Giving Thanks to God is the Opposite of Self- Sufficiency

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.!

The Psalmist wrote in Psalm 136:1-3,

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:

This month we celebrate the national holiday called “Thanksgiving.” The origin of this November observance each year goes back to our 16th President. After listing some national blessings, Abraham Lincoln continued to proclaim:

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

Lincoln was responding to the commands in Psalm 136:1-3 to thank God for His goodness and tender mercies. So, he went on to proclaim -

“It has seemed to me fit and proper that they (God’s gracious gifts) should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

That said, two experiences this year have served to remind me how unthankful to God our contemporary society, the “American People,” really have become. The first was at my granddaughter’s Junior High graduation. The second was just last month on a domestic flight.

1. My granddaughter was one of three students chosen to give a speech at her graduation in June. She has been raised in a Christian environment, goes to a Bible teaching church and professes Christ as her personal Savior. For those things we humbly thank and praise God, because He made all of that happen.

Her speech was way different from the other two speeches. She expressed thankfulness to her teachers and for the benefits she had been blessed with. The other graduates lauded themselves and proudly spoke of THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, saying more than once, "I’m really, really proud of myself."

Being at a public school, the teachers heartily approved of the self-sufficient, self-centered speeches. I think that was because humanism is what their teaching stresses and leads to. I believe humanism is what they have been trying for years to drum into their students.

Those other students are not being taught to acknowledge God. By the absence of a daily reminder of the ultimate truth, they are growing up to trust in self, and pat their own selves on the back!

2. The second situation, the one on the airplane, was in reading an article in the airlines’ "Sky" magazine. The October edition was all about breast cancer awareness, or what they call "Pinktober." While the edition called on readers to be aware of this terrible disease, nowhere did it ever suggest we ought to pray to God because of it.

The edition included an article about a well known lesbian "gay rights activist," who is also a rock star and a breast cancer survivor. The title of the article is alarming for a Bible believer. It is, "Speaking her truth."

Basically, this article highlighted the direction further down the road, that the teachers and at least two of the Jr. High graduates are headed – humanistic self-sufficiency. Here are a few quotes from this cancer survivor:

"I was a very busy, stressed-to-the-gills woman, successful, BUT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT LIFE’S ALL ABOUT,…"

Then, she said she discovered she had the cancer, and as a result came to "understand THAT THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG, NO EVIL, NO NEGATIVE… it’s just how it is."

The article’s author says the experience (of cancer) "helped her further her new positive mindset and strong belief that ‘YOU create your own reality through YOUR thoughts and desires.’ "

That’s self-sufficient humanism, where each human is the be all and end all of their own existence. There is no real belief in God or reliance upon Him. He doesn’t even need to be acknowledged. People with that mind set will not, and simply cannot THANK GOD, because He is crowded out by their own self-thankfulness and supposed achievement.

The female author of this article went on to say of her subject: "That strong self-direction has given rise to a constant description of … as ‘authentic.’ It makes her laugh." Then, this cancer survivor is quoted as saying, "Because of what people project on me – ‘She’s so authentic,’ ‘She’s speaking her truth’ – all of a sudden, the greatest weapon I have is to seek it and speak it."

Then, this ungodly and shocking statement comes from this woman who doesn’t know or acknowledge that it is the mercy and grace of a God she continues to reject, that has allowed her to survive cancer and continue in her sin against Him, even to the point of her interview. Her homosexual pride and practice - is a sinful rejection of her Creator.

She says: "I’M DRUNK WITH POWER! EVERY TIME I SPEAK MY TRUTH, I AM LOOKED UPON AS BEING ‘COURAGEOUS’ AND, REALLY, WHAT DOES THAT SAY ABOUT OUR SOCIETY? WHY ISN’T THAT THE NORM?"

Her interview closes with the following quotes, "Cancer is an opportunity to sit down and LOOK INTO YOURSELF AND FIND THE ANSWERS." "ONLY YOU DEFINE YOUR LIFE."

How tragic and far from the ultimate truth of God. But why, you may ask such a long introduction to this message? Because, those you minister the gospel to are constantly bombarded with the same set of lies and they need to repent and turn from them and become THANKFUL to God for the truth that is ONLY in Jesus.

Giving God thanks is the opposite of humanistic self-sufficiency. See that in these verses from Romans 1:18-25,

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
21 because, although they knew (about) God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Now, these next two verses are an apt description not only of lost humanity, but also of the cancer survivor, I just spoke about.

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,
23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man

—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. (Note that “man” is the first thing on this list! They un-god-ed God, and deified man.)

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature (like self) rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

Teach your Bible students that thanking your self instead of the true God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) IS WORSHIPING THE CREATURE rather than the Creator - who according to Col. 1:14-16, and Heb 1:1, IS JESUS. But that’s always what humanistic self-sufficiency leads to.

On this twisted lie of self-sufficiency look briefly with me at Revelation 3:16-18, where Jesus said to the professing church at Laodicea:

16 … I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say (present tense - repeatedly say), ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

Let me explain. The people of ancient Laodicea were known for their proud independence. Their area produced highly prized Phrygian wool and was the source of expensive black garments. They also were the source of the most expensive and best eye-salve in the ancient world, made from chemicals found in their region.

