — Peter Kreeft That is why a good God allows suffering to take place. People in Florida never appreciate the good weather like the Snow Birds or Spring Break crowd does. — Pastor Keith
Just as the universal characteristic of guilt tells us there is a moral law, so too the universal experience of gratitude leads us to know–in a way that perhaps only the heart can know–that there is a source of our being–God. (Charles Colson, The Good Life, 297)
To complain is to doubt the nature and character of God
Complainers are ungrateful to God
An ungrateful person is a wicked person (Lk 6:35; Rom 1:18-23; 2 Tm 3:2)
If you cannot bear to really look at all the stupidity of your life, if you cannot bear to see what is wrong with you, if you cannot bear to really see your flaws, if you can’t just take criticism, you just go to pieces, because you know it is true; it is because you really do not have the strength from knowing the grace of God. It is the grace of God that helps me not feel, “Oh I must be OK” but gives me the freedom to admit what is wrong with me without being devastated. And therefore, Jesus Christ is saying, “Do you know that unless you know the depth of your sin and the height of God’s grace: When things go well you are going to be smug instead of happy and grateful or when things go poorly you’re are going to be devastated instead of hopeful and enduring. Unless you see both of those you are going to move back and forth from being a proud Pharisee or being a cynical skeptic and you’re going to not be able to handle the suffering and troubles of life. (Tim Keller in a message from Luke 13:1-9 entitled The Falling Tower; 18: into the message)
How does one become grateful? (Mt 12:33; Lk 6:44; Jn 15:1-7; Rom 1:18-23; Gal 5:22-23; Col 1:9-14; 2:7; 4:2; 1 Tim 1:12; Heb 12:28)
When we stand with Christ in glory,
Looking o’er life’s finished story.
Then Lord, shall I fully know . . .
Not till then . … . . . how much I owe —McCheyne
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others do the same. (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 119)
Yesterday, God helped me,
Today He’ll do the same.
How long will this continue?
Forever–praise His name. (R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Luke, Vol. One, 331)
Worship point: Worship is the work of acknowledging the greatness of our covenant Lord. (John M. Frame, Worship in Spirit and Truth, 1) Worship will most naturally occur when we are able to appreciate all God has done and continues to do for us every minute of every day.
When I consider how the goodness of God is abused by the greatest part of mankind, I cannot but be of his mind that said, The greatest miracle in the world is God’s patience and bounty to an ungrateful world. (Arthur W. Pink, The Attributes of God, 86)
Spiritual Challenge: Count your blessings. Name them one by one.
One can only give thanks for these devoted saints who fulfilled their ministries to the glory of God. May we follow in their train! (Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Right, 173)
Keep a grateful journal. Every night, list five things that happened this day that you are grateful for.
What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life. If you can learn to focus on what you have, you will always see that the universe is abundant; you will have more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough. (Oprah Winfrey, Reader’s Digest, 12/97, 137)
Thank You God!
Please accept
My thanks for all that you do,
The known and unknown.
And please forgive me
My wrongs, even those unknown
To my thinking mind.
Beyond my humble
Communication skill, is
Appreciation! (Molly A. Marsh, 26 August 2010)
We don’t need more to be thankful for; we need to be more thankful. (Sign at Kendalville church 11-23-11 [Thanksgiving eve])
Quotes to Note:
To fail to associate ourselves in a lasting and committed way with the Head of the church by joining his body is surely a sign of ingratitude, whether from an uninformed or a dull heart. We who have the privilege of living in countries where we may freely join a local church should keep this admonition from Dietrich Bonhoeffer in mind:
It is by the grace of God that a congregation is permitted to gather visibly in this world to share God’s Word and sacrament. Not all Christians receive this blessing. The imprisoned, the sick, the scattered lonely, the proclaimers of the gospel in heathen lands stand alone. They know that visible fellowship is a blessing. They remember, as the Psalmist did, how they went “with the multitude…to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday (Ps 42:4)… Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living in common Christian life with other Christians praise God’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank God on his knees and declare: it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren. (Thabiti M. Anyabwile, What is a Healthy Church Member?, 70-71)
If you feel used because the person you’re trying to help doesn’t respond the way you want or fails to express appreciation, your motives for helping them may have been self-serving. You were likely trying to rescue them so you would feel better about yourself rather than because you genuinely care for them. (Bill Perkins, When Good Men are Tempted, 85)
I challenge anybody in their darkest moment to write what they’re grateful for, even stupid little things like green grass or a friendly conversation with somebody on the elevator. You start to realize how rich you are. (Jim Carrey Reader’s Digest, 11/03, 67)
The poor express their gratitude not by saying thanks but by asking for more. (Philip Yancey, Finding God in Unexpected Places, 157)
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