Reason for Joy – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (Pastor Josiah Shipley)

Now I want you to pay attention. It wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military. First Thessalonians chapter 5 please first Thessalonians chapter 5 found out at 930 that I would be preaching. Luckily, I had started on this sermon a couple weeks ago.

And I guess it's as finished as God intended it for it to be finished. So here we go first Thessalonians Chapter 5. Hear the word of the Lord. I will begin in verse 14 first Thessalonians 5 starting in verse 14 and We urge you brothers admonish the idle encourage the faint-hearted.

Help the weak and be patient with them all. See that no one repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everybody. We'll come back to that phrase in a minute to one another and to everybody.

Here we go. Ready verse 16 rejoice always pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Let's walk through that first off we urge you brothers admonish the idle the disorderly the unorganized admonish them as We go through these commands ask yourself.

Are you obeying that command? Admonish the idle. Encourage the faint-hearted. Help the weak. Be patient with them all and then verse 15 see that no one repays evil for evil. But always seek to do good to one another and to everyone now if you think that is Repeating yourself, please.

Make sure you understand who first Thessalonians is written to you. It's not that hard. Who was first Thessalonians written to you? That the church at Thessalonica, that's not that difficult, right? So he's writing to believers and he says do good to each other and to everybody.

Do good to each other and to everybody and then he says one more time. Rejoice always pray without ceasing and give thanks in all circumstances. For this is the will of God in your life now. Let me read that how I think maybe some of us just read that.

So let me try to read that in the translation that I think some of us just heard that. Rejoice when good things are happening. Pray when you think about it and give thanks when you feel like it. I Think is how some of us just read that.

So I'm gonna read it one more time. And then if you need some whiteout to change the Bible, you can go get some if you need to let's read that again rejoice always pray without ceasing and Give thanks in all circumstances.

You realize he just used three different ways to say all the time. He said always without ceasing and in all circumstances. That's just three different ways to say all the time for all three of those y 'all follow me on that.

Now rejoicing always let me let me help you figure that out. This is a Josiah definition and this has helped me so much understanding the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness enjoy. Happiness is based on a circumstance.

Joy is based on a foundation. See, there are many things that happen today that could affect my happiness. Nothing can shake my joy. Nothing can seal that for me because that has been given to me. That joy that joy is the unshakable fun.

And if you are not a believer you have no idea what I'm talking about. If you're an unbeliever you look at the state of our world the state of our country the state of options. We have for a leader and you see despair.

Oh but for a believer There is nothing that can steal or shake that joy that was given to me by God Almighty. Nothing. Nothing. See my happy set my happiness can change based on my circumstance that word circumstance.

Circumference that which surrounds me the standing the situations which surround me my circumstance those change. Those come and go my circumstance the standing and the things happening around me change all the time.

And if I base my joy on that I will be what Jesus said. I will be tossed to and fro by every wind by every teaching by every new thing. I will have no stability in my life. I won't know what kind of day I'm gonna have today.

Cuz I don't know what's going to happen to me. But there is a much better way to live. Waking up every day knowing I don't know what's gonna happen to me today circumstantially. But I checked this morning and this is still the day he made and I'm gonna rejoice and be glad in it.

Happiness is based on a circumstance. Joy is based on a foundation. See there are things in my circumstances that bring me great happiness. Last night I was just Burkett just came up and mentioned this to me.

I have been to a lot of fight shows a lot. Probably more than most people in this room. They do not usually look like that. There's normally a lot of alcohol. There's normally I mean one of the last shows I went to in the bathroom.

There was fighting and police had to come and just a lot of ugliness. You know what we had last night prayer circles. Y 'all see that. Do you see what happens when you take the same event and one is based on glorifying God?

And the other is based on glorifying man and the results of what happens. Maybe apply that to your own life Christian. The ones that are set forward as God is in charge and I will do this event thing.

Job relationship whatever how he says to do not how I said to do it. And then I don't have to be surprised on how it turns out. Because he works all things in accordance with the counsel of his will. Happiness is based on a circumstance.

Because sometimes I don't have days like I had yesterday. Start thinking about my grandmother's health. So many negative things. Stresses of life goodness gracious with our Wonderful economy that our Illustrious leaders have given us in the past four years.

