"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." II Cor. 9:15
- Suppose I put into your hand a jewel worth tens of thousands of dollars
- Then I show you another, and say there are only four to be seen on the face of the earth.
- The one is costly, the other rare, and both are precious.
Christ is precious because —
He is most valuable.
In His person is adorned with every human grace
In His glory He is enriched with every perfection
He is most rare.
As we have only one sun. and that is enough
There is only one Bible, that is true
We have only one Savior, we need no other
Prophesied long before Jesus came – Is.9:6
"Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." II Cor. 9:15
- The gifts of God are absolutely incomparable.
- Unspeakable - “Indescribable”, “wonder beyond description,”
- Give a reason why God has loved us
- Try to estimate the love of God
- Who can tell its duration or its perfections, its tenderness, or its strength?
• All our peace and hope
• All our comfort and joy in this life
• All our prospect of pardon and salvation
• All the offers of eternal glory are to be traced to him
- Towering above all His other gifts, however, is the gift of His Son.
I. Thanksgiving For The Greatest Gift
The heart yearns for love - Yet 50% of marriages fail
In Christ love is at its ultimate.
Jn 15:19 "Greater love hath no man than this. . .
" 1 Jn 4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us.
Jn 3:16" "For God so loved the world”
This love is unchanging, everlasting, & never fading,
II. Thanksgiving For An Inclusive Gift
- God gives to men.
Romans 8:32 (AV)
32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
- If you have Christ, you have the key to any and all His gifts
• Pardon
• Sonship
• Heirship
• Oneness with Christ
• Victory over death
• Heaven
- It is most satisfying
III. Thanksgiving For a Most Suitable Gift
- This gift transforms our life
They who receive this Gift receive raiment for their naked souls Revelation 3:18 (AV)
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
Those who are spiritually hungry receive “the Bread of Life” Jn 6:48
John 6:51 (AV)
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Water is to satisfy the thirsty; they who receive this Gift receive the “water of life”
John 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
They who receive this Gift receive freedom from the captivity of Satan and of the world (Isaiah 61:1 – Lk 4:18-19)
Isaiah 61:1 (AV)
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Luke 4:18–19 (AV)
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
IV. Thanksgiving For a Most Personal Gift
A. Note that it is a gift and not a loan.
B. It is a gift and not a purchase.
C. It is a gift which draws forth thanks.
- There must be “think” before “thank”
1. Personal – Gratitude from our Hearts
2. Fervent and active – Praise from our lips
3. Practical.- By obedience with our lives
a. By giving ourselves to the giver.
b. By the giving of gifts to others.
Matthew 10:8 (AV) …: freely ye have received, freely give.
Philip Henry (English Pastor 1631-1696) says, “Thanksgiving is good, but thanks-living is better.”
