Thanksgiving

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Thanksgiving

Several Sundays ago, I was asked to speak on the subject of thanksgiving. The Holy Spirit, led me to Luke 17 verses 11 to 19. This is quite a familiar story among Christians. The text tells the short story of ten lepers who begged Jesus for mercy. They were then instructed by Jesus to show themselves to the priests. While they were going there, they discovered that they were healed. Sadly, only one of them returned to thanks Jesus, and he was a Samaritan.

Being a firm believer in expository preaching, I dug deep into the greek words used in the text. I looked up the greek words for "Thanks." The word here is the word "eucharisteo." This is where we get our word for "Eucharist." Eucharisteo is also the same word used in the Gospels when Christs gives thanks for a meal. In the Epistles, the apostle Paul often uses this same word

Eucharisteo can basically be broken down into two words. "Eu" to mean good or well and "charis" which means to favor, thank or to respond to a good favor. This word is also used as the verb form of "favor" or "Charis" in Greek. Often, the word "Charis" is translated as "Grace" in English.

Looking back at the story and the greek words used, you can clearly see the message that the message that our Lord is trying to convey here. The Lepers were asking for "Mercy" but only one leper got "Grace."

Oftentimes we interchange "Mercy" for "Grace." We usually think that they mean the same thing. However take note that there is a difference between them. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace on the other hand is getting what you don't deserve. Because we are sinners, we deserve to go to Hell. But because God is merciful, we are spared from the punishment of eternal damnation. Recieving the gift of eternal life on the other hand could only come because of grace. We do not deserve forgiveness of sin nor do we deserve eternal life, nevertheless we received it because of God's GRACE.

The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8 and 9 says that we are saved "by Grace through faith . . . it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast" The gift referred to here is "Saving faith." What this verse is simply saying is that the faith to believe was given to us by God. By ourselves alone we do not have the ability to believe God by faith because of our fallen state. What we only have is natural faith. In order to know Christ we must have "supernatural faith."

We should be thankful to God for giving us "Supernatural faith." Certainly it is not because of our own natural ability that we have the faith to believe in Jesus Christ and what he did for us. We believe in him because we have been given the faith to believe.

Since he was given what he does not deserve, the Samaritan Leper expressed his thanks to Jesus Christ and the verse says that he "turned back and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks"

He was then asked by Jesus Christ, ""Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger."

This is the part that I love the most, Jesus furhters tells him to "Arise; go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole." In effect, He was saying to the Samaritan Leper "Your faith has saved you."

The Samaritan Leper got more than healing from his leprosy, he received the gift of Salvation in Christ. What a joy it is to be truly thankful !

Article Source: http://articlenexus.com

Would you like to know more about being thankful ? Visit the blog of Zigfred Diaz where he regularly writes about several topics mainly on money management, investments, How to invest in the Philippine stock market, faith, theology, law, life and living.

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