Giving Thanks to the Father

The Apostle Paul continually gives thanks to God. So often he expresses his thanksgiving
and gratitude to God. He said in 2 Thessalonians, we're
bound to give thanks to God for you brethren, beloved of the
Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth.
And then that very short verse in 2 Corinthians 9, thanks be
unto God for His unspeakable gift. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable
gift. And then he wrote to the Philippian
church and he said, I thank my God I thank my God upon every
remembrance of you." And then he said in 1 Thessalonians
5, for you and I to give thanks in everything. He said, in everything
give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you. Now, I want to begin my message
tonight on that note. Colossians 1, verse 12. Colossians 1, verse 12. Paul
said, "...giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us
meek, to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
life." If you want to, in your margin, where that word MWT is
written, put sufficient or qualified. The subject of Paul's thanksgiving
here is the fact that God has by His grace qualified us, made
us fit or sufficient in Christ to enter And not only enter,
but dwell. And not only dwell, but participate
in the glories and inheritance of heaven. That's right. He says,
giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us, he made us
accepted in the Beloved. Of God are you in Christ Jesus
who is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption. He has made us sufficient, fit,
qualified to enter into heaven, to dwell there and partake of
the inheritance of the saints in light. Now no man in his human
natural state is fit for the presence of God. We're totally
unfit. If you want to turn to Psalm
24 and listen to David as he sets forth the qualifications
for those who would stand or dwell in his presence, he said
in Psalm 24, verse 3, Who shall ascend into the hill of presence
of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place?
Here are the qualifications. He that hath clean hands, he
that hath a pure heart, he that hath never lifted up his soul
unto vanity, and he who has never sworn deceitfully, he, that man,
shall receive the blessing from the Lord, righteousness from
the God of his salvation." Thomas Boston wrote a book years ago
entitled, Man's Fourfold State. I remember reading it back in
1950 when I first was exposed to the gospel of God's grace.
I don't remember a great deal about it. I just know I read
it. I don't remember how big a book it was. I don't remember
a great deal about it. But I do remember the book and
remember the outline. Man's fourfold state. What do
you suppose that is? Man's fourfold state. Well, man
was created in a state of innocence. This is where Adam dwelt before
he sinned, in a state of innocence. He knew no sin. He was innocent
of guilt, innocent of sin. He had no sin. But as a result
of his fall, men plunged into a state of nature, sin. And that's where we are by birth. We're not in a state of innocence
anymore. We're born in a state of sin and corruption, total
depravity. And then what we're reading about
here is that state of grace by regeneration, by the grace of
God. He has translated us into a state
of grace. And then there's a state of glory
awaiting us. Man's in a state of innocence.
He fell into a state of nature, sin. And God, by regeneration,
puts us in a state of grace. And one day, we're going to be
without any sin, delivered from the very presence of sin. And
that's what this is talking about. He has made us sufficient, qualified,
fit, believe it or not, fit to be a partaker, not just an observer,
Not just a witness, an actual partaker of that glory, that
inheritance of the saints in life. Now, verse 13, Paul explains
how the Father has qualified us, how He has made us fit and
sufficient for heaven. First place, verse 13, He delivered
us from the power of darkness. What is this? He delivered us
from the power of darkness. Well, turn to Ephesians 2. This
is what it's talking about. In one sense, the power of darkness
is the power of Satan. The power of Satan. In Ephesians
2, look at verse 2. Well, he said in verse 1, you
have been made alive who were dead in a state of nature, dead
in trespasses and sin. wherein, in time past, you walked
according to the course of the world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom we all had our conversation,
citizenship, behavior, in time past, in the lust of our flesh,
fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were
by nature children of wrath, even as others, under the dominion
and power, influence of Satan, the darkness of Satan. And here's
the good news, but God, but God who is rich in mercy for His
great love, wherewith He loved us, even when we were in that
state, that quickened us together with Christ, He delivered us
from the power of darkness. Turn to 2 Corinthians 4. We read
something else about that. power of darkness, that satanic
influence. It says in 2 Corinthians 4, verse
3, But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost,
in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them
that believe not. When a man is blinded, what's
he walking in? Darkness. lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine
unto them. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus'
sake. But God hath commanded the light
to shine out of darkness." God, who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ
Jesus. One other scripture, Ephesians 6. He translated us from the
power of darkness. Darkness. Ephesians 6, verse
12. Look at this. We wrestle not
