Living a Life of Gratitude
Scripture Reading — Luke 17:11-19 (Jesus told the 10 Lepers to go see the priest and after being healed, only 1 came back thank Jesus and to show his gratitude).
Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
(Romans 6:1-2)
We have been saved by grace and not by works. But does that mean we do not have to do good? The answer is clear and decisive. Grace and good works are not competitors. They go hand in hand in the lives of God’s children.
(Ephesians 2:8-10) 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
When we come to faith in Christ, our old sinful nature dies. The old nature is crucified and buried with Christ, and we rise to new life in Christ.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Being raised with Christ means living a life in which good works (or “good fruit” in the words of Jesus—John 15) become natural to us.
Bearing good fruit is a sign that our faith and conversion are true and genuine.
Good works are a natural expression of thankfulness.
While doing good becomes “second” nature to all who have new life in Christ, we still need to work at it.
Though the old nature has been crucified, it still rises up from time to time to try to reassert itself.
It is no longer the driving force in our life, but it remains a force to fight against.
Wanting to produce good fruit assures us that we are indeed saved, and that is a powerful witness to people who do not yet know Jesus.
So how about we just thank Jesus for dying for us to purchase our salvation.
Let’s commit our lives to being grateful, having a life of gratitude. And commit our lives to thanking him by striving to live for his honor and glory. Amen.