Lesson 8

VIII. How Can I Express My Gratitude

to Jesus Christ for His Truth

and Sacrifice for Me?

As the Garden of Eden was given to Adam and Eve complete and perfect so is the gift of GOD'S salvation given freely to sinful man—complete and perfect. There is nothing man can do to make more complete or more perfect that which GOD has freely provided. Therefore, GOD calls all mankind to come to Him, "without money, and without price."

Faith in Christ, by the testimony of GOD’S Word, draws from the heart bountiful thanksgiving for His gift of love, deliverance, and everlasting life. Then there is the hidden influence drawing this love from us is through the presence of the Holy Spirit. He speaks to human hearts with a quality of tone the Bible describes as "a still, small voice." I Ki.19:12. The gentle decency of the voice of GOD has spoken to the hearts of men throughout time. And He never yells. This is why GOD says, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Jer.31:3. GOD has ordained that an obedient love and worship be given to Him for one reason, and one reason alone: Our Supreme Joy! Our greatest happiness lies in the knowledge of Who He is, What He is, and Why He is: "God is love," God is Creator, and God lives to serve. Without the power of His love working His Divine Intervention in all of our lives, we could not love Him, or obey Him, or love one another, or even hunger for the things of godliness. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." Ja.1:17.

Our primary offering is to allow His Spirit to remove our traits of character that oppose the blessings GOD desires to impart. The Bible teaches that Satan has so rigged the downfall of man that without GOD stepping in and restoring our basic freedom to even choose Christ’s salvation, we could not even muster the willpower to wish for His deliverance. That's how much in need of a Savior we truly are. Said Jesus, "for without Me, ye can do nothing." Jn.15:5. The depth of those words of Christ, men little understand.

1. Is it true we cannot truly serve GOD without the heaven-born love drawn from our hearts by GOD?

Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with ____________________ _______ ____ _________ _______.

John 6:44 No man can come to Me, _________ _____ _________ which hath sent Me _______ ______: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Psalms 119:32 1 will run the way of Thy commandments, _______ ______ _______ ___________ ____ _________.

Isaiah 26:12 LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for ______ ______ _______ ____________ _____ _____ ________ ____ ____.

Isaiah 57:19 ___ _________ _____ _________ ____ _____ _____; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.

2. What can I think upon to help maintain my sense of peace and thankfulness?

Philippians 4:4-9 Rejoice in the LORD alway: and again I say, Rejoice. (v.5) Let your moderation [or gentle patience] ____ __________ unto all men. The LORD is at hand. (v.6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by ____________ _____ _____________ [or earnest petitions] ______ ________________ let your requests be made known unto GOD. And the peace of GOD, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (v.8) Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are ________, whatsoever things are ____________, whatsoever things are ________, whatsoever things are ________, whatsoever things are ___________, whatsoever things are of ________ ____________; if there be any ____________, and if there be any ___________, think on these things. (v.9) Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, _____: and the GOD of peace shall be with you.

3. What other gestures of thanksgiving bring a smile to the face of Jesus?

Matthew 25:35, 36 For I was an hungered, and ____ _______ ____ _________: I was thirsty, and ____ ______ ____ ___________: and was a stranger, and ____ ________ ____ ____: (v.36) Naked, and ____ ____________ ____ : I was sick, and ____ __________ ____: I was in prison, and ____ ________ _______ ____.

Deuteronomy 15:7,8,10,11 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy GOD giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother: (v.8) But thou shalt _______ _________ ______ ______ ______ _____, and shalt surely _______ _____ _____________ _____ _____ _______, in that which he wanteth. (v.10) Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall _____ ___ _________ when thou givest unto him: because for this thing the LORD thy GOD _______ _______ ______ in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, 0 man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to ____ ___________, and to _______ __________, and to _______ ____________ with thy GOD?

4. When hard times come, what words can I contemplate to disarm my frustration, impatience, and the temptations to make hurtful decisions?

Job 1:20, 21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, (v.21) And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD _______, and the LORD _______ _________ _______; ________ ____ ______ ________ ____ ______ ________.

Psalm 119:71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that ____ __________ __________ ______ ___________ (or appointed boundaries).

II Peter 1:3-8 According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (v.5) And beside all this, add to your faith _________; and to virtue ______________; (v.6) And to knowledge ________________; and to temperance ________________; and to patience ____________________; (v.7) And to godliness ____________ ____________ and brotherly kindness _________ (or self-sacrificing love). (v.8) For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ____ ______ ________ ____ _________ _____ _____________ in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ.

5. What is the result of an increased knowledge of the truth as it is "in Christ?"

Ecclesiastes 1: 18 For in much ___________ is much __________: and he that increaseth _______________ increaseth ____________.

The work of the gospel is the restoration of our heaven-born sensitivities from the sinful depravations accumulated over earth's 6000 year history (the genealogy of the generations of mankind from Adam to Christ, found in Luke chapter 4, prove the young age of the earth). Just by examining the shift of values from one generation to the next, the preceding generation typically views a decline in some form or fashion. While society's sense of ethics may change for better or for worse, the ethics of godliness are everlasting and are as sure today as they were when Jesus promised Adam and Eve that He would rescue their family from the cancer of sin. "Neither. death nor life…shall be able to separate us from Christ."