against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places. made us fit for heaven? In the
first place, He's translated us out of a state of darkness
under the dominion, influence, and power of Satan, and the power
of sin, and then also the power of spiritual ignorance. Spiritual
ignorance is darkness. If you look at Matthew 6, listen
to this. People who are in false religion
are in darkness. Matthew 6, verse 23, people who
do not know the grace of God in Christ are in darkness. In
Matthew 6, verse 23, it says this, in Matthew 6, verse 22, the light
of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single,
thy whole body is full of light. If your eye be sound, your eye
be clear, Your eye be upon Christ, but if your eye be evil, if it
be unsound, your whole body is full of darkness. If therefore
the light that's in you, if all the light you've got is superstition,
tradition, darkness, oh, how great is that darkness! How great
is that darkness! He hath delivered us from the
power of darkness, from the influence and power of Satan, from the
dominion of sin, and from the darkness of spiritual ignorance
and tradition. Now watch this. And He hath translated
us. What does that word translated
mean? You can put this down there. Transferred. Transferred. That's exactly what it means,
to transfer. From one place to another. To
transfer, to lift a person out. To removing from one condition
or one place to another. Let me show you that. Now turn
to the book of Hebrews. Hebrews chapter... It talks about
Enoch. Is that chapter 11? Chapter 11
of Hebrews. Now watch this. Chapter 11 of
Hebrews. It says in verse 5, By faith
Enoch was translated, transferred from earth to heaven, translated
that he should not see death. He was not found because God
translated him. For before his translation, for
before his transference to heaven, he had this testimony. He pleased
God. So how did God How did God fit
us and qualify us and equip us to be sufficient to enter heaven? Well, He took us out of the power
of Satan, darkness, power of sin, sin shall not have dominion
over you. From the power of ignorance and
the darkness of tradition and false religion and transferred
us into the kingdom of His dear Son. Now, how did He do that?
Well, He didn't do it simply by deciding He would. He didn't
do it by electing some to be transferred and some to be left
alone and not transferred. He didn't do it, as some say,
predestinating some to heaven and some to hell. Here's how
He did it. Now look at verse 13 and read it in connection
with verse 14. Verse 12 said, He's made us fit.
He made us sufficient, qualified to enter heaven. Because He delivered
us from the power of darkness and transferred us right into
the kingdom of His dear Son and the Son of His love. Put us in
Christ. In whom? In Christ. We have redemption. There it is. Through His blood.
The forgiveness of sins. This change of place, this change
of nature, this transference from darkness to the kingdom
of His Son involves great powerful mysteries, divine supernatural
work. It demands the honoring of God's
law. It demands the satisfaction of
God's justice by death and blood. It demands a ransom, delivering,
transferring. Lift him out of the pit. I found
a ransom. It demands a changing of the
sinner's nature. Not only giving him the grace
of God and the goodness of God and the kindness of God, but
bringing him to want it, cherish it, love it. Receive it. That's what it demands. He made
us. Different. He put a difference
between the Egyptians and the Israelites. He made us fit, qualified,
to walk in the glory and enjoy it and be a part and share that
glory because He transferred us from where we were to where
we are. From the state and nature of
sin and darkness to the light and glory of His Son's Kingdom.
because of what His Son, and He did it in Christ who came
down here and paid the debt and made us sufficient. Alright,
then He goes from that, and I enjoy these verses so much here, He
goes from what God's done for us to Him through whom He did
this way. Alright, verse 14 identifies
him. This is how he did it, this is
what he did. Now, who is he? Verse 15. I say,
as I say, Paul, having given thanks for our redemption and
our future glory and happiness through the Redeemer, now takes
up a description of that Redeemer. He's going to give us a description.
Let's turn over and look at the bride's description of him in
Song of Solomon. He's going to talk about our
Redeemer. Others have done this, particularly two. There's the
bride in Song of Solomon. Song of Solomon chapter 5, they
said, What's your beloved more than another beloved? What's
your beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among
women? What is your beloved more than
another beloved that thou dost so charge us as being deceived
and in darkness? Well, I tell you, she said, my
beloved is white, holy and ruddy, the cheapest among ten thousand.
His head is as the most fine gold. He wears a crown. His locks
are bushy and black as a raven, eternally young. His eyes are
as the eyes of a dove by the rivers of water, gentle, kind,
washed with milk and fitly set. His cheeks are as a bed of spices,
as sweet flowers. His lips are like lilies dropping
sweet-smelling myrrh. His hands are as gold rings set
with pearls, he's so generous. His belly is as bright ivory
overlaid with sapphires. His legs are as pillars of marble,
strong, Sovereign, set with sockets of fine gold, his countenance
is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. His mouth is most sweet,
yea, he's altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my
friend." Oh, you daughters of Jerusalem, turn to Revelation
and listen to John. These men love to talk about
