Gratitude

A change in attitude, as was said in the previous commentary, results from being born again. That, to be a Christian, everyone must be. People say, I am saved, but the hard part is yet to come. Satan and his demons never need to waste time on those not born again; a more optimal approach for them is to shoot their fiery darts at those who are. Regeneration results in safety. God protects demons from killing his adoptive children. Tribulation – principalities testing faithfulness – is ongoing until death. Remaining faithful is the condition for salvation. It is the narrow Way.

Rebirth means that you are not on your own. God has a protective “hedge” about his children which is called the armor of God. Wise Christians put on the whole armor of God because they will indeed face spiritual Goliath’s continually. The sword of the spirit which is the Word of God is what slays those Goliaths. Thus, God protects the faithful in keeping the faith. For this condition of spiritual safety, Christians must love God in return. That is not a suggestion nor optional. It is commanded! We think of love as something emotional, and it can be, but is work as well – hard work!

Surely if God is protecting anyone, they should be appreciative. Appreciative people show gratitude. Therefore, with a change in attitude, if regeneration is efficacious, there is a response of gratitude: Christians must empathize with God; He gave His own life that we not perish. He keeps us safe until we are saved in the end. If there is no gratitude, perhaps the “Christian” did not have a change in attitude!

Peter was asked by Jesus thrice: “Peter, do you love me?” Three times Peter affirmed that he did. After Jesus was arrested, Peter denied him three times. God did not leave nor forsake them, but Peter forsook God. To his credit, Jesus’s resurrection restored his faith. Was Peter, before Christ’s death, born again? Perhaps not, but soon Peter became a zealot for Christ. He had a new attitude, and for that he had gratitude. When he was set to be crucified himself, he desired for it to be upside down so as not to dishonor Jesus. That was his gratitude showing!

His change in attitude brought on gratitude. Peter had a change of heart. He knew that Jesus died in his place. That changed Peter. He now loved Jesus. Before, it was lip-service. Afterward, it was true. He indeed did love Jesus and was willing to be crucified himself than deny his friend and Savior a fourth time.

Jesus would have taken seventy-times seven denials. With foreknowledge, he knew what would happen. He knew when he asked Peter, “Do you love me?” that soon Peter would love him! He knew that Peter would finally understand and have gratitude.

Most Christians are like Denial Peter. We profess Christ but deny His purpose. God came in the flesh to die for us. Christians believe and accept that. However, there is something missing. Do they have gratitude for Christ’s self-sacrifice? As a Christian, “Do you love him, ______?” (Put in your name there.) Do you have enough gratitude to crucify yourself in similar manner? God’s flesh died on the cross; has yours?

God’s sacrifice of his only Son was gracious, and painful. Jesus agonized for us before the cross but seemingly on the cross, His Father in Heaven had abandoned him. Jesus had a feeling of abandonment when he died for us; should we not at least show gratitude for his agony? Most do not!

Crucifying our own flesh is giving up the things of the world. Scripture refers to self-sacrifice as works. Christians are to work real hard to love Jesus and others. It is not only a work but an obligation because it is commanded that we love God.  The work of love is showing gratitude to Jesus by doing God’s will! That was and is what Jesus desires in return for sacrificing himself. He said to pray this way: “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Mat 6:9-10).

Jesus is imploring that Christians have a change in attitude: from not doing His will to doing it! The gratitude is hallowing His Name - set apart God’s Name for holy use.

Do you remember the third commandment? “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

Gratitude is not taking the Lord’s Name in vain. That is more than using the Lord’s Name to curse…  much more. It is not taking Jesus’s death – his very purpose in life – frivolously by failing to show gratitude by loving him back! Just as he commands that we love him to show gratitude, there is a penalty for not loving Him: he will not be held guiltless for not having gratitude.

People cannot be half-way Christians. Belief is half the doctrine. The other half is gratitude; we must all be willing to sacrifice ourselves on our spiritual crosses by having gratitude for the greatest gift ever to be given – eternal life! Gratitude is circumcision of the heart. As Paul Harvey always said, “That’s the rest of the story!” If you believe, and do not show gratitude, do you really love him ______?