I'm sure we are all doing wonderfully financially right now. Yeah, if I base my joy based on my circumstances, I'm toast. I'm toast. But if you base it based on something I can't move an unshakable foundation.

Life is a lot sweeter. I want to but we'll return here. I want just if you could would you please turn me real quick? The second Corinthians, I know you had to actually turn your Bible. I know that's a lot for some of us.

But if you could just turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 just for a moment. I want to show you something. I know it was me. He wouldn't use me. I know 2nd Corinthians. That's who John no work. Yeah that work.

Alright now I want to show y 'all something in Chapter 6 and I'm gonna start in verse 3. We put no obstacle in anyone's way so that no fault may be found in our ministry. But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way by great endurance and afflictions hardships calamities beatings imprisonment riots labor sleepless nights hunger by purity knowledge patience and kindness the Holy Spirit genuine love.

By truthful speech in The power of God with weapons weapons of righteousness for the right hand in the left. Before we continue just that word in verse 6 Genuine love a lot of the guys that were here last night.

Like I said, they didn't have anyone here. They didn't have a coach or whatever and it took them about 30 minutes to get comfortable. And this is what one of them told me and maybe some of us can relate to this.

Why are those folks being so nice to me? What do they want from me? Anyone relate to that? It took them a minute to realize there was somebody Who actually cared about them who just met them and needed or wanted nothing from them.

How rare is that defined? How rare is that and the guy? Afterwards the guy that learned his fighting from YouTube and did not do very well for obvious reasons. By the way, if you are under the age of 18, and you think everything can be learned by YouTube.

Life is gonna be pretty tough. Just put that out there. He when I asked him so man, where do you train he says I don't. I got to find a gym. Money blah blah blah because you know a gym is about a hundred and fifty dollars a month an MMA gym it ranges I I said you can come here man.

He goes. All right. How much is it? I said it's not he said well. How much is it per class? I said it's not he goes. All right. So how much is a month? I said you're not hearing me. It's not it's free.

And he said how and I said cuz 200 people in that brick built we were over at the gym and that brick building over. There pay for you to do this and they don't know your name. They don't know who you are.

They don't know what you look like. They know nothing about you. They pay for you to do this. The equipment the lights the they pay for you to do this and they don't know you and they need or not Want nothing for you.

They don't need a Facebook shout-out. They don't you know, they don't need nothing from you. Because what they're looking at is that soul inside of you that needs a little bit of Jesus. That's what they're doing that for.

Yeah, genuine Baptist church. There you go GBC West Germantown we get it. Yeah, we'll figure something out. So genuine love but then it says this verse 10. Sorrowful yet always rejoicing. Oh, don't miss this.

Oh, don't miss this. Sorrowful yet always rejoicing. I'm gonna put a test for you. This actually happened in group this morning before I knew I'd be preaching. And This is for all of us myself included.

I'm putting myself out there on this one. This is how you know if you let outside circumstances Dictate how you are doing with God if someone asks you how you and Jesus are doing if someone asks you how you're doing spiritually.

And you reply with I'm tired or this happened or this event happened and you realize you start talking about work. You start talking about everything else you recognize 10 minutes later. The question was how I mean Jesus doing.

You know why you're saying all that stuff because you're letting that stuff affect how you and Jesus are doing. What's that God? Did you not just read the list we just read? Riots imprisonments beatings sleepless nights hunger truthful speech power of God weapon.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me let me help all of us. There is a phrase I would like us to remove from our brain set it on fire and never use again. You like well in my spiritual life. I'm doing this way in my work life.

I'm doing this way in my family. Ladies and gentlemen, if you don't recognize that your spiritual life Permeates through your whole life you have it backwards. You have it backwards and and let me give you some hope when you view the world that way.

It gives you a purpose and no matter what you're doing turning a wrench Vacuuming teaching children selling cars and no matter what you do when you recognize that there is a Spiritual mandate of how you are to conduct yourself and carry yourself and wherever you're at.

You realize that is your spiritual life and it gives you a purpose. Beyond the physical means that this world says it's there for does that make sense? Guys there's no such thing as well spiritual life over here work life that doesn't exist.

Every single situation in your life has spiritual significance. And a way to make it meaningful. Beyond the 60 years you have left to live the Bible says let this be recorded for a future generation. So that a people yet to be born may praise the Lord.