the Redeemer. I tell you, my friend, our salvation
is only as sure as our Savior. That's right. Our promise is only as certain
as our Promiser. Our redemption is only as great
as our Redeemer. Our hope of glory is only as
secure as the one who gives that hope. So we'd better cherish
these descriptions of Him. Isn't that right? Look at Revelation
1. John said, verse 12, And I turned
to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven
golden candlesticks in the midst of the seven churches, one like
to the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, girded
about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hair
were white as wool, the ancient of days. whose goings forth have
been from everlasting. As white as snow, his eyes was
a flame of fire, his feet like a defined brass, as if they burned
in a furnace. His voice, as the sound of many
waters, had in his right hand the seven stars. And out of his
mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. His countenance was as
the sun shineth in his strength. And when I saw him, I felt that
his feet is dead. And he laid his hand on me, saying
unto me, Fear not, I am the first, and I am the last. I am he that
liveth and was dead. Behold, I am alive forevermore.
Amen. I have the keys of hell and death. See what Paul says over here
in Colossians 1 now about this Redeemer who has made us fit
and qualified and sufficient for glory. He says in verse 15,
we'll just run through these. These characteristics. Verse
15, he's the image of the invisible God. He's the image of the invisible
God. He is the exact likeness of the
unseen God. He is the visible representative
in the flesh of the invisible God. He that hath seen Christ
by faith hath seen God. Then it says in the next line,
He's the firstborn of every creature. Now, that doesn't mean that He's
the first of creation. He wasn't created. It doesn't
mean He's the first creature made, because He is the Creator. He wasn't made. He was made in
the likeness of sinful flesh. He was made of the seed of David
according to the flesh, but He was declared to be the Son of
God. What this is saying, the firstborn, As best I can understand
it, the firstborn of every creature, everything created, everything
in creation, being God's only begotten Son, He's the King,
He's the Lord, He's the heir, He's the governor of the universe,
the heir of all things. His is the right and the government
is His, and therefore all things are His. He's the firstborn of
every creature. Every creature. Look at Hebrews
1, 2. Let's see if we can get some
help here. Hebrews 1, 2. Being the only
begotten, well-beloved Son of God, He enjoys the title firstborn. Now in Hebrews 1-2 it says this,
God hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath
appointed heir of all things. He's the heir, by whom also He
made the world. Look at verse 5, For unto which
of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day,
Have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a
father, and he shall be to me a son. And again, when he bringeth
the first begotten into the world, he saith, and let all the angels
of God worship him." He's the firstborn of every creature.
How about Revelation 3? Look over there a minute. See
if we get a little help there. Revelation 3, 14. Revelation 3, verse 14, "...and
unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These
things saith the Amen, Christ, the faithful and true witness,
Christ, the beginning of the creation of God." The beginning. Alright, he's the image of the
invisible God. He's the beginning of the creation
of God. He's the heir. He's the firstborn. He's the king. of every creature,
and verse 16, listen, He's the Creator, for by Him were all
things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities,
or powers, all things, all creatures, all things, all power, All stars
and moons, the sun, planets, atoms, clouds, drops of rain, grains of sand, flowers, vegetables,
trees, people, animals, fish, birds, all things were created
by Him, created for Him, He's before all things, and by Him
all things are held together. That's our Savior. See, He's
talking about, He's made us sufficient, He's made us qualified to enter
heaven. Who has? God the Father. How
did He do that? By this one. I keep saying, it
needs to be emphasized, Abraham believed God, that he was able
to do what He said. He didn't just believe God said
these things, he believed God was able to bring them to pass.
And our salvation is only as great as our Savior. Our promise
is only as certain as the Promiser. And our hope of glory is only
as secure as the one in whom we hope, or who is our hope. Now watch this, verse 18. And
he's the head. He's the head of the body, the
church. What church is this talking about, 13th Street Baptist Church?
Well, yes. But this church, he's the head
of the church, this church is Zion. This church is the whole
election of grace from the first elect, whoever that might have
been, Adam or Abel, I don't know. But he's the head, this church.
of the firstborn whose names are written in heaven, whose
church which Christ loved and purchased with His blood, starts
with that first elect and encompasses and includes every child of God
in the Old Testament, New Testament, in heaven now, on earth now,
yet to be born, until the last one will be saved before Christ
comes again. This church is the holy election
of grace from the first Child of God to the last sheep, and
every believer of every dispensation in that church. Turn to Hebrews
12. Listen to this scripture. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 22.
Listen, Hebrews 12, 22. to Mount Zion. You do not come