As a result they were so wealthy that when an earthquake destroyed most of their town, they refused financial aid from Rome and rebuilt it with their own funds! Hence, they thought they needed nothing from anyone outside themselves.

Sadly, this attitude invaded the professing church there. It is my personal opinion that most of them were not truly saved, they were "Christians" in name only. They were self-sufficient so they could not be thankful to God. Listen again to their repeated statement:
"I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."

In his excellent book “Crazy Love,” Francis Chan quotes Frederick D. Huntington, who wrote the following words in Forum Magazine, IN 1890!

“It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church-going, hollow-hearted prosperity.” That statement way back in 1890 describes self-centered, self-sufficient Laodiceanism!

The professing believers in ancient Laodicea had as we do today, Psalm 100. Look at it briefly. It is addressed to "ALL YOU LANDS" (meaning all peoples), therefore the message of this Psalm is addressed to both the saved and the unsaved sinners. It can be taken then in an evangelistic sense.

In five short verses it has seven commands from the Creator of all human beings.

1 Make (imperative) a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!
2 Serve (imperative) the LORD with gladness; come (imperative) before His presence with (loud joyous) singing.
3 Know (another imperative verb) that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made (possibly even more than in the sense of created, but also in the sense of prepared us - brought us to this point) us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter (imperative) into His gates with thanksgiving (that word a noun, means a song of thanks), and into His courts with praise. Be thankful (imperative) to Him, and bless (an imperative verb meaning to bless) His name.
5 For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

I simply want to bring out from verses 3 and 4, that God’s word teaches every human being this truth - YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BLESSINGS OF YOUR LIFE, GOD IS! Everyone has been commanded by God to KNOW THAT. Therefore, He also commands every human being to GIVE THANKS TO HIM, AND NOT TO THEMSELF. Laodicean like people are disobedient to that command BECAUSE in their mind they are self-sufficient.

Four commands from God are in these two verses alone. The first, in verse 3, is to know some things about God and know some things about our selves. The last three in verse 4, are TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT KNOWLEDGE. All people are commanded to come to a place of recognizing His presence and while in that place or state, to verbally give thanks to Him and to bless all that He is and has done (His name).

To put it more succinctly, all people are commanded to be worshipers of their Creator. BUT to truly worship Him, one MUST be cleansed of their sin, and they cannot cleanse themselves. SO THEY MUST BELIEVE IN HIS SACRIFICIAL CLEANSING OF THEIR SIN IN THE ONLY SUBSTITUTE HE HAS PROVIDED - JESUS CHRIST THE MESSIAH!

With all that said, my Thanksgiving Bible exposition will be from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. You might use some thoughts from it with inmates or residents. It is one sentence. It reads:

16 Rejoice always,
17 pray without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Three imperative verbs divide the sentence into three parts and a concluding statement applies to all three commands. I want to explain the final statement at the end of verse 18, first.

"this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

The word for will here is the word for desire. This is what God wants, even longs for some to do. But, TO whoM are these commands to rejoice, to pray and to give thanks addressed?

The end of verse 18 and the context of the first inspired epistle to the Thessalonians, makes the answer very clear. These commands are to true believers!

The Amplified Bible brings out the sense of the original language. It says: "for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus." When we think about it, who else could really rejoice and pray and truly give thanks?

So God WANTS believers in Christ to rejoice, so He COMMANDS it in verse 16. We have so much to rejoice over and about. Even when our current TEMPORARY circumstances are hard, we have eternal victory over sin in Christ Jesus! So, teach believers they are to normally have an attitude of joy and rejoicing.

Joy is internal, rejoicing is external - expressed and spoken. WE OUGHT TO BE THANKFUL TO GOD FOR THIS UNSPEAKABLE JOY. WORDS CANNOT FULLY EXPLAIN HOW A BELIEVER REFLECTING ON THEIR SALVATION FEELS ABOUT IT. But, we need to express it in words as best we can, TO HIM.

God WANTS and therefore COMMANDS believers to PRAY. Giving thanks to God is saying something to Him about our gratitude for who He is and what He’s done for us. So, thanksgiving TO God IS PRAYER.

Note the words that go with the three commands to do something: rejoice ALWAYS, pray WITHOUT CEASING, and IN EVERYTHING give thanks. Those modifiers fittingly go with the present tense commands to keep on doing these things. They really are all part of one another. In fact, according to the prescription for Christian prayer given in Philippians 4:6, all prayer should INCLUDE thanksgiving!

In teaching inmates and residents 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 this year at Thansgiving, tell them the intent of that Scripture is to direct all obedience to these commands TO GOD FIRST.

Look at it and teach it this way:

16 Rejoice (TO GOD) always,
17 pray (TO GOD) without ceasing,
18 in everything give thanks (TO GOD); for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

As this passage is directed to believers, a fitting Old Testament passage to close with and remind the believers you minister to, is Psalm 107:1,2 -

1 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy, …

Praise God He bought believers back and out of sin with the precious blood of His Son. In doing so, He has freed them from their first father – our true enemy – the devil. Every saved person ought to be continually thankful to Him for that.

Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains, Aurora Ministries