What we did yesterday what we do every day Determines what a future generations of believers will be doing. That's how you build something and you do that ladies and gentlemen. No matter where you're at and no matter what you're doing.

I Don't care if it's a nurse. I don't care if it's a schoolteacher. I don't care if it's at the house for the kids. I don't care if it's as a pastor. I don't care if it's as a used car salesman. I don't care what it is if you recognize the spiritual significance of every interaction you have and every job you accomplish you recognize eternal matters instead of just Physical mundane matters that after about two years you're gonna say what am I doing with my life?

Yeah. Sorrowful yet always rejoicing is not a contradiction because one is based on a circumstance the others based on a foundation when Horrible things death happen. To people we love the biblical call is not to be happy.

That's impossible. The biblical call is to be joyful. The biblical call is to be joyful back in Thessalonians. It says rejoice always. Rejoice always. It says pray without ceasing. In Luke chapter 18, we have an amazing story.

And if you've never read it you don't have to turn there. I'm just gonna read just a brief part of it and it says this. Jesus told them a parable to the effect that they ought to always pray and not lose heart.

Jesus is about to teach a parable. I need a tissue. Jesus about to teach a parable about them to not lose heart and to always pray. So the parable we're about to read has that purpose by the way, remember what a parable is.

What's a parable? Oh my gosh. All right, it's a story that teaches a lesson of spiritual significance. You said what? No, he didn't say with his chest. It don't count. It's a that's a man. If you don't say with his chest, it don't count.

Jesus would agree let your yes be yes, and you know be no. Come on. That's right, that's right, but Zoe. Okay, she's a girl. I'll let it go so a parable is a story a Story about Something that happens in everyday life in order for spiritual significance to be drawn from it.

That's what a parable is. So he tells them a parable to the effect that they ought to always pray and not lose heart. Now Sometimes pastors mess this parable up because they tell you the judge is God.

The judge here is not God. The judge we're about to read about does not believe he is an unbeliever. Okay, so let's go. He said in a certain city. There was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.

Talk about a double whammy. Not only does he not fear God. He has no respect for other people and this is just a side note. But if I may as you write this down and for anyone married you need to have Ephesians 5 33 memorized.

If you are married in this room, you need to have a fetus up to 5 verse 33 memorized if you ever planned on being married ladies. The Bible says very clearly what a man wants more than anything else. Who is.

I thought Marissa you were the one what a man wants more than anything else. The Bible tells us you know what it is. Respect. Respect. The Bible also tells us what a woman wants more than thing else to feel loved and secured.

So the Bible says isn't that true men want respect so much. They even want it from other men. Much less their helpmate. That's the most important thing. Respect. We'll talk about that in another sermon about what that is.

What actual respect is but we'll talk about that in another sermon for here this guy. He doesn't fear God and he doesn't care about anybody else but himself. Sounds like a lot of our politicians verse 3 and There was a widow in that city who kept Coming to him and saying give me justice against my adversary.

Give me justice against my adversary. And while he refused for a while afterward, he said to himself. I don't fear God. I don't respect men. I don't care about God or none of that prayer stuff that she's doing.

But to keep her from bothering me I'm gonna go ahead and give her justice. She she will not beat me down with her constant asking Scott. This is not a sermon about Vicki. Just hold on. And it says this.

And the Lord said to her Hear what the unrighteous judge says and will not God Give justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night. Will he delay long over them? I tell you he will give justice to them speedily.

Nevertheless when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the earth in other words when he comes back? Will he find people like that? With that type of persistent prayer. Is he gonna find anyone like that?

That's what the question is, is he gonna find that faithfulness right there she kept on and kept on and the unbelieving judge Yielded how much more the Heavenly Father for his children that cry out to them day and night.

I'm writing a sermon on Why I don't have what I want and I just have to give you a preview here. There are six reasons why I don't have what I want and You know, we can talk about unconfessed and we can talk about not working for it.

We can talk about lots of other things, but in general I Haven't asked for it. I haven't asked for it the right intentions. I don't need it or I don't need it yet. Those are the six reasons God taught me a very silly From a human standpoint lesson with this little wallet a couple weeks ago, and I've told some of y 'all this haven't I?

And I'm just gonna share it just very quickly. And this is a small sample and I know that some of us in this room I know I'm looking you in the eye because I am fully aware we have talked. I know some of us in this room Are in the middle of it.