to Mount Sinai, to the mountain that burns with smoke. You don't
come to the loft of salvation. You come to Mount Zion. This
is the church, the city of the living God, the heaven of Jerusalem,
to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly,
to the Church of the Firstborn, which is written in heaven, the
Lamb's Book of Life, that little book in the hands of Him that
sat on the throne, Christ said to His disciples, don't rejoice
that the devils are subject to you. Rejoice that your names
are written in heaven. That's His church. Their names
are written in heaven. They're the church of the firstborn.
That's where we come. That's the family of God, the
body of the believers. Look, if you will, at Ephesians
chapter 5. Here's the church we're talking
about. Ephesians 5, verse 23, For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church. Christ doesn't
have many bodies, He's got one body. One church. He's the Savior of the body.
Not the bodies, the body. Therefore, it's the church, not
the churches. The church is subject unto Christ.
So let the wives be to their own husbands and everything.
Husband, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself
for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with a washing
of water by the word that He might present it to Himself,
a glorious church. I'll build my church not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing. There's not a lost person in
this church. Not a hypocrite in this church
and not an unsaved person in this church. It's a pure church
without spot or blemish. Holy, holy. Oh boy. That's this church. And he's
the head of it. Look back at my text. He's the
head of the church. The head of the body. Now what
does that mean? Well, that means he's our representative
head. Always has been. In the covenant
of grace. From all eternity and in all
of time, He's our representative. He's our reigning head. He's
our Lord. He's our King. He's our sovereign
master. He's our economical head. He
provides everything we need. We don't go outside Christ to
find anything. He's our head in that without
Him we don't have life. Now watch this in the text again.
He's the head of the body, the church. He's the beginning. Who is the beginning? The church
is not the beginning. He is. He is. He's the beginning. Let me show
you something. Turn to Genesis. Genesis chapter
2. In a way, Adam is a picture of
Christ. He is a type of Christ. In Adam we fell, in Christ we
are made alive. By one man's sin entered the
world, death by sin, so death passed upon all men. By one man's
disobedience we have made sinners, by the obedience of one we have
made righteous. And as we have borne the image
of the earthy, the first atom is of the earth, earthy, the
second atom is the Lord from heaven. As we have borne the
image of the earthy, we bear the image of the heavenly. And
Adam over here, God created him and everybody else came out of
him, through him, even the woman. Now watch this, Genesis chapter
2, verse 21. And the Lord caused the deep
sleep to fall upon Adam. And as he slept, God took one
of his ribs, closed up the flesh thereof, instead thereof, and
the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man, made a woman,
brought her to the man. Adam said, this bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she's
taken out of man. That's a picture of Christ's
bride being taken out of Christ. Sent Him to the cross. Caused
a deep sleep to fall upon Him. He died on that cross. Buried
in a tomb. Out of that side came blood and
water. Blood to justify and water to sanctify. That's where we
came from. Out of Christ. Through Christ.
In Christ. This man... The man and woman
didn't stand before God equal. The woman ate of the forbidden
fruit and nothing happened. The man ate it and they both
died. that both their eyes were open. Her eyes weren't open to
what He sent. She came out of Him. That's just so. In that
sense, Adam's a type of Christ. He's the beginning. Adam is the
beginning of the human race, and Jesus Christ is the beginning
of an elect race. We're chosen in Him. Christ be
my first elect, God said, and then every one of them came out
of Him through His blood, Through His grace, through His mercy.
Woman, called woman because she came out of man. Called Christians,
came out of Christ. Believers, that's right. He's
my life, He's the beginning. That's so, that's the reason
I'm ready for glory. Now watch this next line. That
in all things He might have the preeminence That He, in everything,
in all things, He's the firstborn. He's the firstborn from among
the dead. He's the first to be raised from
the dead to die no more. Did you know that? You say, well,
Lazarus was raised from the dead. Yeah, but he died again. Somebody
else was raised from the dead. They all died. The first one
to be raised from the dead who never died again is our Lord.
First one, preeminence. He's the first of the elect to
be glorified forever. He is the pledge of resurrection
to all believers. He's the first to rise from the
dead by His own power, that in all things He might have the
preeminence. Total preeminence. He's the first
in sonship. There's no one a son of God in
the sense that He is. He's first in election, we were
chosen in Him. He's first in the covenant, He's
the surety, the mediator and the messenger. He's the first
in redemption, He thought it, He bought it, He wrought it.
He's the first in life, He quickens whom He will. He's the first
in light, He's the first in victory over death and the grave, He
conquered death by His holiness, and He ought to have the preeminence. Now then, let me wind it up with
this, verse 19. Now this is our gospel, and this