That's all I can say, right? I want to show you the lesson. He taught me with this. I Like get unnecessarily angry when you lose something. Okay, like it's not like I had that much money in it. I'm right but you know the DMV.

And the credit cards and you know what I'm saying in the bank in this. When you call Bank of America and the person answering tells you the name is John and very clearly by their accent. Their name is not John.

So then you're like, hey man, I did this one time. Hey, man, look give me the respect. What's your name and then he says it you're like John. Because I can't pronounce that. I'm like, all right, never mind pass that so and you know I'm praying I'm like Lord, please.

Tell me if I'm a wallet please I Can't find it anywhere. I'm getting so irritated about it. So I'm calling we I went to Home Depot That day that I lost it so I called the customer service and they looked very Hard for my wallet for the three seconds.

They put me on hold and And by hope put me on hold I mean set the phone down just talk to a friend about what whatever she was already talking About pretending that she looked you know, I'm talking about.

Yeah Yeah, she cared a lot. Anyway after about a week. This was on Labor Day I Rachel I mean Naomi Ava and I got in the car and we were driving to Dick's Sporting Goods So that Ava could buy band-aids.

I Don't know. That's what she wants to buy with her money, whatever, right? And I have a little gift card not to go there. Anyway, so I'm going and get the Germantown Parkway and I turned north instead of south and I said hey girls I'm gonna I'm gonna go to Home Depot.

I'm gonna walk in there and see if I find my wallet. I've been praying non-stop. Maybe I'll go right to the place where it was and it'll be right there. Right, you know, I mean, it's not like anyone else the past week has looked through the lumber, right?

I walk in I go to the customer service. It was exactly the same in person. It was on the phone. She pretended to look in the box one there. I go to the lumber and I'm like God please let it be here and I walk around and I look and it wasn't there.

Well Before we turned into Home Depot There was a dude sitting there at the light. Begging for money. My backyard is second review. So Ava and I have had many conversations about this and she goes Daddy should he be doing that and I look at him able-bodied both arms both legs.

I said no. He shouldn't. But Ava, let me tell you something that doesn't make me better than him. I'm not actually talking to you right now. That doesn't make me better than him. That'll make me better than him.

It doesn't mean we can't show kindness. She said well, can I give him one of my dollars? She had two dollars and fifty cents. I thought for a minute. I Said no, I Don't know they give money, but I'll tell you what we will do.

Keep in mind. I don't have a wallet so I can't go to Wendy's. I said I've got a $25 gift card at Dick's Sporting Goods. We'll go and get your band-aids and whatever food they have. We'll get it and we'll bring it to him.

All right. Okay, daddy. That sounds good. And the Sun started to come out. It was getting hot. So we go to Dick's Sporting Goods Gatorade and you know those peanut butter cliff bars. Several of those whatever right Gatorade drive all the way back down.

He's still there. He's very grateful. We give it to him and we going away and she's smiling and I said naive. That's how you show kindness and think of somebody beside yourself. That's how you do that you thought of someone besides yourself.

It was an excellent teaching moment Naomi. You know, I rewarded them and Naomi wrote the coattails of Ava's kindness is what basically happened. It was an excellent way to teach how to think of someone besides yourself and I excellent example.

She got to see for herself right not just reading out of a storybook actually doing it. You know I'm talking about she's never gonna forget that the next day. I come to work and I walk upstairs and. And find my wallet immediately the whole time I'm writing this sermon on prayer.

Not this one different one and I'm like, why do I not have what I want? It wasn't unconfessed and there was it wasn't anything about I haven't worked for it. I looked everywhere for it. It wasn't that I didn't ask for it didn't ask for the right intentions.

It was that I didn't need it and I didn't need it yet. Because if I'd had that I want to have turned to go to Home Depot and seen the man I had the opportunity with Ava. Y 'all follow me on that. Now that can be true in a little silly example like this.

Not started applying that to the very big problems. I'm having in life as I'm sure many of us have. And you know what guys? He's the sovereign God of the universe. He doesn't owe me an explanation and.

And yet he gave it to me in one moment to remind me That not only is he in control He has a wise purpose for everything and how arrogant of me. To think that he needs to give it to me when I say at my beckon call.

Because this says this says right here he won't be withholding that which I need His children that cry out to him day and night. He won't be withholding it from me. So either I don't need it or I don't need it yet, and I'm okay with that.