is our message, this is our hope, this is our confidence, Christ.
All of Him, all in Him, all through Him. That's it. So let's raise
this question now, hypothetically. There's religion everywhere.
Religion which does not give Christ the preeminence, which
does not afford to our Lord this place of honor and majesty and
total glory. If there's just an atom of human
glory or praise anywhere, get rid of it, stamp it out. But
there are religions that do not give Him this glory. What is
our Beloved more than any other Beloved? There are other people who have
entirely different opinions as to the way of God, the way to
God, the way to Heaven. What makes you and me so certain,
so sure of this person, of this Gospel? One statement, verse
19, it pleased the Father. that in Him should all fullness
dwell." That settles it. There's no more argument to fight
Tate Jr., is there? That's the reason. That's the reason. Why is he
the one offering? It pleased the Father. Why is
he the one substitute? It pleased the Father. Why is
He the only Savior of sinners? It pleased the Father. Why is
He the only hope of life and salvation? It pleased the Father.
You know, they said to David, Where's your God? David said,
Our God's in the heavens, and He hath done whatsoever He pleased.
Well, I'll tell you what it pleased Him to do. It pleased Him that
in Christ should all fullness dwell. But I'm going to go one
step further. On this, it pleased the Father. He is the Savior and Substitute
and Redeemer by the pleasure of the Father. But all that He
is and has done and is doing brings pleasure to the Father,
whereas nothing else could. Turn to Hebrews 10. Now watch
this. Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10. Now listen. It pleased
the Father. That is, it was the Father's
will that he be the dwelling place of all fullness. But it's
the Father's holiness that finds pleasure in this person. Watch
Hebrews 10. Oh, listen. Verse 5. Wherefore, when he cometh into
the world, he saith, Sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not,
but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifice
for sin, thou hast had no pleasure." Nothing before Christ afforded
the Father any pleasure. Nothing. Nothing. Not a sacrifice, not an offering,
not a gift, not a tithe, not a work, not a sermon, not a prayer. Nothing. No pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come, and
the volume of the book is written of me, to do thy will, O God."
Above, when He said, Sacrifice and offerings, and burnt offerings,
and offerings for sin, thy wouldest not, neither had any pleasure
therein that offered by the law. Then said He, Lo, I come to do
your will, O God. He taketh away the first, that
He may establish the second, by the which will we are sanctified,
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily,
sacrificing, offering, ministering the same sacrifices which can
never take away sin. But this man, after he'd offered
one sacrifice for sin forever, sat down at the right hand of
God. This is my beloved Son in whom
I'm well pleased. Take your seat till I make your
enemies your footstool. That's the reason. I have such
confidence in Christ, such comfort in Christ, such consolation in
Christ, such total assurance in Christ, because He pleased
the Father. That's it. He must have the preeminence,
for it pleased the Father according to His sovereign will and according
to His holiness. Christ pleased Him. In Him all
fullness dwelled. Listen now. And He made peace
through the blood of His cross by Him to reconcile all things
in that covenant to Himself. By Him, I say, whether they be
things in earth or things in heaven. What's that? When Christ
died on that cross, God was in Christ reconciling the world
to Himself. Some of His sheep were already
in heaven. Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Isaac, Isaiah. Some of them were on earth. And
things in heaven and things in earth were reconciled by Him.
And here's the one we need to embrace these promises personally.
Look at verse 21, "...and you." Paul writes to that church at
Colossae and he said, he's reconciled all things to himself. All things! And you. And you. Isn't that comforting? And you. You that were one time
alienated and enemies, you were strangers from the covenant,
alienated from Israel, enemies in your mind, Gentiles by wicked
works, yet now hath He reconciled in the body of His flesh through
death to present you too, holy, fit, qualified, sufficient, unblameable,
Unreprovable in His sight, in God's sight, if you continue
in the faith. That's not how you're saved,
that's the evidence you are saved. If you continue in the faith,
grounded and settled and be not moved away from the hope of the
Gospel, which you've heard, which was preached to every creature
under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister. Isn't that
comforting? giving thanks to the Father. All right, let's sing praise
the Savior, number 51, ye who know Him. Praise the Savior,
ye who know Him.

Giving Thanks to the Father

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

Joshua

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Music

Recent Comments

About

Legal

Subscribe

Account

Articles

Featured Authors

Podcast

Recent Comments

Sermons

Featured Preachers

Books

Browse by Format

Collections

Music

About

Legal

Subscribe

Giving Thanks to the Father

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

More from Henry Mahan

Related Sermons

Same Scripture

Articles by Henry Mahan

Books by Henry Mahan

Joshua

Where this book stands in the tradition

Plato

Augustine

The Western Christian Tradition

This Book