And I'm learning to live with that. Okay, rejoicing always praying without ceasing ladies and gentlemen. Prayer is communication with God. Let me explain this to you. This right here is The sovereign Word of God and I fear that it's a phrase we use often and still don't know what it means.

When I say this is the Word of God, I literally mean it contains the words of God. This right here is not a book. This is not a book. This is a collection of 66 different books literary Works written by 40 different people in four languages on three different continents over 1 ,500 years all speaking the same truth.

Because they are all inspired by the sovereign God. Think about that chemistry in that makeup. We can't get two politicians to agree in the same city in the same language over the same issue. 40 writers 1 ,500 years.

Three continents four languages that type of unity only happens when there is someone working over that and that would be God when I Read this when you read this that is quite literally the words of God speaking directly to you.

Jesus holds people accountable for words written Hundreds of years before to a different people group and says this was God speaking to you. So that I can open up first. Thessalonians say David. This is God talking to you Ben.

This is God talking to you. You understand that? Kylie can say this Josiah. This is God talking to you because it is Prayer is me speaking back. Ladies and gentlemen, if you pray and never read all you're doing is talking and not listening.

All you're doing is talking and not listening. If you read and don't pray you're listening and not responding. The scripture is God speaking to us prayer is us talking back and is a communication with God like no other.

Notice the order here it says rejoice always pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances. I'm gonna read a quote from Charles Spurgeon. When joy and prayer are married their firstborn child is gratitude.

When joy and prayer are married their firstborn child is gratitude. When we joy in God for what we have and believingly pray to him for more than our souls. Thank him both in the enjoyment of what we have and the prospect of what's yet to come.

Let me help some of us in this room. Because you recognize this is God's Word. But you also recognize it is about that thick and you do not know but a percentage of it, right? So then your brain you'll do something like this.

Jeremiah pastor Jeremiah read that if you love me, you'll keep my commandments and that what he read this morning. I Only know a Few pages worth so, how can I love him if I haven't had the time now some of us it's the effort.

But for some of us the time to learn this it how do I? How do I start when I'm not even through this one book? Reading it much less understanding it and applying it right. This is what God did. That's what the sovereign God did.

You ready for this this? Changes lives. He took this entire book and said, all right, I'll tell you what. Every single command in that book is in one of two categories and I'll tell you the categories and if you obey these you're at least passing.

You at least have a 70 you at least will pass the class you ready. Love God with all your heart soul mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. Every single command in the Bible fits in one of those two every single one, you know, how?

Do not steal love your neighbor. Do not worship other idols. Love God. Do not murder love your neighbor and whatever you do glorify God love God. You can't name one command that does not fit in one of those two categories.

So what God did was said you obey those two you are by accident. Obeying every single command in this book and that's something. Does that not give you a little hope that? Okay, if I can just focus on two things, you know, George is not what we would call a genius.

Does everyone agree with that Lauren agreed? Yeah. But he can remember two. Two it's the number after one two, right. Love God with every fiber of my being and love my neighbor as I love myself. And I am by default Obeying every single command in this book.

Every single one. That is how we show God love. Give thanks in all circumstances. Read with me again verse 16. Rejoice always. Not circumstance foundation, right? Pray without ceasing communication with God.

Persistent communication with God. Give thanks in all circumstances. If I were to Say Josiah give me one attribute of humans. That separates the visual of the godly verse the ungodly. I would probably tell you thankfulness.

I'd probably tell you gratitude. That is probably the visual for me that most quickly identifies for me. Someone who loves God and someone who does not for me in this room, I Could shut up and Just let person after person.

I mean I'm looking at you. Come up here and show you with a smile. What God has done in the life that would break? Every other person, you know. And it's not because they're a strong person. It's because they serve a strong God.

Thankfulness in The midst of those circumstances is only brought about by the Holy Spirit. It is impossible impossible not unlikely impossible. To have that type of gratitude in the midst of that type of circumstance unless the Holy Spirit is driving that individual.

Give thanks in all circumstances. Here it is. You ready for this is the will of God in your life. Oh. How many times how many times am I asked? What is God's will for my life your sanctification? That you love God today more than you did yesterday.

And ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you something. I Know 100 that I am a believer and that if I died right now I'd go to heaven and I don't know that for any other reason than this not because I'm trusting a moment 25 years ago that would bring doubt to my soul now because I would start thinking maybe I imagined it.

You know what I'm talking about, but I love Jesus right now more than I did a year ago. Right now more than I did one year ago. And I can see that in my life. I can see that in my attitude. I can see that in the way I talk to people.

That doesn't happen by natural circumstances. That doesn't in fact tell you the truth people normally get more bitter as time goes on gratefulness is a constant remembering of. What God has done for me and what he is doing for me.

What he has done for me and what he is doing for me. Let me start with what he has done for me. Let me very quickly summarize the gospel for you if I can do that real quick. Can I do that? I'm going to so, you know what the standard is to get into heaven.

Now listen every time I say this I get an email a text a phone call or look. But let me just do this one more time. And I I beg you to let me finish and hear this if it's for the first time in your life you hear.

Spiritual ears. I'm begging. The standard to get into heaven is absolute perfection. Do you hear that? That is called worry. And I have good news for that. That's why it's called the gospel. That standard has never changed and will never change and when I say absolute perfection I don't mean good intentions.

I mean absolute perfection if you don't believe me if you don't believe me a Dude taking a bite out of a piece of fruit. Ruin that for him. Did you just hear me? How do you stand against that? How do you stand against that.

Absolute perfection is the requirement to get in heaven. There is no exceptions. The next question you should ask is then how is heaven not empty, right? Wouldn't that be the next question? How is heaven not empty and that's the gospel you ready for this watch this.

Creatures made from dirt defied the orders of a sovereign God said get off the throne. That's where I belong. That God said on the day you take a bite of that you will die. And they lived 900 years after that and I've said this before listen guys.

Those who ask how could such a loving God dot dot dot they are asking the wrong question. The question is how is God not a cosmic pushover? The question is how does a sovereign God forgive sin? How does a God who already said on the front end?

Who already said on the front end? Perfection is the standard and I'm not changing it. How does that God forgive? That's the question of the Bible and here's how He said, all right. I already said I'm gonna punish sin and I will it's what he did that God from heaven came to this planet and Did something amazing don't start with yeah, he died.

I'm not there yet. He lived an entire life where he obeyed every single command in this book. The do-nots and the do in other words not just he didn't steal. He also honored his father and mother not just do not murder.

He also should love the neighbor. You understand that he obeyed every single one of those commands his own rules. And then this is what he does if all listen if all God did. What's forgive you of your sins?

You would still not go to heaven. Oh Man. You see those faces right there. I wish you could see the faces. I'm saying I am NOT the most liked person in this room. Right now and that's okay. But listen, this is the most beautiful thing you'll ever hear.

If all God did was forgive you you would still not go to heaven. See that's like if someone has a debt of ten and I'm using money just for an example here ten billion dollars. Some of us have had this in our account a little dash before the number because you're in the negative, right?

If someone forgives that all it does is bring your account back to zero. Right, you're still broke. That keeps you out of hell that don't get you into heaven. What Jesus did was transfer his perfect life of obedience to the Bible to God's Word to the Father and Gave it to me if right now I died.

It doesn't really work like this, but if I walked up to heaven's gate or as it were. My entrance is absolute perfection. Not because of me because it's the perfection of another that was given to me. The standard is perfection and that perfection those obedience those works of righteousness.

Are not mine. They were given to me and to all who believe so. Perfection is the standard but it's not mine. It's the perfection of another and he loved me so and everyone who calls on his name that not only did he forgive me not my iniquity and take the credit for my sin and Then was punished for my sin.

Then he gives me the righteousness He earned by obeying God's law so that I enter heaven free of my guilt. Which is placed on Jesus and I? Take on myself. The righteousness that he earned from the father by obeying and that's something see he did what Adam didn't do.

He obeyed all the way through. Every single command and then credits that to everyone who believes. Perfection is the standard and it was given to all who believe. Isn't that something? He forgives sin.

He gives credit and then he works out that gratitude and thankfulness in those hearts on the back end. That's salvation. That all who bow the knee of their heart in submission to him receive the benefits of salvation on based on faith.

Alone in what he has done. That's the gospel when I remember that it is very difficult to not be grateful. Oh. It's so difficult, and I'm I find ways sometimes, but it is difficult not to be grateful, and here's why.

Because that's what he's done for me.